Comment
Neil Ashton

Sam Allardyce was arrogant, naive and stupid beyond belief leading up to his England axeing

SAM ALLARDYCE leaves with nothing.

Without his reputation. Without his dignity. Without a pay-off.

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Sam Allardyce has been sacked from EnglandCredit: Reuters

One game, plus two shady meetings with The Telegraph investigators, is all it took to bring about his own downfall.

Done by a group of bogus businessmen with a dodgy sounding enterprise.

Seduced by a few dinner dates and a ready supply of drinks at their expense.

Fooled by the prospect of making a cool £400,000 for being ‘a keynote speaker’.

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Sorry, Sam, you should have kept your trap shut.

This lot paid for dinner. They paid for suites at the Mandarin Oriental in London.

They paid for a private jet to Belgium. Cash, it appeared, was unlimited — the alarm bells should have been ringing from the off.


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Naive, Sam? Yes. Arrogant, Sam? Yes. Stupid beyond belief, Sam? Yes.

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That is what Allardyce becomes when he starts guzzling pints of lager.

He becomes the Billy Big-Shot in the room.

Allardyce says what he likes and he likes what he says.

This, remember, is the man who could not stop talking when there was the promise of cash at the end of it.

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Any time between November and March, with the exception of  Christmas, he said.

He has that time on his hands now.

Being England manager was Sam's dreamCredit: Getty Images

His missus Lynn had warned him about the perils of taking this job on.

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She knows what Allardyce can be like when he is well-oiled.

So, too, did his private media advisor and his agent Mark Curtis. They knew the trouble he could talk himself into when he is feeling good.

He must have been feeling really good when the Telegraph started talking about the big bunce.

Allardyce loves nothing better than a pint and a chat with the lads.

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There is always an audience around Big Sam and his bluster.

The 3am finishes at various events over the years are legendary.

That is no way to go about the business of restoring England to the top of world football.

For too long his skewed social views have been protected.

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By the game. By his employers. By us, in the media.

Shame on us, if truth to be told.

Sam Allardyce was exposed by a Telegraph investigationCredit: Getty Images

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We have become accustomed — almost immune — to his inappropriate views on various aspects of society over the years.

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