Shock horror, Sam Allardyce is corrupt. Those with even a passing interest in English football surely already knew it, but the fact has been reemphasised over the past week as part of an investigation conducted by the Daily Telegraph, which led with footage showing Allardyce discussing how to get around bans on third-party ownership. Allied to the dubious money-making nature…
There was a time when more than Big Sam Allardyce’s weight seemed genuinely groundbreaking. As Bolton manager he became renowned as one of the Premier League’s pioneering sports scientists, advocating the use of Prozone analysis, yoga sessions, rhetorical rectal prolapses, and daily pills. And with scant resources he was forced to scour Europe and take chances on talented players who…
Among the many credentials which ought to have prevented Sam Allardyce ever being considered for the position of England manager – his lack of European experience, a poor top-flight win-loss record, a contentious relationship with prior club fans, the very fact that he is English – one of the biggest cited concerns has been his tendency to adopt a pragmatic…
