In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, 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 exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
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 going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says 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 if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
