Another fine mess for FA’s hierarchy
WHEN the dust settles on the latest tumultuous day in the recent history of English football, the grilling and questions will have to continue.
This time it will not have been Sam Allardyce shifting uncomfortably in his seat under crossexamination from FA chairman Greg Clarke, but those complicit in appointing him in the first place.
It is vice-chairman David Gill, CEO Martin Glenn and technical director Dan Ashworth who will doubtless feel the heat and be asked for observations on how a man they deemed to be right for the England job tripped himself up when the opportunity first arose.
Regardless of whether Allardyce was given warnings on how the England manager would be expected to conduct himself, the FA’s embarrassment is acute today. Clarke was not privy to the process by which Gill, Glenn and Ashworth picked Allardyce to succeed Roy Hodgson, having only been appointed to the role of chairman last month.
Yet he will want to know just what sort of due diligence was done on a manager who has brushed controversy throughout his career and whose ill-judged dealings with bogus businessman purporting to be from the Far East created such a sense of unease at the FA that they saw fit to part ways.
Former Bolton boss Allardyce was named during an investigation by Panorama in 2006 amid claims his son, Craig, received payments from agents. Nothing was proved.
In 2013, he was then named as an unwitting investor in a £450 million tax scam before being caught up in a £275m tax fraud involving a fake film company. He denied any wrongdoing.
Increasingly, the selection process feels like the impossible task, never mind the job of national team coach itself. When the FA have gone for a safe pair of hands in Hodgson, it has failed spectacularly with early exits from both the last two tournaments.
Seeking continuity with Steve McClaren in 2006 did not work.
There were controversies with both foreign managers.
Sven-Goran Eriksson fell victim to his own undercover sting when the ‘fake sheikh’ trapped him. Under Fabio Capello, there was the ‘Capello Index’ before the World Cup in 2010 and then the furore over John Terry’s captaincy, which prompted his resignation in 2012.
Delve deeper into the past and Don Revie skipped an England match, claiming he was scouting Italy when he was really in Dubai to negotiate a £340,000 deal to manage United Arab Emirates. He also sold the story of his departure to a national newspaper before the FA received his formal resignation letter.
Allardyce’s misjudgment has created another fine mess. Not just for him, but the FA as well. (4-2-3-1) GORDON LUSTIG TOURE SIMUNOVIC TIERNEY BROWN BITTON FORREST ROGIC SINCLAIR DEMBELE (4-1-4-1) BRAVO SAGNA STONES OTAMENDI KOLAROV FERNANDINHO NOLITO GUNDOGAN SILVA STERLING AGUERO REF: N Rizzoli (Ita) TV: BT Sport 2 KICK-OFF: 7.45pm