In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows 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 firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support 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 available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What 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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, 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 positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed 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 picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
