Taking wild cards and leaving out stars is the art of building a World Cup squad

This was undoubtedly one of the main reasons why Glenn Hoddle left Paul Gascoigne out of the England squad for the same tournament.

There was no doubt about Gazza’s ability, but if he is not in the starting line-up, he could become a distraction as a squad player – even if he does not cause a stir himself, the media hype clamoring for the midfielder to play will.

Gaza is not the only big name to suffer this fate. France coach Didier Deschamps said there could be a “feeling in the squad” that Samir Nasri was unhappy when he was not a starter after the midfielder was left out in 2014, highlighting the process coaches must follow when making a final selection.

Maintaining team chemistry is key in any tournament selection when players are in camps that can stretch for weeks at a time, especially at this summer’s World Cup with more countries undertaking longer schedules.

This comes not only by avoiding picking bad apples from the herd, but also by including others who create a positive atmosphere.

Tuchel spoke of the need to create a “brotherhood” among the England squad this summer, and pointed to the character and energy that the likes of Jordan Henderson and Dan Byrne bring to the group beyond their playing abilities.

While Henderson’s continued selection, in particular, has been questionable, it is easily explained by considering his role in creating a high-performance environment.

A sense of consistency is important to maintain, so players know what to expect when they arrive at international camps and allow a team hierarchy to form, despite not spending a lot of time together. Chopping and changing this close to a tournament is not a good sign.

“I always had about 16 or 17 identical players in each team, so it was just a matter of adding a few players,” explains former Switzerland coach Otmar Hitzfeld in his book How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from the Best Managers in International Football.

“You can’t change national teams too much, you need a core group of players. If a player has a little crisis in club football, you have to keep in mind that his national team is a different team in a different environment and he can play well with you again.”