If England are to progress to the latter stages of Euro 2024, the chances are you’ll likely be seeing as much of Laura Woods on your TV as any of the Three Lions stars hoping to make history in Germany over the course of the next month.
An almost omnipresent figure on our airwaves and screens over the last few years, Woods, like Harry Kane for Gareth Southgate, would have been one of the first names on ITV’s team sheet when assembling the squad that will cover close to 50 games this summer. Not that she sees it like that.
‘I’ve never considered myself to be that, so maybe I need to adjust that in my own head,’ BetMGM ambassador Woods said, speaking to Metro.co.uk ahead of Friday night’s opening fixture between the hosts and Scotland. ‘I always get a buzz always get that feeling no matter how long you work in it as a presenter or a reporter you always get that football tournament sense as a fan.’
Mercifully, the build-up to this European Championship has centred, largely, on the football and the finer merits, or otherwise of the 24 competing nations. Woods was filmed prior to Scotland’s mauling at the hands of Germany ingratiating herself with the expectant Tartan Army.
The narratives ahead of the two most recent World Cups lasted in on the controversial decisions to select Russia and Qatar as hosts, while Euro 2020 was delayed and subsequently heavily disrupted by the global pandemic.
‘I think so,’ admitted Woods when asked if the absence of weighty Geo-political issues dominating the agenda had made for a more enjoyable build-up. ‘The fact it’s Germany and not the Middle East or somewhere hard to get to. We can focus on the football makes me a bit more excited about it.’
Woods was, unwittingly, at the centre of one of the TV highlights of Qatar 2022 when Graeme Souness and Roy Keane, displaying all the combative personality traits that marked them out as generational greats during their playing careers, aired their forthright and polar opposite views on the merits of FIFA’s decision to award the Gulf State a World Cup.
Keane and Souness have already landed their first telling blows of Euro 2024, admonishing Scotland for a miserable display in Munich, with the former Manchester United skipper taking a particularly dim view of Andy Robertson’s post-match interview.
‘You just have to let them speak, that was one of my favourite moments of the whole World Cup,’ said Woods, when asked how hard it is to keep your composure when two firebrands are going at it hammer and tongs. ‘It was just funny. That’s what you want out of pundits.
‘That’s what you want them to do. You want strong opinions and if they don’t agree with each other then that’s what they’re there for to spark discussions. I prefer to think that in those situations, I’m learning something too and I’ve turned into a fan because I’m sitting there and listening. I remember catching Joe Cole’s eye and we were like ‘oh my God’.’
ITV have assembled a typically eclectic team of pundits and presenters to front coverage of this summer’s football feast but aside from the usual, who is Woods most looking forward to working alongside?
‘Ange Postegcoglous as a pundit!’ she says with real enthusiasm. ‘Genuinely I adore him, even though he Spurs and everything that goes with that. I’ve got a tonne of respect for him so I’m really excited to work with him.
‘I adore working with Roy Keane I think he’s brilliant. He has the upmost respect for everyone who works in his arena. If you give him 100% he will give 100% back and I just think he’s wonderful.’
Punditry and presenting has evolved at breakneck speed in recent years. Viewers have never been better catered for in terms of the variety of views they are able to consume. The level of deep, forensic analysis on offer is a world away from the lip service that was once played to the tactical side of the game, with Sky’s Monday Night Football still the industry standard bearer, while the number of platforms available to gorge on content continues to grow.
ITV’s coverage, largely, continues to follow a traditional format but could a terrestrial channel benefit from adopting the more conversational style of CBS Sport? The American broadcaster’s Champions League nights, fronted by Kate Abdo and her sidekicks Micah Richards, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher, have become increasingly popular with the online community, but Woods argues it would be risky for UK broadcasters were they attempt to follow suit.
‘It’s an American audience so you don’t have tribal fan bases,’ she says. ‘If were to come on air and do something different for a game where Manchester City or Arsenal are playing, we would really struggle because an audience that is 90% the fanbase you’re covering demands a certain level of analysis.
‘I love what they do and I love all four of them. What they do is exceptional for an American audience and for online clips I think that works really well.
‘I worked on talkSPORT for six years and that’s much more laid back. I think what we did there is similar to CBS we have a relaxed show and have a laugh because I think the restraints and the demands are very different but if we try to be more like CBS that’d be the wrong thing to do. We need to play to our strengths and deliver what our audience wants. It’s dangerous to assume that the online audience is the same as the TV audience. I know that because I’ve tried it. On talkSPORT when we go into detail about the moon landings we’d have people texting and asking is this talk space?’
Rio Ferdinand, Woods’ regular sparring partner for TNT’s Champions League coverage last season, was heavily criticised for trying something different during Real Madrid’s Wembley victory over Borussia Dortmund.
The Manchester United legend posted a clip online of himself commentating as Vinicius Jnr strode through to score the winning goal and declaring it as the moment the Brazil international had sealed the Ballon d’Or.
‘There’s so many different ways to offer punditry these days not just when you’re filming for a live audience, but behind the scenes too and I think the more of that you can give the better,’ said Woods in defence of Ferdinand. ‘When we watch those games we’re watching as fans too.
‘The pundits, if you’re willing to open yourself up in that sense more power to you, if you’re ballsy enough to do that then great More power to you.’
England, meanwhile begin their campaign on Sunday with at least one Ballon d’Or candidate amongst their ranks in the shape of Jude Bellingham and Woods is confident that, under the tutelage of Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions are ready to roar in Germany.
England’s Euro 2024 fixtures
Serbia vs England
Sunday, June 16, 8pm BST (Gelsenkirchen)
Denmark vs England
Thursday, June 20, 5pm BST (Frankfurt)
England vs Slovenia
Tuesday, June 25, 8pm BST (Cologne)
She said: ‘I think he (Gareth) is amazing, I’ve always had a lot of respect for him. I think he holds himself very well.
‘He has so much talent to play with, he has a very difficult decisions to make and I think for me personally the ones he’s made to leave Maddison and Jack Grealish out.. I would love to see them in the squad because I love those exciting, flair players.
‘But at the same time the criticism has been you aren’t picking players on form even though he said that’s what he’d do. Those two aren’t necessarily in the best form at the moment and they’d probably be the first to admit and haven’t had the game time they necessarily need and if they have they haven’t been up to 100%.
‘Everyone is an England manager on their sofa. In real life when you have to make those decisions they’re much harder than any of us have any experience in. The Iceland results isn’t necessarily a bad thing, sometimes you need a bit of a rocket and these guys need to get used to playing with one another again. I’m really confident we can win it.’
Laura Woods is BetMGM’s new ambassador, starting with Euro 2024. Play the new £2million Golden Goals game by predicting Euro 2024 scores at betmgm.co.uk. BeGambleAware 18+
