In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
