Former England rugby captain takes heat after blaming press for Allardyce fiasco

Those commenting on the ongoing Sam Allardyce mediastorm have tended to fall into a couple of camps - those who were calling for the England manager to step down following allegations from a Telegraph investigation, and those urging caution for now.

Acting Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee chair Damian Collins has had his say, as did a whole host of sports and news journalists across the country before the national team boss ultimately left his role. But there is a third argument - blame the press for doing as much as carrying out an investigation. You're probably wondering who has come up with this line of thought. A deliberately provocative talking head, perhaps, or someone with a horse in this particular race. Wrong and wrong. It's none other than Matt Dawson, former England rugby union scrum half and 'Question of Sport' captain. https://twitter.com/matt9dawson/status/780694212102725632 https://twitter.com/matt9dawson/status/780700747046457344 Suggesting the investigation signifies why England will never be World Cup winners at football, Dawson is willing to accept Allardyce may have made mistakes but questions the approach of the Telegraph journalists involved in the undercover operation. The England manager left his post by mutual consent on Tuesday, following allegations that he advised journalists posing as representatives of an investment group on the ease with which they could bypass FA rules on third-party ownership of players. However, Scott McGarvey, another named individual allegedly implicated, has issued a statement through a spokesperson. Dawson's comments on the matter have been met with scepticism from journalists and laymen alike. https://twitter.com/Jonny_Singer/status/780700069918105601 https://twitter.com/the_itch1980/status/780793601836154880 https://twitter.com/MattHughesTimes/status/780717160578580480 https://twitter.com/groundhopper23/status/780694949243346944 Though the debate was not entirely one-way. https://twitter.com/WolfyTor74/status/780703561579651072 https://twitter.com/dazzerspazzer/status/780788717459996673