Sam Allardyce Advises Harry Maguire to Reconsider England Call-Up
Sam Allardyce has suggested that Harry Maguire should consider rejecting an England call-up for the World Cup following Thomas Tuchel’s critical comments on the Manchester United defender. Maguire, 33, was included in Tuchel’s expanded 35-man squad for the friendlies with Uruguay and Japan back in March. However, Tuchel’s remarks have sparked a debate about Maguire’s role in the national team.
Tuchel initially expressed his desire to observe how Maguire interacts with other players and assesses his performance during the camp. He acknowledged Maguire’s strengths, such as his composure on the ball and aerial ability. However, after England’s draw with Uruguay, Tuchel stated that Maguire was his fifth-choice for the centre-back position going into the World Cup.
Tuchel’s Assessment of Maguire
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Tuchel highlighted that he sees other players ahead of Maguire, including Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Trevoh Chalobah. He also mentioned John Stones, though he had injuries. Tuchel emphasized the importance of observing how Maguire acts within the group and noted that Maguire could still be important in a tournament setting due to his set-piece expertise.
When asked if Maguire would be in the England squad at that time, Tuchel said, “If, if, if. We don’t need to name the squad tomorrow. He did a good game. He did what he does for Man Utd. He did it straight away. I’m very happy with him.”
Allardyce’s Criticism of Tuchel’s Comments
Allardyce felt Tuchel’s comments were “a bit harsh” and advised Maguire to reconsider his availability for England ahead of the World Cup. He pointed out that Maguire endured a difficult time at Manchester United and has faced heavy criticism in recent years. Allardyce believes that Maguire has taken every criticism on the chin and is proving everyone wrong.
“If I was in Harry’s position, I’d reconsider going with the camp at all,” Allardyce said. “Perhaps to his own detriment, Harry has said that Tuchel’s comments would cause no problem and it makes you wonder whether he’s too nice!”
Rio Ferdinand’s Reaction
Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand accused Tuchel of “insulting” Maguire with his comments during the international break. On his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said, “I think Harry Maguire will take that as an insult in some respect. He will be sitting there and think, ‘hold on a minute, I’m more than this.’ In Tuchel’s eyes, he uses the word mobility. Other guys have more. I get what he’s saying. No one has to agree with it.”
Maguire has earned 66 caps for England since making his international debut under Sir Gareth Southgate in 2017. The centre-back will be hoping to be named in the provisional England squad when it is announced on Monday, with the final list of the 26 players heading Stateside to be revealed by May 30.
England’s World Cup Campaign
England are aiming 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 look to advance to the knockout stages and ultimately win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
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