For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace 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 injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
