For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges 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 it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
