In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after 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 approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected 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 against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which 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 reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only 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 face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team 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 turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the season, you put 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 atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
