In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games 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 difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 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 supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent 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 isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become 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 FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
