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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 started 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, this is the last camp before the trip to the US, so it’s also my final chance to get to know new players, to learn about them and see how they fit in.
‘Harry isn’t a new player in an England shirt, of course, but he’s new to me in this camp.
‘I want to observe how he interacts with other players, see him on the pitch, understand what he’s capable of, and gather enough insight to make clear 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 thought, solid, solid central-defender play.
‘That’s what he does. Very good on the ball, very calm, strong in the air and in the weapon for set-pieces.
‘I haven’t changed my mind, but I see other players I like to start for us, I see other players ahead with a different profile.
‘I see Ezri Konsa ahead, I see Marc Guehi ahead. It’s no secret. I see Trevoh Chalobah on the level of mobility was slightly ahead of him. Also John Stones, but he had injuries, so he needed to come to camp.
‘I needed to meet him in person to see how he acts within the group. It will be interesting now to see how he acts within the group.
‘Like I said, he has an asset, of course, that he can also be super important 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 would be in the England squad if it had to be named now, Tuchel added: ‘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. To be honest, I haven’t changed my mind. I got everything I expected from him.
‘If I have to name it tomorrow, we have a lot of injuries, he could be in it. Who else would be there in the centre of defence?’
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 at the time.
‘He’s lost his captaincy, his place in the England squad, and has been criticised so heavily in the last few years. He’s 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. 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!’
Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, has accused Tuchel of ‘insulting’ Maguire with his comments during the international break.
‘I think Harry Maguire will take that as an insult in some respect,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
‘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 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 look to advance to the knockout stages and ultimately win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.
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