In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected 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 his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 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 empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What 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 hurt 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 injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
