August 20 – Former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford head coach Thomas Frank will be a pundit on the BBC’s Match of the Day for the 2026/27 season, part of a significant refresh of the broadcaster’s lineup.
Frank, who was sacked by Spurs last season, impressed during the BBC’s World Cup coverage this summer. He’ll be joined by retired players Ashley Young, Robbie Keane and Toby Alderweireld as regular contributors. Reports suggested longstanding pundits like Martin Keown and Dion Dublin would make way, though the BBC says they and others are simply yet to sign contracts and will still feature.
The BBC is also expanding its football coverage by launching four YouTube shows – The Truth About Football, Golden Goal, Football Hub and FANS² – the last pitting diehard supporters against each other, plus a “Fan Collective” featuring a voice from all 20 Premier League clubs.
Following Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan replacing Gary Lineker last year. Familiar names like Alan Shearer and Micah Richards remain, but the corporation’s coverage had become stale.
Frank was among the better pundits on UK TV over the summer, though ITV’s line up of Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Emma Hayes and Ange Postecoglou outshone the BBC according to the critics. With Frank and Keane aboard, Match of the Day will feel unrecognisable from a couple of years ago.
One curiosity worth noting. Three of the four new pundits, Frank, Keane and Alderweireld, are all formerly of the Spurs family. In a media landscape littered with ex United, Liverpool and Arsenal voices, Tottenham representation has been rare. Postecoglou once spoke of a Spurs pile on, with too few defending the club. That, at least, may be changing.