Ex-England manager: If I were Man Utd star, I’d reconsider playing under Tuchel after latest ‘harsh criticism’

Former England boss Sam Allardyce has leapt to the defence of Harry Maguire after Thomas Tuchel reiterated that the Manchester United defender is not in his first-choice England XI, warning that such public frankness could deter senior players from committing to the national set-up.

Maguire, 33, was recalled for the March internationals on the back of a sparkling club sequence that has seen United collect seven wins, two draws and one defeat since interim manager Michael Carrick handed him an ever-present starting role. The centre-back’s resurgence included a man-of-the-match performance in the shock 2-1 victory at Arsenal that ended the Gunners’ unbeaten home record this season, as well as a commanding display in the derby triumph over Manchester City.

Yet after Friday night’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay, in which Maguire made his first England appearance since September 2024, Tuchel told journalists he still views Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Trevoh Chalobah as “ahead” in the pecking order. “I got exactly what I thought [from Maguire],” the German said. “Solid, solid central defender play… very good on the ball, very calm, strong in the air… but I see other players I’d like to start for us.”

The marginalisation was underlined 24 hours later when Maguire was restricted to a seven-minute cameo in the 1-0 defeat to Japan at Wembley, with Guehi and Konsa preferred from the outset.

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce questioned both the tactical logic and the human impact of Tuchel’s stance. “You’re in a squad, but you’re stuck, and your fitness cannot be kept up because it’s match fitness you’re losing,” he argued. “They’re probably still maybe going to let him go now because they don’t want these older players, past their 30s these days… but he’s been a model professional. He’s taken every criticism on the chin, and he’s proven everybody wrong at the moment. So, that’s harsh criticism, but I wonder whether I’d even want to go in his squad if he said that about me.”

Allardyce’s remarks highlight a growing debate over whether England’s current leadership risks alienating experienced heads by prioritising youthful mobility over proven reliability, particularly when form and fitness point in Maguire’s favour.

With United preparing for a crunch clash against Leeds and Carrick set to welcome back another key defender to training, Maguire’s club future looks increasingly secure even as his international prospects hang in the balance.