In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies 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’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
