In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
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 show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face 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 player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting 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 earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
