For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked 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 worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons 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 chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked 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 withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. 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 bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
