In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust 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 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, simply, the most stunning show of confidence 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 excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
