In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half 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 Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer 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 demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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 fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
