Sam Allardyce has expressed sympathy for Harry Maguire after Thomas Tuchel revealed he was unlikely to start for England.
The German coach included Maguire in his squad for the March international break but confirmed he was ranked lower than some of his peers.
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What did Tuchel say to Maguire?
After the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday night, the Manchester United defender made his first appearance for his country since September 2024 and Tuchel told reporters: “I got exactly what I thought [from Maguire]. Honestly, yes. Solid, solid performance from center back.
“That’s what he does. Very good on the ball, very clinical, great in the air and weapons from set pieces.
“I haven’t changed my mind, but I see other players that I want to start for us. I see other players leading in different ways. I see Ezri Konsa leading, I see Marc Gueye leading. It’s no secret. I see Trevor Chalobah a little ahead of him in terms of fluidity.”
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Ironically, Tuchel started Guhi and Konsa against Japan last night but limited Maguire to just seven minutes as a substitute, meaning he witnessed the embers of the hosts’ historic 1-0 defeat at Wembley.
You have to wonder how the team would have performed if he had been given the nod from the start.
Maguire’s performance at Manchester United is impressive
Maguire was recalled to the squad after performing well at club level.
He has started every game since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford. Under the interim manager, Manchester United has achieved an impressive record of 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss.
Maguire played an integral role throughout the campaign, particularly in the surprise wins over Arsenal and Manchester City, the former of which saw him pick up the Man of the Match award for his performance. ‘huge’ Presented at Emirates Airlines.
It was the Gunners’ first home defeat of the season and the Sheffield-born veteran is considered the best of the bunch.
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Allardyce reacts to Tuchel’s ‘harsh’ criticism
Recognizing the 33-year-old’s hard work and persistence, Allardyce spoke out in support of the Manchester United star on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, saying: “You’re in a squad but you’re stuck and your fitness can’t be maintained because you’re losing match fitness.
“They might still let him go now because they don’t want these older players who are over 30 and they don’t seem to want to use the experience like we did before.
“But as far as I’m concerned, he’s a model professional. He takes all the criticism in stride and he’s proven everyone wrong so far. So, it’s harsh criticism, but I wonder if I would want to be in his (Tuchel’s) team if he said that to me.”
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