The BBC and ITV are in stiff competition over every aspect of World Cup coverage – but there’s only one winner when it comes to the television pundits.
Some have been an instant hit with viewers, others a damp squib. Now it it time for Daily Mail Sport to have our say on who has stood out from the crowd.
The main considerations are how influential their opinions are, how distinctive they are as pundits, and how their coverage has been received by the audience.
We have decided to only include the regular television pundits. One-off guests have been cast aside, so our sincere apologies to Gary Lineker after his ITV cameo.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
25. Olivier Giroud (BBC)
Olivier Giroud has brought a certain je ne sais quoi to his World Cup coverage, but in a very literal sense. People don’t know what he’s talking about.
The Frenchman has been pelted with rotten tomatoes on social media after a difficult start to life as a pundit. Some have called him a ‘big problem’, ‘boring,’ and ‘clueless’, with others even calling for him to be replaced. A bit harsh on the current Lille striker.
Sadly, the key issue is that his command of the English language, naturally, lags behind high-quality broadcasters and so he does stick out like a sore thumb. He’s only making his baby steps as a pundit, but whether he’ll get a chance to reach adolescence remains to be seen.
Olivier Giroud has not won many plaudits after a middling start to life as a pundit with the BBC
24. Gael Clichy (BBC)
We promise we don’t have anything against French pundits!
Again, fair play to Gael Clichy for giving punditry a go in a foreign language. One main criticism is that he seems overly attached to Cristiano Ronaldo. He has continually eulogised the Portugal forward when his performances have called for a more balanced critique.
At least his lack of familiarity with English broadcasting convention led to one funny incident. ‘Ronaldo used to take the p*** out of people,’ he said moments before the Portugal-DR Congo game, well before the watershed. French TV tends to be less puritanical.
Gael Clichy is another tackling the punditry game in a language foreign to his own
23. Cesar Azpilicueta (BBC)
Cesar Azpilicueta celebrated his first punditry outing with a 253-word LinkedIn post gushing about how enriching it has been, much like a bright-eyed intern. You can’t fault his enthusiasm.
While the former Chelsea defender hasn’t pulled up any trees, he has looked immediately comfortable on TV at the very least.
Unfortunately he has been the victim of fake quotes being spread on social media. Welcome to the internet, Cesar.
Cesar Azpilicueta hasn’t pulled up any trees but looks immediately comfortable on BBC’s panel
22. Juan Mata (ITV)
Juan Mata is another punditry newbie and as such he has been given some of the more toilsome work, making his debut for Australia-Turkey at 5am.
It’s early days but the Spaniard has at least demonstrated the conviction to nail his flag to the mast.
Asked by Laura Woods whether he’d rather have Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona in a team, he gave a definitive answer (he opted for little Leo) where others might have equivocated.
Juan Mata made his World Cup punditry debut during Australia’s clash with Turkey on ITV
21. Karen Carney (ITV)
Karen Carney is among the most targeted pundits on social media, often due to blatant sexism, so it is to her credit that she soldiers on and earns her crust.
As much as she generates it, Carney doesn’t court controversy. She approaches her work professionally. She has the football IQ to be at the top table.
However, the overriding sentiment among viewers is that her punditry is bland.
20. Jobi McAnuff (ITV)
Listen to Jobi McAnuff and you will notice how eloquent he is. No one can fault the depth of his research either. That might sound a bare minimum but it’s not always the case in a land of bleating broadcasters.
Unfortunately the former Reading and Leyton Orient midfielder’s name doesn’t carry the weight to drive the agenda in the way that some of his ITV colleagues can.
19. Rachel Corsie (BBC)
Former Scotland women’s captain Rachel Corsie clearly prepares well and is a very detail-oriented pundit.
The BBC has treated her in a very narrow sense of: ‘explain this football match to us.’ She hasn’t been given much of a chance to show her personality or strike up a rapport with fellow Tartan Army pundit Scott Brown, so her input has been quite limited.
Rachel Corsie is a well-prepared pundit but hasn’t been given a very broad remit
18. Scott Brown (BBC)
Brown has lots of potential as a pundit but failed to really unleash himself at this World Cup and often felt quite monotone.
After Scotland’s 3-0 defeat by Brazil, the strongest adjective he could muster was ‘disappointing,’ which fell short of expressing the feelings of the fans back home. Was this not gut-wrenching and a catastrophe?
When he spreads his wings, Brown is impressive. He was highly energetic and insightful in some of his recent analyses with tactics correspondent Umir Irfan.
The BBC could have allowed Scott Brown to spread his wings more for Scotland’s coverage
17. Steph Houghton (BBC)
Former England captain Steph Houghton certainly had the pedigree to talk about World Cups after playing in three of them. Houghton, of course, missed a penalty against the United States in the 2019 World Cup semi-finals.
That she even finds the capacity to work is remarkable. Her husband, former Liverpool player Stephen Darby, who she has supported so much, is currently suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.
Like other female pundits, she has faced inestimable levels of vitriol online. Kindness is in short supply. Houghton, when you listen, is well-prepared and knowledgeable.
16. Lucas Leiva (BBC)
Lucas Leiva does not look like he has aged a day in the nine years since he left Liverpool – and his cheeky chappy personality hasn’t changed, either.
The Brazilian has been a good source of knowledge on his homeland, who are more under the radar than usual, and has brought some levity to the late-night broadcasts.
He also had the grace to not stick the boot in too much when the Selecao beat Scotland…
15. Benni McCarthy (BBC)
Former Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy has pulled no punches when talking about his beloved South Africa’s struggles at the World Cup.
The 48-year-old even jokingly offered his own services after their draw against the Czech Republic, quipping: ‘They really could have done with someone like me up front!’
An energetic speaker with splashes of humour – he went viral for his speechless reaction to Bafana Bafana’s opening-day defeat against Mexico – McCarthy is an easy watch.
Former Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy has brought flashes of humour to his BBC punditry
14. Bradley Wright-Phillips (ITV)
One thing is for certain with Bradley Wright-Phillips: he tells it like it is.
‘They’ve got no hope,’ he said after Scotland’s defeat against Brazil. ‘They’ve shot themselves in the foot too many times. The worst thing as a player is looking back and regretting. In that camp, they’ll look back and think: “We could have done more.” That’s the hardest thing to live with. No disrespect to Haiti, go and score some goals against them.’
Where the BBC’s pundits were mealy-mouthed on Scotland, he gave a bold opinion. His on-air reunion with his dad, Ian Wright, after 18 months apart was touching.
13. Ashley Williams (BBC)
Ashley Williams is a good and likeable pundit but unfortunately his standout moment this tournament was getting ribbed on social media.
After Lionel Messi scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria, the former Wales defender appeared to have a lightbulb moment, saying: ‘Are we looking at the greatest player ever? It’s possible. It’s definitely worth the debate. We might have just witnessed the greatest player that football has ever seen.’
Cue all the jokes about him living under a rock for 20 years. That debate has been and gone, Ashley. Kinder viewers will note his analytical skill and tendency to bring his co-panelists into the discussion, giving the broadcast a conversational feel.
Ashley Williams’ standout moment this tournament was him getting ribbed on social media
12. Patrick Vieira (ITV)
Patrick Vieira is an experienced hand with this punditry dance and isn’t likely to drop many clangers.
Until ITV stick him next to his old rival Roy Keane, they’re probably not going to make the most of him. Not much to note so far.
Experienced Patrick Vieira has had a quiet start to the World Cup but is a safe pair of hands
11. Wayne Rooney (BBC)
Rooney has come on leaps and bounds as a speaker. Watch him now and compare it to a few years back and the contrast is like night and day.
He speaks with a lot more confidence and fluency and appears to be more comfortable in himself. Rooney has previously admitted to his nerves and while there are still a few shaky moments, he is more polished as a pundit now.
His next step is to build a distinctive style as a pundit. Few come close to his level of experience in football and we’re starting to see why the BBC thinks he has potential.
Wayne Rooney has come on leaps and bounds as a speaker as part of BBC’s punditry team
10. Ellen White (BBC)
Ellen White has been bunged with some of the less glamorous overnight jobs – Croatia vs Panama at midnight, for example – but has done a good job.
She’s warm, articulate and, where she can, tends to favour praising players than tearing them down.
The Lionesses’ record goalscorer exudes a more traditional charm, rather than pandering to social media with powderkeg opinions or laugh-a-minute tomfoolery. That can see her go under the radar.
9. Joe Hart (BBC)
Joe Hart is arguably the brightest talent among the ‘new wave’ of pundits.
The 75-cap former England captain is genuinely illuminating when talking about his fellow goalkeepers. He’ll break down their footwork, timing, how they jump, hand shape, any minutiae you haven’t even thought of.
His analysis of why so many long shots have gone in – because the Trionda ball doesn’t spin much when it’s flying – is much more detailed than what most of his rivals could ever offer.
Joe Hart is one of punditry’s rising stars and offers excellent analysis in the goalkeeper role
8. Thomas Frank (BBC)
A recent Premier League manager, Thomas Frank is thoughtful and meticulous. You could trust him with the most obscure game and he’ll pick things out other people haven’t noticed.
He carries himself with a slightly eccentric manner – you never quite know which way his thoughts are going to veer – and it makes him an engaging watch. However, he might not be everybody’s cup of tea.
Thomas Frank carries himself with a slightly eccentric manner – which makes him engaging
7. Ange Postecoglou (ITV)
‘Big Ange’ brings an Australian lilt and charm to his punditry which provides a pleasing contrast to some of his more stiff-collared counterparts. ‘Mate, he’s in an off-side position,’ he drawled at one juncture.
Like Frank, he brings a sharper eye and deeper analysis than most and presents his thoughts in a clear manner. He’s also less predictable than the likes of Gary Neville and Roy Keane, though he will always bang the drum for attacking football.
At times he can stray into being too academic, talking of less familiar concepts such as ‘half-spaces’, but you always come away feeling like you’ve learned something.
Ex-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou brings charm and thorough analysis to ITV’s punditry panel
6. Duncan Ferguson (ITV)
Former Everton and Newcastle striker Duncan Ferguson has been one of the surprise packages of this tournament’s punditry panel.
He’s honest, passionate, and funny. Not only that, he’s highly adaptable – stick him on any match or in any situation and he looks right at home.
In the same broadcast, he questioned Steve Clarke’s resignation (against the grain) and then put himself forward for the job. He’s bantered with Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean. His self-deprecating touch – joking about his 10 operations, for example, have made him a hit with his co-pundits and the audience. Should be called on more often during the next Premier League season.
5. Emma Hayes (ITV)
Emma Hayes has the hardest job of any talking head at the World Cup and is making it look like a piece of cake.
Her insights – delivered during FIFA’s money-grabbing hydration breaks – are second to none. The ability to watch a game live, spot trends, and explain them succinctly to viewers is a real skill. She does it at a moment’s notice and without assistance from anyone else in the studio.
The legendary ex-Lionesses manager has withstood a putrid tide of sexist abuse on social media and made her critics look like buffoons. You don’t have to like her, but her authority and competence are unimpeachable.
Emma Hayes has been superb at giving detailed analysis during FIFA’s hydration breaks
4. Micah Richards (BBC)
It’s an interesting thought experiment: can Micah Richards survive when he is unplugged from Roy Keane and Alan Shearer? Does he simply subsist to poke fun at them and laugh at his own jokes, or does he have an alternative setting?
As it turns out, he is more versatile than he gets credit for. Richards is not merely a rent-a-joke entertainer. His experience on Match of the Day and Sky Sports has made him a fine clip analyst.
Any broadcast with Richards on is brighter and bolder. Even in this more constrained mode with the BBC, he stands out for how he brings energy to the discussion and coaxes the best out of the other pundits around him. The best the BBC have got.
3. Roy Keane (ITV)
It is interesting to see Roy Keane mellow. His most popular moments now are his (intentional) unintentional comedic moments. Re-watch his analysis from Portugal’s demolition of Uzbekistan and you’ll see that he spends most of his time making quips at Gary Neville’s expense.
He still remains one of the only true forthright pundits, a man who will criticise players without fear or favour, though he has toned things down a tad.
2. Gary Neville (ITV)
Gary Neville has to be in the conversation for king of the jungle. He has nailed the art of punditry.
As always, Neville has been well-informed and outspoken. On ITV’s airwaves he has held FIFA to account over ticket prices and given a balanced appraisal of Cristiano Ronaldo.
His ongoing commitment to his podcast may detract from his availability for ITV, but he’s an automatic headline dispenser when they’ve got him on, drawing attention to their coverage over the BBC’s.
Gary Neville has been juggling his ITV work with his ongoing podcast commitment
1. Ian Wright (ITV)
Ian Wright has become an uncle to the nation. Pretty much anything he says about the beautiful game, at least in the big-picture sense, hits the nail on the head.
You can trust him to challenge FIFA to the very last breath as they continue to do their worst at running the game. His video posted shortly after Somalian referee Omar Artan was banned from entering the United States has garnered 8.7million views. People care about what he has to say and he connects with the public.
He has not always behaved perfectly, but in his punditry, he carries himself with a humanity and a natural sympathy for players, particularly young ones. A man who treats his microphone responsibly. ITV bagging him over the BBC is a knockout blow.
Ian Wright has once again shown himself to be a humane and outspoken pundit
Verdict
ITV have six of the seven best. The BBC has the three worst. There’s no debate over which broadcaster has won the battle.
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