In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always 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 club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move 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 man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet 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 shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence 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 kept – so not 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot 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 OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation 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 speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying 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 chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
