In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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 internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available 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.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team 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 made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence 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 ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. 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 put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
