Which choral recital was the more surreal is not a tough call. It may be unusual for a victorious manager to get the bird, as Sam Allardyce did at Upton Park, even after a reportedly atrocious squeaky bum time 2-1 win as West Ham’s over 10-man Hull City. Yet every West Ham follower of my acquaintance has wanted rid of Allardyce, never an easy chap to love, since the moment he was appointed. If the lummox confused responding to the abuse by sardonically cupping a hand to an ear with a gesture of defiant strength, the home fans rightly sought to disabuse him of that misconception. Since there is only ever one survivor in a war between supportership and coach, it would be rash to pay the engraver a deposit for any future work on Allardyce’s gold clock.