For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith 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. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support 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 not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – 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 surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
