How Alex Scott And Eni Aluko Have Freshened Up TV's World Cup 2018 Coverage

The World Cup, at least from a fan’s perspective, is about more than what happens on the pitch. This is a tournament also contested on our TV screens, with the BBC and ITV both competing for the viewing time of the British public. It’s an arms race, of sorts, with the two broadcasters attempting to out-do each other with their studios, graphics and pundits.

Such is the frequency of the games at a World Cup, there are always new faces rolled out as pundits. The BBC have signed up Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, while ITV have Gary Neville and Patrice Evra. But it’s Eni Aluko and Alex Scott who have shaken things up most notably on our TV screens so far this summer.

The two women, who are two of England’s longest-serving players, have been a breath of fresh air in the coverage of the 2018 World Cup. Both Aluko and Scott have been well-researched on the games they have appeared on, offering far more insight than many of their male colleagues. Maybe it’s because the bar is so much higher for women to break into punditry boys club, but the pair are more than holding their own.

Of course, ignorance and misogyny still remains. Social media has been awash with bile over the employment of Aluko and Scott as pundits at this World Cup. There was also an uncomfortable moment during the Serbia-Costa Rica game on Sunday which saw Patrice Evra physically applaud Aluko for her knowledge of the subject. “She knows more about football than us,” he said, pointing at himself and Henrik Larsson sat alongside him. Imagine that, a professional footballer knowing about football…

Even if Evra is given the benefit of the doubt, such remarks didn’t say a lot for his own punditry preparation. Far too often former players rely on their previous experience in the game as so-called experts. Their contribution can be bland, adding very little to coverage of tournaments like the World Cup. 

Some are worse than others. Phil Neville, for instance, provides remarkably little insight for a man who has spent decades at the top level of the game as both a player and a coach. Not every pundit or co-commentator should be an analyst, but they should at least offer something. Slaven Bilic, for example, isn’t known for breaking down the tactics and strategy of a team, but his brand of straight-talking, no nonsense is undoubtedly entertaining. 

So while Aluko and Scott may have broken down barriers by being a part of the BBC and ITV’s punditry team for this World Cup, they are also setting a precedent in terms of their actual contribution. Although next time Evra feels like applauding, he should probably stop himself.