For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move 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 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 earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not 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.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – 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 place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding 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 clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
