Eni Aluko ‘faces sack’ after accusing Ian Wright of blocking female pundits by ‘dominating’ women’s football coverage

45 comments

1. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

   A prominent and respected former footballer like Wrighty could bring so many fans over to the women’s game (and has already done so). He shows tremendous respect for female footballers, what else could he do?

   If he steps down, suddenly someone else has to fill the gap, and there aren’t any former women’s football players that have the same draw.

2. This woman is a pain in the arse. Will never watch a women’s football match unless it’s to see the England women lose again. Even that final was marred by the nonsense at the end.

3. “Sacked” feels like an overly male, masculine term.
   We need a more female-centric phrase for losing your job.

   Vaged, maybe.

   Or better yet,
   what’s the name of that bin that you put your horrible soiled tampons in?
   The one that always smells terrible.

   That name, with an “ed” on the end.
   That’s the new term for being fired.

4. Doh. There’s plenty of female presenters working on men’s football.

5. We should only have no-names in women’s football. No famous man should ever mention it or engage with it, for that detracts from a woman’s job.

   Given that she hates it when people comment on the sport of the other sex, I’d better not find out that Eni has even broadcasted on men’s football

6. Sky are using female analysts to cover men’s PL games – so what’s the problem with Wrighty doing likewise for women’s football broadcasts.

   Me thinks Eni is being very silly here and the stench of her hypocrisy is stifling.

7. lol. She should have accused a white guy, Also Ian wright seems like a genuinely nice man and father and relatable person to me, and I think is very well liked.

8. Ian wright said the men’s game should pay reparations to the women’s game. One of the stupidest takes I’ve ever heard

9. Never seen a single second of any of these women play. 

10. Men in men’s football and woman in women’s football was a much simpler easier way to work this

    It should also be the same in the coaching side, women’s teams should have women only coaches

11. > Since Aluko made her comments, it emerged that Wright has been paying £1,700 per month out of his own pocket to Stoke City defender Kayleigh McDonald.
    > After McDonald suffered a ruptured ACL during a match against Burnley, she was forced to start a fundraiser to cover her surgery costs, as the club refused to pay.
    > At the time, Wright paid for a sports lawyer to represent McDonald, according to the Telegraph.
    > And when Stoke stopped paying for her rehab at the end of last year, Wright has been paying the rehab costs – estimated at around £1,700 a month – out of his own pocket.

    I don’t watch football enough to know any of these players, but bloody hell, after reading the article and what he has done to the sport and then this. Instead she should be wishing there were more men like him supporting their sport.

12. She often tries making problems doesn’t she? Obviously she is the problematic one in the end

13. Reminds me when a bunch of people (women) complained that the “Homes under the Hammer guy” was presenting loads of women’s football games on the BBC (and had more in depth knowledge on it than Alex Scott on who was an ex-player and lead pundit) because none of them realised he was an ex Player…

    Basically people will bitch and moan when they’re just shit at their jobs. Aluko is horrendous at punditry. Get Jill Scott, Anita Asante or Rachel Brown-Finnis instead as they’re all vastly more entertaining to listen to.

14. Anyone can be a pundit anyways, pundits are quite literally stealing a living

15. It’s a real shame she decided to go after Wrighty because I can’t think of many footballers who’ve done more for women’s football than him

16. She’s probably the worse pundit I’ve seen on tv along with Martin keown, Garth crooks and Rio Ferdinand.
    There’s nothing wrong with women pundits either as long as they offer insightful punditry and have personality, just like the male pundits.
    Her stupid comments like this undermine those women.
    Her former team mates can’t stand her they didn’t even think she was good enough as a footballer. She has even assaulted a team mates.
    People can be awful and from what has been seen over the years she is pretty awful.

17. Ian Wright is clearly a stand-up guy and his love for the women’s game is apparent in all his presenting.  As well as being a genuinely good presenter, he shows that men’s game fans are welcome in the women’s game spaces. His style is both humble, knowledgeable, and full of joy and wonder. Forcing him out for diversity reasons would be a huge mistake. 

    Also, I’m a Tottenham fan, so it’s nothing to do with his playing career. 

18. She’s not the brightest, always looking to play the victim.

19. I really, really try to give her the benefit of the doubt sometimes, but she really doesn’t help herself does she? A pretty brainless take that’s epically backfired on her.

20. She is clueless. If I see her I have to mute the tv. She might be better now but this stems from a few years ago when she was a pundit before a (men’s) European game and the presenter was asking her about players from the non-English team and she didn’t know anything about them including their positions. I knew more and did not even follow football that closely anymore. She clearly didn’t do her prep before the game and is the worst example I have ever seen of someone employed to tick some diversity boxes.

    And before I get accused of being some mysoginist, I have no problem with women pundits or presenters in general and enjoy listening to the likes of Leanne Sanderson on TalkSPORT and Jill Scott. I quite like Alex Scott too despite the hate she gets.

    Aluko is just an absolutely crap pundit. Good riddance.

21. Watched Eni in a long-form interview on You Tube. She speaks well, but couldn’t grasp the most basic of concepts, unfortunately.

22. Wrighty is such a good bloke and was one hell of a player what on earth is she thinking!

23. She couldn’t have picked a worse person to have a pop at. Wrighty has advocated more for Women’s Football than anybody else and what makes it more stupid is that he has only ever commented on 2.. that is right, 2 Women’s Games.

    Brain dead doesn’t come close

24. English football pundits bore me. I listen to Arabic or Spanish during the game and favoured YouTube commentary for reflections.
    Sky, TnT and Premier sports pundits are dry as fu*k.

    Ian Wright has a great personality, but Women’s football is a different beast, it needs a different set up in punditry than imitating the Men’s set up.

25. of all the people to go after she goes for one of her strongest allies? Wright… a black man who champions womens football and supported her personally when she was getting hate? baffling.

26. Good, she’s a terrible pundit.

    She is stopping other people who are better, at getting pundit opportunities.

27. She went on the heretics podcast, she embarrassed her self for over an hour

28. Constant victim mentality always blaming other people and never taking accountability. Unfortunately this is how a lot of people are nowadays believing the whole world is against them. 

29. I don’t even watch/care for sport, but even I know Ian’s been presenting for years at this point.. what a clown she is.

30. Tell you what then, ban all males from the female game and all females from the males game.

    I’m sure she will change her mind pretty quickly.

31. She should have been removed years ago. She is the epitome of toxicity.

32. She doesn’t care at all for women, she cares about herself being on tv.

    She’s had a shot. She stinks.

33. Been moaning and making drama since her playing days hopefully she gets the sack

34. Why would you send for Ian of all the blokes in football punditry?! 

    He’s a top class fella, he’s one of the better pundits, he’s got charisma in the bucketloads and knows what he’s talking about 

    She should be praising him for what he’s done and continues to do for the sport

    Wind your neck in Eni pal

35. Men are expected to prop up women’s sports because other women refuse to watch and support it, but men are then told they’re not welcome.

36. 1700 a month. That’s 50k a year, you do the math.

    Ian’s a legend.

37. She’s always moaning about something. Ridiculous comment

38. Had the pleasure of meeting Ian Wright over 20 years ago. Humble, genuine, heart of gold and a funny guy also.

    A lot of people have been saying Aluko is a bad egg for a while and it’s been hard to tell if there are hidden agendas etc.. but after this it’s pretty obvious she is a proper eggy egg.

39. This kind of shit derails everything. Both genders should be working together for exposure and to naturally evolve. I feel as if I see a lot of female pundits and representation on male football coverage, so what is the problem?

    And Ian Wright? Who does A LOT behind the scenes for women’s football?

    Aluko has just given all the gammons more reason to hate women’s football, and tbh, I get it. This was a bad move.

40. Maybe he wouldn’t “dominate” if you were better at your job.

41. Did Karen Carney not have the same issue? Or similar at least? Getting a feeling that they both want/wanted a slice of the pie, that isn’t theirs to take.

    Also – incredible nerve to call it “dominating” when we’re being shoved female pundits down our throats in male football. In some situations, you’ll see two females and one male.

42. 19 goals in 40 games, you do the maths, that’s almost a goal a game

    Then she called Ian wright a broadcaster. Didn’t realise Ian Wright was a company, thought it was a person

    He’s also commentated or featured on 2 women’s games this season. It’s almost May

43. Ian wright has done more for women’s football than Aluko will ever do.

44. She is pathetic in her new job so criticising others is the way to go.

45. She can’t be the smartest person going… Wrighty helps in raising the profile of women’s football, his association is a positive thing.

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