In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic 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 games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. 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 each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son 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 qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
