Who Will Win World Cup Group E?

The World Cup 2018 Group E teams:

BRAZIL 

Costa Rica

SERBIA

SWITZERLAND

Group E stands for educational. Because I believe the teams will finish in alphabetical order, with the two South American teams being propped up by their European group mates.

Brazil will win this group. They always win their group and betting against that is pure folly. Although the other 3 teams all have something decent going for them, they don’t have as much decency going for them as Brazil.

The Swiss have Shaqiri. Costa Rica have Guzman and Ruiz. Serbia has Mitrovic, Matic, Tadic and Milivojevic (the Eeeeeeeeagle!). But Brazil has Alves, Willian, Marcelo, Fernandinho, Casemiro, Coutinho, Firmino, Jesus and Neymar. To name just a few

I’m assuming all these players will be fit for the tournament of course. Even if a few aren’t, Brazil have strength in depth and World Cup experience in abundance. The others, not so much. 

World Cup Group E Betting:

World Cup Group E Predictions:

1: BRAZIL

2: Costa Rica

3: Serbia

4: Switzerland

BBC launches World Cup 2018 Promo

You can link to it here...

I didn't know the Russians were into tapestry.
And why dredge up Lampard's goal that wasn't? Awful memories...

Apart from that, it's all good.

Who Will Qualify From World Cup Group D?

The World Cup 2018 Group D teams

ARGENTINA

CROATIA

ICELAND

NIGERIA

Keep. Your. Money. In. Your Pocket. That’s my advice when it comes to this group. What a tough one to call. 

You would think Argentina would win it, but Messi never seems to have a great World Cup. Player for player, they edge their group mates and it would be a shocker for them to go out in the group stage. But, remember, they didn’t qualify for the 2018World Cup with any ease.

And as for the rest, any one of those could qualify.

Iceland will make friends all over Russia, not least for the passion of their fans. To call them underdogs does them an injustice. They were Euro 2016 quarter finalists, beating England along the way. No great feat, admittedly.

Croatia has quality players with international pedigree and I always tip them to do well in tournaments (I even predicted they would reach the Euro 2016 Final which did not happen).

And Nigeria are always a good team to watch, perhaps lacking the big name attacking players they used to have.

So how to call this. Look to the support. Geographically, Croatia are the nearest, Argentina the furthest. I’m going to go against the grain with my predictions on this one and hope the Croats justify me backing of them to win Group D! 

This one will be close though, with one, maybe two points separating the four teams.

MY World Cup 2018 GROUP D Predictions

1: CROATIA

2: ARGENTINA

3: Iceland

4: Nigeria

Who Will Win World Cup 2018 Group C

The World Cup 2018 Group C teams

AUSTRALIA

DENMARK

FRANCE

PERU

C rhymes with easy, sort of. And France with advance. In short, France should advance with ease from Group C's fixtures. That's poetry, that. Expectations will be high that les bleus serve up a hat-trick of victories in a group that’s theirs to lose. That isn't poetry, that.

Peru rhymes with woo-hoo and I’m thinking they could have something to celebrate. Why not them beating Australia and drawing against Denmark and going through on goal difference.

Denmark rhymes with When, Narked (yes, the idea is straining a little now), but the Danes will be feeling the pain of group stage exit I fear. Can't see them beating anyone in this group. A couple of draws and a loss to France.

Australia rhymes with nothing relevant, and I fear nothing is what the Aussies will leave Russia with. Always plucky and with no real opportunity to partake in ball tampering, it’s unlikely the green and golds will be winning any gold on the green fields of Russia.

My World Cup 2018 Group C prediction

1: FRANCE

2: PERU

3: Denmark

4: Australia

England World Cup 2018 Squad Announced

Gareth Southgate has announced his squad for the 2018 World Cup.

And, as widely anticipated, and indeed leaked to the press, he has named the squad "England".

Not very original.

What is original is the breakdown of the squad.

10 defenders in the 23. Yes. 10. And Smalling or Bertrand aren't among them.

And only 5 midfielders, most of those with a defensive bias.

This England team isn't going to set the tournament alight with goal fests, is it?

But there's plenty of youth in there...

Just a shame about the name.

England Starting XI for World Cup 2018

Gareth Southgate names his squad for the 2018 World Cup today. And rumours are he's going to name the squad "England".

But ahead of this momentous announcement, here's the 11 I'd like to see start for England against Tunisia. I believe it's a good enough line-up to at least get a draw.

Who Will Qualify From Group B in World Cup 2018?

The World Cup Group B teams

SPAIN 

MOROCCO

IRAN 

PORTUGAL

This one is going to be close. Really close. Seriously.

Why? Because I can't think of another time when so few miles have ever separated the 4 teams in the same World Cup group.

This is how close things are:

Iran’s a little way away admittedly, but the other three are virtually neighbours. Spain and Portugal actually are. That's how close Group Be is going to B

When it comes to matters on the pitch, this is unlikely to be a close group, with a clear top two and bottom two.

Even with Ronaldo missing the tournament, which he might, you’d still fancy the Euro 2016 winners to accompany their next door neighbours Spain into the Round of 16.

Of course, both have to play each other, first up, in the first week’s biggest game, serving up a big derby early on. The winner wins the group but odds have to be sky high that this ends a draw.

Despite the winners of the last three European Championships residing in this group, I don’t see the World Cup winners coming from here. Portugaldo peaked 2 years ago, a few years after this generation of Spanish players.

BETTING:

MY PREDICTED World Cup 2018 GROUP B Finishing Positions

1:  SPAIN

2:  PORTUGAL

3:  Iran

4:  Morocco

And even if that's totally wrong, well, you've just had a free geography lesson!

WHO WILL QUALIFY FROM World Cup 2018 GROUP A

GROUP A

Saudi Arabia

Uruguay

Russia

Egypt

Not SURE about this one? 

RUSSIA, as hosts, will have the pressure on to qualify. But the hosts always qualify from the group stage, right? It’s inconceivable that they won’t. But should the worst happen (which I don’t think it will) the show Moscow on. 

Mo Salah. The mere mention of the name will send pulses of fear through the defences of the other 3 teams in Group A. But as EGYPT’s star man, he risks being marked out of games. Such a talisman, could he steer his nation into dreamland? It’s possible.

Saudi Arabia - any mention of them and the World Cup cannot be allowed to pass without a link to one of the best goals ever scored in the competition. Take a bow Al Owairan and click this link to enjoy his incredible run and finish from USA ’94.

It’s getting on for 100 years since URUGUAY lifted the first ever World Cup. Surely they will see this draw as a group they can safely negotiate? They have the names and, providing Suarez can keep his cool, surely the only challengers for World Cup Group A winners will come from the hosts.

Betting for World Cup 2018 Group A:

MY PREDICTION:

World Cup GROUP A

1: RUSSIA

2: URUGUAY

3: Egypt

4: Saudi Arabia

World Cup 2018 Countdown

It's May. Way-hey.
The countdown to kick off is on.
I was going to do my own countdown, like 50 days to go, here's the significance of the number 50 in terms of World Cuppery.
But that's a hell of a lot of work.

So here's a link to the BBC's World Cup countdown. It's got film clips and everything...