In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick 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 facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission 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 missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “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 campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
