For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender 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 great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – 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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although 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 builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can 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 states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
