For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face 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 player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team 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. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
