That was undoubtedly one of the key reasons for Glenn Hoddle leaving Paul Gascoigne out of his England squad at the same tournament.
There was no doubting Gazza’s ability, but if he was not going to be in the starting XI, then he could become a distraction as a squad player – even if he did not cause a fuss himself, the media clamour for the midfielder to play would.
Gazza is not the only big name to suffer that fate. France boss Didier Deschamps said it could be “felt in the squad” that Samir Nasri was not happy when he was not a starter after leaving the midfielder out in 2014, highlighting the process managers need to go through when making their final selection.
Maintaining squad harmony is key for any tournament selection when players are in camps that could stretch for weeks on end, even more so at this summer’s World Cup with more countries making for an even longer schedule.
It comes by not only avoiding the selection of bad apples among the pack, but also including others who create a positive atmosphere.
Tuchel has spoken about the need to create a “brotherhood” among England’s squad this summer, and pointed to the character and energy the likes of Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn offer the group beyond their playing abilities.
Whereas Henderson’s continued selection, in particular, has been questioned, it is easily explainable by considering his role in creating a high-performance environment.
A sense of consistency is important to maintain that, so players know what to expect when they arrive for international camps and allow a squad hierarchy to form, despite not spending much time together. Chopping and changing this close to the tournament is not a good sign.
“I always had around 16 or 17 players who were the same in each squad, so it was just a matter of adding a few players,” explained former Switzerland head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld in the book, How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football’s Top Managers.
“You can’t change national teams too much, you need a core group of players. If a player has a small crisis in club football, you have to keep in mind that his national team is a different team in a different environment and they can play well with you again.”
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