Sam Allardyce says Harry Maguire should consider rejecting an England call-up for the World Cup after Thomas Tuchel’s ‘harsh’ comments on the Manchester United defender.
Maguire, 33, was included in Tuchel’s expanded 35-man squad last week and commenced Friday’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
The ex-United captain was clearly thrilled by his recall, posting ‘back with the lads’ in a joyous Instagram post after his reunion at St George’s Park.
Following Maguire’s England recall, Three Lions boss Tuchel said: ‘As I said, that is the last camp before the trip to the US, so it’s also my final probability to get to know latest players, to study them and see how they slot in.
‘Harry isn’t a brand new player in an England shirt, after all, but he’s latest to me on this camp.
‘I need to look at how he interacts with other players, see him on the pitch, understand what he’s able to, and gather enough insight to clarify decisions.’
Tuchel was less praiseworthy of Maguire after England’s draw with Uruguay and said he was his fifth-choice for the centre-back position going into the World Cup.
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Assessing Maguire’s performance, Tuchel said: ‘I got exactly what I assumed, solid, solid central-defender play.
‘That’s what he does. Superb on the ball, very calm, strong within the air and within the weapon for set-pieces.
‘I haven’t modified my mind, but I see other players I like to start out for us, I see other players ahead with a special profile.
‘I see Ezri Konsa ahead, I see Marc Guehi ahead. It’s no secret. I see Trevoh Chalobah on the extent of mobility was barely ahead of him. Also John Stones, but he had injuries, so he needed to return to camp.
‘I needed to satisfy him in person to see how he acts throughout the group. It should be interesting now to see how he acts throughout the group.
‘Like I said, he has an asset, after all, that he can be super necessary in a tournament, in knockout football, in defending a lead and chasing a game with crosses and long throw-ins and set-pieces.’
Asked whether Maguire could be within the England squad if it needed to be named now, Tuchel added: ‘If, if, if. We don’t must name the squad tomorrow. He did an excellent game.
‘He did what he does for Man Utd. He did it right away. I’m very pleased with him. To be honest, I haven’t modified my mind. I got the whole lot I expected from him.
‘If I even have to call it tomorrow, we have now plenty of injuries, he could possibly be in it. Who else could be there within the centre of defence?’
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Allardyce felt Tuchel’s comments were ‘a bit harsh’ and says Maguire should ‘reconsider’ his availability for England ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
‘It’s a bit harsh,’ Allardyce told Footy Accumulators. ‘Harry endured such a difficult time at Manchester United when the club tried to belittle him – especially the manager on the time.
‘He’s lost his captaincy, his place within the England squad, and has been criticised so heavily in the previous few years. He’s taken every criticism on the chin and is proving everyone mistaken.
‘If I used to be in Harry’s position, I’d reconsider going with the camp in any respect. Perhaps to his own detriment, Harry has said that Tuchel’s comments would cause no problem and. It makes you wonder if he’s too nice!’
Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, has accused Tuchel of ‘insulting’ Maguire together with his comments through the international break.
‘I feel Harry Maguire will take that as an insult in some respect,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
‘He can be sitting there and think, “hold on a minute, I’m greater than this.” In Tuchel’s eyes, he uses the word mobility. Other guys have more. I get what he’s saying. Nobody has to agree with it.’
Maguire has earned 65 caps for England since making his international debut under Sir Gareth Southgate in 2017.
England are bidding to win only their second World Cup this summer, starting their Group L campaign against Croatia on June 17.
The Three Lions then face Ghana and Panama as they appear to advance to the knockout stages and ultimately win the World Cup for the primary time since 1966.
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