In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able 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 sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained 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 creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good 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 talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” 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 leave that aside. You arrive 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, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting 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 instead of stressing.”