For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select 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 against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported 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 difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face 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 demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook 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 afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
