Allardyce says Tuchel wrong to drop Maguire and Shaw from England's World Cup squad

Sam Allardyce has publicly criticised Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad, insisting Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw should have been selected ahead of Dan Burn and Djed Spence for the tournament in North America this summer.

Allardyce, who managed England between 2016 and 2017, argued that the decision to leave the Manchester United pair at home is a significant error — and one with lasting consequences, given that neither Maguire nor Shaw is likely to get another opportunity to appear at a World Cup.

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce made the case for Shaw on both fitness and versatility grounds. “Shaw, for the first time in a while, has played 38 games for Manchester United, and he plays equally as good at centre-half as he does at left back,” he said. “He has a huge amount of international experience at tournament football, and he’s fit as a fiddle. I’d absolutely have him instead of Djed Spence.”

On Maguire, Allardyce was equally direct. “Harry Maguire was the backbone of the England side for a long time. I’ve watched him play since he got back into the Manchester United team and he’s been one of the reasons the stability has been brought back to the club,” he said. “Defensively they’re now stable, and that’s allowed them to win more games.”

Allardyce acknowledged the long-standing criticism of Maguire’s pace but dismissed it as a decisive factor. “There’s always a question mark about his pace, but Bobby Moore was very slow and read the game exceptionally well,” he said. “If you put him alongside someone quick like Marc Guehi, you’ve got a decent combination there.”

The former Newcastle manager was pointed in his assessment of the players selected ahead of Maguire. “Based on who is in the squad ahead of him, Maguire is a better option. I’m not being unfair here, but I’d say he’s a better choice than Dan Burn, who’s had a difficult time at Newcastle this year.”

Tuchel’s squad selections have drawn scrutiny since the announcement, with the omission of two experienced United defenders proving among the more contentious calls ahead of England’s World Cup campaign.