Sam Allardyce is a paradox. He has been called far worse, of course, for few managers are quite as capable of uniting opposing fans in dislike. But the contradiction in Allardyce's character is that he draws an emotional response from an essentially mathematical formula. Perhaps it is Allardyce himself that outsiders object to, perhaps it is his teams, but there is often something visceral in the reaction to him.

Yet get past the ego, the constant insistence his teams merited penalties ...

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