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

Sam Allardyce has sympathised with Harry Maguire after Thomas Tuchel revealed he’s unlikely to be a starter for England.The German coach included Maguire in his squad for the March international break, but confirmed he is lower in the pecking order than some of his counterparts.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYWhat did Tuchel say about Maguire?In the aftermath of the Three Lions’ 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday night, which saw the Manchester United defender make his first appearance for his nation since September 2024, Tuchel said to reporters: “I got exactly what I thought [from Maguire]. To be honest, yeah. 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’d 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.”Ironically, Tuchel started Guehi and Konsa last night against Japan and instead limited Maguire to just seven minutes off the bench, meaning he saw out the dying embers of a historic 1-0 loss for the hosts at Wembley.You’d have to wonder how the team would’ve fared had he been given the nod from the off.Maguire enjoying eye-catching run for UnitedMaguire’s recall to the setup came amid a stellar run of form at club level.He has started every single game since Michael Carrick took the reins at Old Trafford, with United boasting a tremendous record of seven wins, two draws and one loss under the interim manager. “Big credit to him [Michael Carrick] to make sure I’m in this squad” Harry Maguire speaks about the importance of Michael Carrick for helping him to get called into the England squad@England | @HarryMaguire93 | @gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/1fRGq3XGsk — ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 27, 2026Maguire has been integral throughout the run, particularly in the unexpected triumphs over Arsenal and Manchester City, the former of which saw him earn the Player of the Match award following a ‘colossal’ display at the Emirates. Another colossal performance from @HarryMaguire93! 👏 pic.twitter.com/qBUdNaTeDI — Premier League (@premierleague) January 25, 2026It marked the Gunners’ first loss on home soil this campaign, and the Sheffield-born veteran was deemed the best of the bunch.Allardyce reacts to ‘harsh’ Tuchel criticismRecognising the 33-year-old’s efforts and consistency, Allardyce spoke out in support of the United star on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, saying: “You’re in a squad, but you’re stuck, and your fitness cannot be kept up because it’s match fitness you’re losing. “They’re probably still maybe going to let him go now because they don’t want these older players, past their 30s these days, they don’t seem to want to use that experience as much as we used to.“But he’s been a model professional as far as I’m concerned. 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 (Tuchel’s) squad if he said that about me.”