In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures 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 any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody 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 time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly 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 player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
