Emma Hayes has brushed off accusations of sexism after ITV upgraded her World Cup tactics board to include magnets, following complaints that her analysis area looked like a ‘small kitchen’. 

Viewers had questioned why the USA women’s boss, who won a record 15 trophies with Chelsea, was given a small chalkboard instead of a digital touchscreen for her tactical analysis of England’s win over Croatia on Wednesday night.

One TV insider branded the setup, which came complete with a number of cupboards, ‘hugely embarrassing’ and asked whether male pundits such as Gary Neville would be put in the same situation.

ITV appears to have taken note of the criticism, giving Hayes, 49, an upgraded board with magnets for her analysis of Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti last night.

And while the pundit was still presenting from the same studio, ITV’s cameras heavily zoomed in on Hayes, in turn making the ‘kitchen-style’ set up less visible. 

Hayes herself also appeared to allude to the ‘sexism’ controversy at the start of her analysis. 

She said: ‘Let’s focus on the first half in particular.’

Hayes then turned around and looked directly down the camera lens, saying: ‘I know that’s a challenge for some of us at home but I’m going to encourage us to look at the things that are going on in the game.’

FRIDAY: Emma Hayes has had her World Cup tactics board upgraded after viewers accused ITV of sexism by making it look like she was presenting from a ‘small kitchen’

WEDNESDAY: ITV viewers questioned why Hayes was forced to do her analysis in an area that looked like a kitchen

As she made the comment, she pointed to her board which had been fitted with white and blue magnetic pieces to represent the players. 

ITV’s ill-judged set during the England-Croatia match had led to series of memes where Hayes’ noughts and crosses were replaced with a shopping list.

Others used AI to add a sink, tap, piles of washing up, tea towels and even an ironing board, dressing her in a pinny.

Another showed Emma making tea for her ITV colleagues with Manhattan in the background.

One TV source said that the set was ‘hugely embarrassing’ for ITV and demeaning for Ms Hayes, arguably the top female coach in world football.

‘Can you imagine ITV putting Gary Neville on a set like that? No chance that would happen. It is hugely embarrassing’.

Former BBC football presenter Dan Walker said on Thursday: ‘I really like Emma Hayes and I think she’s an insightful pundit. 

‘I’m not sure why they have decided to make it look like she’s writing the specials on a bistro chalkboard.’

A number of AI memes showed Hayes writing her shopping list rather than her expertly analysing England’s game 

Another meme shared online after the game showed Hayes doing the washing up

One meme showed Hayes drawing an ironing board instead of England’s attacking formation

Sports journalist Michael Hincks wrote in the i newspaper: ‘ITV positioned Hayes in a corner of their New York studio, which admittedly resembled a kitchen, and that only fed the trolls for an easy pile-on.

‘It felt naive from ITV, hung Hayes out to dry, and surely is changed going forward at this World Cup.’

One viewer said: ‘I’m not sure ITV are massively advancing the idea of women’s equality in football by having Emma Hayes give her analysis from a set which looks like she’s stuck in a kitchen?’

Another critic said: ‘This is woeful from ITV. Emma Hayes is brilliant, articulate and insightful, yet she’s made to provide micro analysis from some weird kitchen setup with a chalkboard that isn’t even rectangular. 

‘It makes her look amateurish when she’s anything but. Imagine Neville doing that!!’

ITV has been contacted for comment.