For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly impressive 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 drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point 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 late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot 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 OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent 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 “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back 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 concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
