In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
