CHRIS WHEELER: England brought an end to the dreaded ITV curse… all of a sudden the prospect of a quarter-final clash with France on the same channel doesn’t seem so ominous
- MATCH REPORT: England beat Senegal 3-0 to reach World Cup quarter-finals
- England had just two wins in 15 games in World Cup matches screened on ITV
- Their quarter-final against France on Saturday will also be on the same channel
- PLAYER RATINGS: Bellingham shows his class as Henderson leads by example
But can they do it on a warm Sunday night in Al Kohr on ITV?
Just about the only cloud hanging over England’s rather serene progress to the last 16 in Qatar had been that pudding of a goalless draw against the USA at the Al Bayt Stadium, and the fact it was screened on the commercial channel.
Why on earth does that matter, you may ask. Well, it continued a rather worrying – some have gone so far to say cursed – sequence of results when England play in the World Cup on ITV.
Ian Wright, Gary Neville and Roy Keane were ITV’s punditry team on Sunday night
Only two wins in 15 games since 1998 before Sunday’s victory over Senegal, to be precise. Compare that to 12 from 16 on BBC and it was a win ratio of 13 per cent to 75 per cent.
While Gary Lineker and Co were able to treat us to two wins and 11 goals in the group games against Iran and Wales, the hapless team over on ITV had been cursing their luck at landing the 0-0 booby prize.
So you could understand if they felt a little apprehensive going back to the Al Bayt for another go against Senegal.
‘Knockout matches involving England are not for the faint-hearted, so don’t expect an easy ride tonight,’ was Mark Pougatch’s opening gambit, and don’t ITV know it.
They wheeled out the new queen of the jungle, Jill Scott, for an opening segment before England faced the so-called Lions of Teranga.
I’m a Celebrity veteran Ian Wright joked about sending fellow panellist Roy Keane into camp, but the Irishman looked about as impressed as he did when Pougatch brought up the constant din from the Senegalese drums below the studio platform. ‘Very annoying,’ said Keane sourly.
England cruised to victory over Senegal to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup
We had Karen Carney with the ever-impressive Laura Woods at pitch-side, an interview with Senegal boss Aliou Cisse and a piece with Phil Foden which ended with Gary Neville looking quizzically at Pougatch when Wright suggested the Manchester City player had won the Champions League.
For 38 minutes, this was every bit as underwhelming as England-USA. The ITV executives must have been wondering what they had done to upset the footballing gods.
Then two quick goals from Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane – the latter fulfilling Keane’s prediction that he would score – made the half-time analysis a little kinder.
Another from Bukayo Saka silenced any more talk of a curse.
All of a sudden, the prospect of England’s quarter-final clash with France being on ITV doesn’t seem quite so ominous.
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