Sam Allardyce’s departure as England manager this evening was an ‘inevitable’ outcome after he crossed the moral arbiters of the game, according to the Evening Standard’s chief football correspondent James Olley.
The former Sunderland boss lasted just 67 days in the role following his appointment on July 22, but this position became untenable following what the FA considers an ‘inappropriate and significant error of judgement’.
Footage emerged on Monday night from an undercover operation in which Allardyce is claimed to have met people who he thought were representatives of a Far East firm from which a £400,000 deal was said to be negotiated.
England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate will take charge of the senior squad for their next four matches, including the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Malta on October 8, while the search begins – once again – to fill the role on a permanent basis.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe remain in the FA’s thoughts, with the Gunners boss yet to sign an extension to his contract which expires at the end of next season.
Watch the video above for James Olley’s assessment of today’s events, and what happens next for an England team in turmoil.
