For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away 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 natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented 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 trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering 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 each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
