Sam Allardyce said he was disappointed at his sacking from Everton but knew it was coming after media speculation over his departure reached fever pitch. The 63-year-old was jettisoned after less than six months in charge at Goodison Park after a short meeting with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri on Wednesday.
The former England manager was brought in as Ronald Koeman’s replacement in November but his rudimentary style of play proved deeply unpopular with fans of the Merseyside club and the atmosphere became toxic. But Allardyce was unhappy with the way his exit was touted in the media well before he had received official confirmation.
“I’m surprised how it came about. It seemed to be done and dusted through the media before I met Farhad,” he told talkSPORT radio. “I think it was out there in the open for a couple of days. That leaves you with the certainty of what was going to happen. It was slightly disappointing. Who was involved in that I couldn’t tell you, but something as delicate as that is something you want to be confidential.”
Allardyce, whose previous clubs include Bolton, Newcastle, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, landed his dream job with England in 2016 but that turned sour after only one match, with Allardyce stepping down following a newspaper sting.
Former Watford and Hull City manager Marco Silva is the favourite to take over and could complete the move to Goodison Park six months after the club failed to prise him away from Vicarage Road.
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