In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting 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 status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager 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 swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability 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 show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – 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 sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
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 overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, 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 sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
