Liverpool: An article revisited

Following the second weekend of the Premier League season I wrote a rather scathing piece questioning Liverpool’s progression in the transfer market. The response was quite incredible with many Liverpool fans vehemently disagreeing with what I said, some were willing to offer me their counter arguments, whilst others made statements such as: “After the sh*gging we gave spurs on Sunday this article makes you look like the naive tw*t you are”. Another asked me to review this article in eight months time to see if: “your original words are eating them selves” (That’s not my typo by the way), well seeing as we are approaching the halfway stage of the season, I’ve decided to evaluate my embryonic predictions and find out if I really am a ‘naive twat’.

Caption competition (answers on a postcard)

The first point I noted after their away trip to the Etihad was their lack of a cutting edge in the final third, well it certainly hasn’t improved over the last 16 league games with summer signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert netting a spectacular total of one league goal between them. I will at this stage mention the elephant in the room regarding Liverpool's goalscoring exploits this season, Mr Daniel Sturridge. As many optimistic Scousers will tell you, having a player of his ability missing for the majority of the season would hinder any team. 

However, the reality is that injuries occur and that is why you have a strong squad of players to deal with them. This adage has a depressingly ironic feeling to it, given the idea behind the structure of their transfer business was to boost their strength in depth. Brendan Rodgers said as much in an interview with the Liverpool Echo about injuries in early September: “This is why it was so important to strengthen the squad during the transfer window. We have options now and that’s key for us. We had a great window in terms of the calibre of players we brought in. We signed young players with quality and some with more experience as that’s what we needed. We were very specific about the types we were bringing in and they have all adapted very well. We did some really good business”. 

Fabio Borini

So according to Brendan, Liverpool have strength (in depth), options, a good calibre of player, quality, experience and new signings that have already adapted very well (remember he said all this in September). Well unfortunately Mr Rodgers it appears that the responses levelled at me, could quite as easily have been levelled at you with naive claims like that. Going back to their attacking artillery, frankly it was obvious that Rickie Lambert’s dream move would fall flat. A 32 year old lacking pace and experience at the highest level was always going to struggle when being thrust into Champions League football. The main problem and one that has also been evident with Mario Balotelli, is that both men do not fit naturally into Liverpool’s style of play. Lambert was the focal point of a superb Southampton team, all of whom knew his game inside out, but do Liverpool play to his strengths? not at all, which is why you find yourself staring at the screen saying: “God he really is slow isn’t he”. The failure to effectively replace Suarez could be Brendan’s greatest regret, in many ways he has already admitted his shortcomings here by allowing fringe forward Fabio Borini game time this season. 

Changing tact slightly I’ll move from their fallibility in attack to that of their defence. The signing of Dejan Lovren was seen at £20 million as a decent bit of business, I of course had my own cynical view on it, suggesting that he was no better than the centre halves they already possessed. Well it seems like I got that one right too with the Croatian being something of a symbolic representation of all that’s been wrong with the Anfield club this season. His inconsistent and sloppy performances saw him dropped from the first team in November, and with Skrtel, Sakho and the rejuvenated Kolo Toure all getting game time, Lovren has made the Premier League’s most accident-prone centre half trio a quartet.  

Adam Lallana

The basis of my original article was that Liverpool hadn’t made a distinct progression in terms of their squad, considering they would want to at the very least match what was achieved last season. This theme reverberates throughout the squad with Emre Can, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic, not one of them has taken Liverpool to a new level and only Lallana has shown signs of justifying his £25 million fee. It’s still a ludicrous amount of money for a player I would describe as ‘ok’ and no better than Phillippe Coutinho. To be fair to Can he has hardly featured due to injury, as for Markovic, I just don’t see it, apart from a playing style that resembles a headless chicken I cannot fathom why Rodgers would fork out just under £20 million for a player who’s record at Benfica was average at best. 

Something I failed to mention back in August was the state of Liverpool’s goalkeeper Simon Mignolet who has come in for some harsh but deserved criticism this season, culminating in being dropped and replaced by professional bench warmer Brad Jones. For me Liverpool got this one wrong from the off, initially by purchasing Mignolet instead of his number two at Sunderland Kieran Westwood who I believe to be the most underrated keeper in England. Secondly, why allow a keeper of Pepe Reina’s quality to leave, admittedly his performance levels did dip towards the end of his Anfield career, but the fact that both Napoli and Bayern Munich have deemed him suitable for their squads over the last two seasons speaks volumes. 

The harrowing reality for Liverpool fans is that they’ve gone from legitimate title challengers and  potential Champions League regulars to a upper mid-table side in the space of one summer. I was a big admirer of Brendan Rodgers, firstly at Swansea and then in his first two seasons at Liverpool. However his deficiencies are starting to show, both his transfer acumen and his ability to produce farcical statements should worry Liverpool fans, what you have here is a delusional manager who is a million miles away from the philosophical thinker and tactical genius that many thought had been discovered in South Wales. 

Rather than concluding with a massive I TOLD YOU SO, in the knowledge that there are another 19 games to play I will leave you with a recent quote from Rodgers (made after the 2-2 draw with Arsenal) which makes you wonder where his head is right now: "A performance that was better than when we won here (against Arsenal) last year 5-1”. 

Me, delusional. Stevie, past it. Lazar, average sometimes awful, so different descriptions for different... players. 

Stagnation under Hodgson truly is England’s nadir

Do I not like that Roy

Not since Graham Taylor’s ill-fated and much documented reign as manager has the future of the England team looked so bleak. Yesterday Roy Hodgson named yet another underwhelming squad, with such short-sightedness that we’ve come to expect from a man who has once again proven his inability to manage at the highest level.

Following a forgettable World Cup, Hodgson was backed by the F.A, who were perhaps reluctant to part with him halfway through a four year contract. Whether that was the case, or they believed that Hodgson had more to offer the national team, the truth is the decision was horrifically misjudged.

Prior to the Norway friendly in September, Hodgson and his backroom staff, which worryingly includes the much lauded Gary Neville, had possibly the easiest qualifying campaign in history to preside over. This presented Hodgson with an opportunity to recapture the imagination of a long-suffering nation of fans, whilst salvaging his own reputation which had taken a severe knock in Brazil.

Through a process of dropping the tried, tested and failed regulars and introducing in-form consistent Premier League performers and the next generation of England players, Hodgson could have breathed new life into his ageing lions. With Euro 2016 as Hodgson’s expected endgame, any players over the age of 28 should have been dropped in the knowledge that in another two years they would have significantly declined as footballers.

In the current squad this would include Jagielka, Cahill, Baines, Milner, Downing, Carrick, Lambert and Rooney. This selection feels like Hodgson is firmly in his comfort zone, unwilling to take risks, to advance the careers of youngsters coming through the England teams. When in reality, there is minimal risk in introducing the likes of Butland, Dier, Jenkinson, Moore, Hughes, Redmond, Ings, Kane and Bamford.

Additionally there are consistent performers that continue to be overlooked by Hodgson. QPR’s Steven Caulker and Charlie Austin, Hull’s Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore, West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell and Mark Noble and Swansea’s Nathan Dyer and Jonjo Shelvey.

Stewart Downing 

I will allow Hodgson a small slice of credit, having selected one youngster and one in-form player in Saido Berahino and Stewart Downing. The selection of Downing, whilst deserved, seems somewhat dubious with his notable performances arguably owing more to the collective performances of his teammates.

So Hodgson can be applauded for his gutsy selection of Berahino, but in the same breath he can be slaughtered for retaining Jagielka, Smalling, Townsend and Lambert all of whom who have no place in an England squad, whether this be due to age, ability or a distinct lack of game time at club level.

Then there is the reintroduction of Michael Carrick and Theo Walcott, who have only recently returned to action following long term injuries. I would imagine Arsene Wenger and Louis Van Gaal will have questioned the necessity of their places in this England squad, when achieving full match fitness with their club sides is surely the priority.  

Earlier I mentioned that incorporating a bigger percentage of the youngsters and in-form players into his squad carried with it minimal risk. In all honesty it carries no risk, we’ve already gone toe to toe with the Swiss in Basel, labouring to a 2-0 win with a team that included the rather comical selection of Fabian Delph. Basically a 2-0 defeat was all that our toughest opponents could muster, which makes me believe that Gareth Southgate’s Under 21’s could top this group.

And it is in this assumption where the problem lies, we have an easy group and yet Hodgson is sticking vehemently to several players that have no right to be there. We will of course sweep all before us in the qualifying matches, draw with the Scots and lose to a remarkably poor Italy side in friendlies. Then board the Eurostar in the summer of 2016, go out at the group stage and be left with the same mind-numbing debate about the state of English football in the aftermath of it all.

We are admittedly at a transitional stage as a national team, moving from the ‘Golden Generation’ to the ‘Generation in which a bloke who used to work in a beetroot factory can hold down a place in the squad’. As a result of this we should be blooding the youth and allowing them tournament experience, rather than giving the likes of Rooney another chance to let us down.

I’ve attributed most of the blame to Hodgson, but it should fall at the door of the F.A. They are the ones who appointed him and kept him on, they have also mismanaged the selection of previous managers, with Messieurs Eriksson and McClaren being two ill-advised appointments, and personally I’ll never forgive Sven for playing Scholes on the left.

It’s not only at senior level where they’ve messed up, the manager of the Under 20’s is a certain Adrian Boothroyd known by fans of Watford, Colchester, Coventry and Northampton as ‘Hoofroyd’ for his pre-historic long ball tactics.

F.A. Chairman Greg Dyke

Forgetting what has gone on previously, the F.A. can only dictate what happens in the present and future. Sadly, it seems that they have opted to stagnate, rather than to learn, grow and ultimately enhance the potential of England’s future stars. There is a saving grace in the form of the Under 21 European Championships next summer, with the likes of Wilshere, Sterling and Barkley hoping to be on the plane to the Czech Republic in order to gain that much desired tournament experience. 

Predictable and uninspiring: The England squad

Following yet another World Cup campaign that failed to capture the public’s imagination, Roy Hodgson has selected an England squad that will struggle to inspire a Country of disillusioned supporters. With Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard finally succumbing to age and retiring from England duty, Hodgson had the chance to blood England’s future midfield stars. Not only has he declined this opportunity, but the former Fulham manager’s selection in other areas is rather insipid.

Cahill and Jagielka 

The problems start with the defenders. For me the World Cup highlighted, if anyone was ever in doubt, that Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill are not world class centre halves. On their day they are both solid and dependable Premier League defenders, who have both formed admirable careers for themselves. My reservation is that when Euro 2016 comes around they will be 33 and 30 respectively.

Having already proven themselves not to be up to the task of marshalling England’s back four against the very best, where is the logic in keeping them on for another two years, when they will have significantly declined as footballers. Come 2016 I will be very surprised if they still hold down first team places at Everton and Chelsea, let alone England. 

Moore was impressive against
Arsenal at the weekend

If Hodgson needs replacement ideas he need look no further than Gareth Southgate’s Under 21 squad. Two centre halves that are more than deserving of a place in the squad are Eric Dier and Liam Moore. Having progressed through Sporting Lisbon’s academy, Dier has burst onto the scene following his summer move to Spurs. Despite being something of an unknown quantity in this country, his fleeting career has constantly been monitored by England, having represented them at Under 18 level through to the Under 21’s.

Liam Moore is a versatile defender who can play at right back and centre half. He was a key part of the Leicester side that won the Championship last season, playing 30 games and earning rave reviews from the Foxes faithful. At 20 and 21 these players are the future of England and alongside Callum Chambers are worthy of a place in the squad.

In midfield the selections of Jack Colback and Fabian Delph are questionable. They both had impressive campaigns last season, much improved on previous years. Colback was a vital cog in Gus Poyet’s Sunderland side that avoided relegation and Delph scored some sublime goals whilst being voted Aston Villa’s player of the year. However are they potential England quality? I’m not convinced. 

Jack Colback 

Prior to last season Colback had been used regularly as a left back, as a result I feel he needs another season playing in midfield to perfect his game and be truly worthy of an England call-up. When first making a name for himself at Leeds, Delph attracted interest from some big clubs including Manchester City and Spurs. Following his move to Aston Villa he suffered a cruciate ligament injury and subsequently an ankle injury, having recovered from these he has been a regular in the Villa side for the past two seasons.

However both these call-ups feel somewhat premature, for players that haven’t exactly set the footballing world alight with their performances. Many West Ham fans are astonished that Mark Noble hasn’t been given a chance, after years of consistent performances at Premier League level. I don’t come from the same school of thought as West Ham fans, nevertheless there are viable alternatives that Hodgson could have pursued.

Will Hughes 

The heartbeat of Derby County’s run to the play-off final last season was 19 year old midfielder Will Hughes. A creative midfielder much alike to Jack Wilshere, he was named the Football League young player of the year last season and has been touted for moves to England’s elite clubs. His potential is there for all to see and far surpasses that of Delph and Colback’s current ability. Others worthy of Hodgson’s consideration are James Ward-Prowse, Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Redmond, all exciting young prospects with who have shone in recent seasons.

The most ludicrous selection is that of Rickie Lambert. It is glaringly obvious to everyone that Lambert won’t get anywhere near the squad in 2016, which deems his selection utterly pointless. He has had his moment in the sun, but his brief England career was nothing more than a sentimental nod, to a player who has carved out a respectable career from humble beginnings. The quicker the likes of Saido Berahino, Danny Ings and Charlie Austin are given a chance the better.

Hodgson is very much under pressure

I would also call into question the decision to appoint Wayne Rooney as captain. I’m a huge Rooney fan but would have much preferred Joe Hart taking the captains armband. Rooney is seemingly destined to retire after Euro 2016 at the age of 30, perhaps Roy feared Rooney may turn his back on England had he not been made captain. For longevity alone Hart is a more sensible candidate, both his leadership and talkative nature are consistently evident for Manchester City.

This is certainly the weakest squad selected by an England manager in recent times, a sign that the perceived golden era of English football is well and truly over. Hodgson will have to navigate his team through this testing transitional period, and in a sad reality the restructuring process the FA are planning to embark on, won’t bear its fruits for some time to come.

Premier League Focus: Liverpool

Each Tuesday of the season I will take an in-depth look at the progress and prospects of a Premier League club, evaluating their season up to that point and envisaging what lies in store for the rest of their campaign.

Where are all the world class signings then lads?

Having just watched Brendan Rodgers’ side fall to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the champions Manchester City, Reds fans can certainly take some comfort from a game that they bossed for long periods. For the first 30 minutes or so they played their usually passing game at a high tempo, with Gerrard finding his range and Sturridge looking bright.

However at the very top level you must take advantage of the possession you accrue, perhaps a Liverpool team containing a certain Luis Suarez would have, but this side displayed a distinct lack of quality in the final third (a rarity in contrast to last season).

In a continuation of last season, Liverpool also lacked quality at the back, which cost them dearly just before half time as Stevan Jovetic pounced on hesitant defending from new signing Alberto Moreno, firing past Simon Mignolet.

Any attempted comeback looked doubtful as a beautiful piece of individuality from Jovetic allowed Nasri to expose gaps in the Liverpool back line, setting up the Montenegrin for a deserved second. This lead to Rodgers introducing £25 million man Lazar Markovic, however it was Sergio Aguero’s entrance into the fray that sent Liverpool crashing to the canvas, as the forward beat Mignolet from the angle.

Rodgers threw on Can and Lambert, changes that arguably should have happened at 2-0. The former Leverkusen man injected some energy and drive into the midfield whilst Lambert got his sizeable forehead on a stunning yet seemingly effortless Sturridge delivery, which was almost matched by Hart’s superb initial save, only for Zabaleta to unfortunately bundle it over the line.

Liverpool’s new number nine was then presented with a glorious chance to reduce the deficit to one, a chance that the previous bearers of that hallowed shirt would have buried, however Lambert produced a feeble finish that perhaps highlights his own reservations about being a Liverpool player. With that the game was gone and City celebrated their first home win of the season, leaving Rodgers with much to ponder.

When you compare this game to the corresponding fixture from last season, it is fair to say Liverpool fell some way short of matching it. They may even have come away with something from that game, if it wasn’t for Raheem Sterling’s incorrectly disallowed goal. I can’t help but think that this result justifies my pre-season thoughts that Liverpool, rather than strengthening have stood still in terms of their squad.

The arrival of Mario Balotelli is of course a genius bit of business and he could well recreate Suarez’s form from the previous campaign, he has no less talent than the feisty Uruguayan. This signing could certainly see them achieve Champions League football again, but in terms of progression from one season to the next, I just don’t see it.

Lovren looked a tad exposed at times tonight and is no better than the centre halves sitting on Liverpool’s bench, whilst initially showing good energy, Moreno will naturally take time to adjust to Premier League football. Can looks like a dynamic player, but is he any better than Henderson or even the re-emerging Joe Allen, and the combined fee of £50 million for Lallana and Markovic looks horrifically misjudged.

Then there is Rickie Lambert, with their neighbours across Stanley Park tonight confirming the signing of Samuel Eto’o on a two year deal, I have no doubts as to which ageing forward I’d rather be bringing off the bench with 20 minutes to go. I’d also rather have exciting Ghanaian International Christian Atsu in my squad as opposed to Markovic.

In conclusion, the Balotelli deal may have just have revived Liverpool’s season, add in another world class player and we could be talking about potential title contenders. Having said that I can’t see there being much money left for Rodgers to play with and ultimately I feel he has wasted the vast majority of it, very much in the same way Benitez did with players such as Babel, Gonzalez, Riera and Aquilani.  

5-3-2: Is it all that? - My post game thoughts

Following an uneventful performance yesterday against a solid MK Dons side, many of the travelling City fans came away disheartened at what had been a rather limp display. No creativity, an inability to pass and a lack of movement were the cries from the deterred Sky Blue Army (Especially from those on Sky Blues Talk), with some still calling for the return of ‘God’ (that’s Carl Baker to the non-believers) to ‘make things happen’. For me the main reason for the performance yesterday and those previously, stems from the 5-3-2 system Pressley has chosen to deploy, a system that has come into prominence following Louis Van Gaal’s inspired use of it throughout the Netherlands successful World Cup campaign.

5-3-2 is in no way a flawed system however it is only needed in certain situations, in certain games. Van Gaal initially implemented it to counter the tiki-taka style of the Spanish in their opening game, the way they soaked up possession and at specific moments broke out in slick counter attacks, worked so well that Van Gaal saw no reason to change it. His loyalty to the system almost lead to an embarrassing exit to minnows Costa Rica, who were afforded far too much time on the ball which lead to them maintaining sustained periods of possession. The Dutch squad contained the players to romp to an easy victory over the Costa Ricans, in theory, however Robben, Van Persie and Sneijder were left unnecessarily isolated as seven Dutch individuals (The back five and two defensive-midfielders) sat ignorantly behind the ball. I’d seen this Dutch team ease to qualification destroying equally matched teams to Costa Rica, (Romania, Hungary and Estonia) playing the classic Dutch style of 4-3-3 and yet for some reason they had decided to set up in an overly defensive system against a weak opposition (In reality a surprisingly naïve mistake from an experienced manager).

This is where Pressley needs to be a touch shrewder, in my opinion it is perfectly fine playing a 5-3-2 system away from home against opposition that will be fighting with us for a place in the play-offs (I consider the point gained yesterday a very good one indeed). Against lesser teams and especially at home however, we need to go out and attack teams like we did last season, whether this be in a 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 it doesn’t really matter. What is key to our success this season, is setting up in a way that enables our forward players to get into the areas where they can positively affect the game, which is unachievable in a 5-3-2. For the majority of yesterday we had eight men behind the ball, the five at the back are relatively flat and the wing backs attacking threat is rather limited. The midfield three are similarly flat and find themselves passing sideways and inevitably backwards to a centre half, who ends up putting his foot through the ball and thus possession is lost.  

The strikers in our ranks all look more than comfortable on the ball and have scored goals at some point in their careers (barring McQuoid), what they are not is target men, they need support, they need advanced wingers to give them service, they need to be given the opportunity to turn and run at the opposing defence and ultimately they need options. Jordan Clarke doesn’t possess an attacking bone in his body, so we are relying on an 18 year old novice to provide any width in the team, which highlights the attacking limitations of this system. One of John Fleck’s best attributes is his ability to switch the play with consummate ease, however in this system he cannot do this, his options are to pass left to Swanson or right to O’Brien who then concede defeat and play the ball backwards. These players are creative but they can’t get into positions where they can use this creativity, which leaves the strikers with little to play off, barring their own individual brilliance. From a defensive point of view we have improved marginally, however a lot of our defensive errors are down to individual mistakes (As was evident with Webster yesterday). If it wasn’t for Reda Johnson we could have easily lost the game, he exudes everything you want from a captain and with this in mind I’m positive he could marshal a back four just as well.  Listed below are the possible alternatives open to Pressley, each offer us a more balanced style of play in which we can remain defensively stable whilst carrying a consistent attacking threat.

You Shaw about this Luke?

Luke Shaw 

Whatever Luke Shaw dreamt about last night, it wouldn’t have been as remarkable as the dream that is his life presently. Having completed his first full Premier League season for Southampton in which he made the PFA Team of the Season, he then beat Ashley Cole to a place in England’s 23 man squad for the World Cup, making his tournament debut in the final group game against Costa Rica. Surely it couldn’t get any better for the 18 year old? Well, in fact it has, following a £27m (A fee that could rise to £31m) transfer from Southampton to Manchester United, a move that makes him one of the world’s most expensive teenagers. Since making his Saints first team debut at the age of 16, his rate of progression has been phenomenal and this move to Old Trafford marks a new chapter in his career, the question is, will he be allowed to continue his development at United?

In his early days at Saints

I certainly have my doubts, the major one being a question that the likes of John Bostock should have asked themselves prior to big money moves, will I play? Shaw may well have to be content with a place on the bench and there is substantial reasoning for this, the form of regular left back Patrice Evra was one of few positives to come out of last season, form which he has kept up with the French national team at the World Cup. Having captained United on a number of occasions throughout his eight years in Manchester, you get the feeling that Evra could end his career with the Red Devils, and by no means would he want to vacate his spot at left back for United’s newest recruit. It will now be a two horse race for the left back perch as Alex Buttner has departed for Dynamo Moscow having flattered to deceive in his two years at the club.

In my opinion if Luke Shaw is instated as first choice left back by Louis Van Gaal, then the move can only be a success. Shaw possesses all the attributes to one day become the best full back in the world, not to mention the high level of composure he already holds, composure that is rarely recognisable in a player of his age. However if he does find himself warming the United bench with the likes of Powell and Zaha (equally great talents), it will be detrimental to his career, not just at club level but for England as well. 

My thoughts on England vs Uruguay

Rooney scores the winner against Ukraine

At the end of this evening’s game, England could either be leaving Brazil prematurely or be in pole position for a place in the knockout stage. The nature of this game is reminiscent of our previous tournament clashes with Slovenia (2010 World Cup) and Ukraine (2012 European Championships) in the sense that defeat would result in elimination. If we came through both the aforementioned tests in somewhat lacklustre circumstances, then tonight we have the chance to achieve the desired result and send a message to the other nations through our performance. There are certain aspects of this game that could be essential to our success in Sao Paulo tonight. These aspects are as follows:

How we exploit an unfamiliar Uruguayan defence

How we apply ourselves when not in possession

How we extinguish Uruguay’s attacking threat (namely Luis Suarez)

Starting with the Uruguayan back line, they will be missing the dynamic Benfica full back Maxi Pereira and their ageing captain Diego Lugano. There are many options open to manager Oscar Tabarez, with the likes of Jorge Fucile, Sebastian Coates and Alvaro Pereira pushing for starts. Fucile only played two games all season for Porto (one of which was for the reserves) so his chances of starting are slim, with this in mind they should start with:

RB - Martin Caceres (Not an unfamiliar position for Caceres, having played there for Juventus and Sevilla)

CB - Sebastian Coates (Only played six times for Nacional following injury last season)

CB - Diego Godin

LB - Alvaro Pereira (Loaned out to Sao Paulo after being used sparingly at Inter)

Coates

If Roy plays Wayne Rooney centrally (As is being reported) he could have a field day up against Coates who failed to impress in his eleven games for Liverpool. The knee injury which kept him out of the majority of last season could see him be a tad ring rusty, which England must take advantage of. Both fullbacks aren’t lacking in pace, but their over exuberance to get forward could leave space in behind for Sterling and Welbeck to exploit, hopefully it will enable Baines and Johnson to be more willing to overlap than they were against Italy.

Gerrard must be more aggressive tonight

Our performance against Italy was one of the most confident and impressive performances I had witnessed in my time as an England supporter, however what has been noted by many pundits was our incapability to win the ball back when the Italians had possession. We allowed the Italian midfielders to advance far too easily into our half, putting unnecessary pressure on our back four. Gerrard and Henderson must do more to break up the play and stop the flow of service from the Uruguayan midfielders to Suarez and Cavani.  

Suarez vs Cahill

Fully fit or not, Luis Suarez will be Uruguay’s major threat this evening. The Liverpool forward scored twice last season against an Everton defence containing Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines, however he failed to score home and away against a Chelsea side that had Gary Cahill at the heart of its defence. Cahill and the Liverpool players in the squad should be able to give an insight in how to keep the forward quiet, for me if we do keep his time on the ball down to a minimum, we should win the game.  

Finally, COME ON ENGLAND.

Belgium at the 2014 World Cup - A foray into the unknown

With the recent influx of Belgian players into the Premier League, England and the world have become obsessed with the Belgian national team. Tonight marks the biggest challenge for this gifted squad of players to date, their first world cup match since 2002. The only player in the squad who featured at their last World Cup is veteran centre half Daniel Van Buyten, highlighting how much of a new experience this is for a generation of Belgian players and fans. The question is, will this new wave of Belgian stars live up to their billing on the greatest stage of them all? For me, the answer is a resounding yes, across the pitch they don’t just have potential, they have established European players. 

Belgium have a terrific team spirit 

I’ve highlighted three of their players that will be vital to the success of their World Cup campaign, starting with their La Liga winning keeper Thibaut Courtois. The former Genk man has been in imperious form since his arrival at the Vicente Calderon in 2011, he was brought into replace the Manchester United bound David De Gea and if anything has surpassed the Spanish international with his consistent performances for Atleti. He excels at shot stopping, commanding his area, coming for crosses and for such a young keeper he exudes calmness, these qualities have given Chelsea food for thought with Petr Cech coming to the latter stages of his career. For a Belgian team that is expected to dominate games, they’ll need a keeper who can stay alert even if he isn’t overly busy during a game, and for me, Courtois fits the bill. Next on my list is Manchester City centre half Vincent Kompany, it has been a meteoric rise for a player who in the early years of his City career was deployed by Mark Hughes as a defensive midfielder. In recent seasons he has developed into a beast of a defender, one who can dominate in the air and on the deck. He also possesses the ability to inspire those around him, as we have seen on numerous occasions for City, when they are seemingly out of games he drags his team mates through kicking, screaming and onto victory. With all the midfield talent in the squad my final choice may come as a surprise to some, Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku. Despite his differences with Jose Mourhino (which may stem from off the field problems rather than Jose doubting his ability) you cannot argue with his record at Anderlecht, West Brom and Everton, three clubs that all play different styles and yet Lukaku has been prolific at each of them. His unique mix of pace and power, makes me confident that he will explode all over this tournament, and with the service he will receive from Hazard and co, he is a dark horse for top scorer. It’s a simple adage but every team needs a goal scorer, and I believe Lukaku is the man for the job. 

There's Something About Rooney (and Messi)

England celebrate the equaliser on Saturday 

In the aftermath of England’s narrow 2-1 defeat to Italy, there has been much debate and discussion over Wayne Rooney. Throughout his career the Manchester United forward has faced considerable criticism from both the press and fans over his performances at International tournaments, and he faced a similar bout of ridicule following Saturday’s game in Manaus. With Hodgson springing the surprise of deploying Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling in the number ten role, Rooney was forced to play on the left of the attacking three, behind centre forward Daniel Sturridge. He played on the left in the 2-2 friendly draw with Ecuador, and despite scoring the equaliser he was somewhat ineffectual. It’s a role that throughout his Manchester United career Sir Alex has used him in, usually in vital Premier League or Champions League ties when United would revert from their typical 4-4-2 formation to a 4-5-1. However with the emergence of Danny Welbeck over the last few seasons, Rooney has either played as the main striker or in the hole behind the striker, it would be fair to say he very much favours playing as the central striker. His true feelings on his preferred position (For Manchester United) were made clear in an interview with the Mail’s Neil Ashton in October 2013 in which he said, ‘Everyone at the club knew that’s where I wanted to play (up front) and that’s why I was disappointed because I got told to play in midfield and I didn’t want to. In the past I’ve had no problem playing out of position, but I felt I deserved to play in my position, which wasn’t happening’. His all-round performance was deemed below par by the majority of the country, with a specific concern being his lack of cover for Leighton Baines, leaving the full back exposed and preventing the Everton man from showing his attacking qualities. I am of the opinion that this ‘below-par’ performance was down to a positional limitation and not a lack of ability or form on the part of Rooney.

Messi celebrates following his strike against Bosnia

Last night in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a player had a similar problem with his position, I speak of Lionel Messi. Now before people slam me for comparing Messi and Rooney, hear me out. In the first half Alejandro Sabella set up La Albiceleste in an unfamiliar 5-3-2 system with Messi and Aguero as the front two, despite going into half time with a 1-0 lead the Bosnians were on top and Messi was struggling to affect the game, with many on Twitter (including myself) questioning when the real Messi would turn up. Being proactive Sabella changed to a 4-3-1-2 formation at half time, introducing Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain into a system that saw Messi move into his preferred position behind the front two. Finally Messi was involved in the game, receiving the ball from deep he was floating in-between the Bosnian midfield and defence causing them all sorts of problems. In one mesmeric move, Messi picked up the ball just inside the Bosnian half, played a fabulous one-two with Higuain and glided past two Bosnians to slot the ball past the despairing dive of Begovic. Messi is in my opinion the greatest player to ever play the game, yet his performance was being restricted by the position he was playing in, when his position changed so did the nature of the game. If Roy Hodgson needed any more indication as to why he should play Rooney central, he need not look further than Argentina’s performance last night.

Future strike partners?

Even though we performed admirably against the Italians, especially in terms of possession and ball retention, I would advise Roy to alter his system to suit Rooney. The system Sabella used in the second half last night isn’t too dissimilar to the one used by Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool this year, a system that saw them play some of the most effective and entertaining football seen anywhere last season. The frontmen used in this system (Higuain, Aguero, Suarez and Sturridge) are regularly used as the lone striker, yet when paired with a strike partner their performances are arguably enhanced. The man that plays in the hole (Messi, Sterling) causes no end of problems for the opposition with the freedom they are allowed. For England, I would stick with the same back four and goalkeeper, and then Gerrard sitting in front of the defence, with two of Henderson, Lallana, Milner and Wilshere just advanced either side of Gerrard. In the hole I would obviously select the exciting Raheem Sterling, with Rooney and Sturridge paired up top. For me this allows Rooney to play in his natural position as well as adding a new dimension of a Sturridge-Rooney partnership, their link-up play would be something special. Raheem Sterling would also flourish in the number ten role, having made this his own at Liverpool. Let’s see if Roy can follow up the surprise of selecting Sterling, with an even more advantageous change of system.  

 Argentina's unbelievable second from last night

World Cup Group Preview - Groups G & H - By Guest Writer Joseph Fry

Group G

The Team – Germany

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover) Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal) Shkordan Mustafi (Sampdoria). Midfielders: Julian Draxler (Schalke), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Christoph Kramer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Andre Schurrle (Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich). Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal).

The Manager - Joachim Low - Low is one of the longest reigning managers going to the world cup having taken over from Jurgen Klinsmann back in 2006. Since he took over, he has taken Germany to three major tournaments in Euro 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010. In each one, it has been close but no cigar for Low as he reached the final in 2008 only to lose to Spain and bowing out at the semi-finals in 2010 and 2012.

The Preparation - Germany were absolutely dominant through qualification following the disappointment in the previous Euro’s. They romped through their group picking up nine wins and a draw from the ten games played finishing on an impressive 28 points. They have remained unbeaten through the pre-tournament friendlies including an impressive 6-1 win over Armenia which was sadly overshadowed by an injury to Marco Reus. Reus has been ruled out of the tournament after the ligament tear he suffered and has been replaced by Sampdoria’s Shkordan Mustafi. This is a huge blow to Germany as Reus was one of few sources of goals and with him now out, it leaves Germany looking particularly light up front.

Mighty Mesut 

The Definitive Opinion - Germany go into the tournament looking strong. They possess some real quality in all areas of the pitch and I think this may finally be the year that all the hard work comes to fruition and they finally go all the way. Despite the loss of a key player in Reus, they still have immense talents such as Mario Gotze, Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil though the latter is in need of recapturing some of the form he had during qualification if he is to make a real impact in Brazil and push Germany to their first trophy since 1996. Once again, Low takes Germany to the World Cup with them being one of the favourites for the trophy and a win would crown what has been an excellent run as manager for the German manager.

The Team – Portugal

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Beto (Sevilla), Eduardo (Braga), Rui Patricio (Sporting). Defenders: Andre Almeida (Benfica), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahce), Fabio Coentreo (Real Madrid), Joao Pereira (Valencia), Neto (Zenit), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valencia). Midfielders: Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Miguel Veloso (Dinamo Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahce), Ruben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting). Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (SC Braga), Helder Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Nani (Manchester United), Rafa (Braga), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg).

The Manager - Paulo Bento - Bento took charge of the national team in 2010 after a four year spell in charge of Sporting CP. He led Portugal to Euro 2012 and to the semi-finals where they lost on penalties to Spain. Bento led Portugal to second in their qualifying group and so to a play-off in which they beat Sweden 4-2 on aggregate to take Portugal to Brazil. He will hope to lead Portugal to their first major trophy ever come June 16th.

The Preparation - After being drawn in a group with Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg, Portugal were considered favourites. However, following disappointing draws to Israel and a loss to Russia, they had to settle for a play-off spot. They were drawn against Sweden and won the first leg 1-0 with a goal from world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo. The second leg was a one man show and cemented Ronaldo’s position as the best player in the world that year. He scored a hat-trick and Portugal won 3-2 to give them a 4-2 win on aggregate and got them their place in Brazil. Since qualifying however, they have looked far from impressive with a 0-0 draw against Greece and a last minute winner able to paper over the cracks against Mexico although these were without star man Ronaldo who is carrying a hamstring injury though should be fit for the world cup.

Portugal will be hoping Ronaldo is fit

The Definitive Opinion - Portugal’s recent record at major tournaments has been good reaching the final at Euro 2004 and the semi-finals at Euro 2000, 2012 and the World Cup in 2006. They arrive to the tournament with a relatively similar squad that got them to the semi-finals at Euro 2012. The ever reliable defensive pairing of Bruno Alves and Pepe provide stability to the defence with a sturdy midfield in Raul Meireles, Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso provide a mixture of strength and creativity which will be vital in Brazil with the hot conditions meaning teams tire earlier. Whether they reach the latter stages again all boils down to whether Ronaldo is fully fit come June 16th as without him, they could struggle to get out of the groups let alone repeat previous showings we have seen from them.

The Team – Ghana

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Fatau Dauda (Orlando Pirates), Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset), Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars). Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (Platanias), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege), Harrison Afful (Esperance), John Boye (Rennes), Jonathan Mensah (Evian), Rashid Sumalia (Mamelodi Sundowns). Midfielders: Michael Essien (AC Milan), Sulley Muntari (AC Milan), Rabiu Mohammed (Kuban Krasnodar), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus), Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese), Afriyie Acquah (Parma), Christian Atsu (Vitesse), Albert Adomah (Middlesbrough), Andre Ayew (Marseille), Mubarak Wakaso (Rubin Kazan). Forwards: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Schalke 04), Abdul Majeed Waris (Valenciennes), Jordan Ayew (Sochaux).

The Manager - James Kwesi Appiah - A former Ghana player, Appiah was the surprise appointment in 2012 replacing Goran Stefanovic. Appiah’s only previous managerial experience is with Ghana’s under 23’s which he led to Africa cup of Nations glory in 2011. He became the first black manager to lead a Ghana to a major tournament with qualification for the World Cup in Brazil.

The Preparation - After receiving a bye to the second round of qualifying, Ghana were drawn in a group with Zambia, Lesotho and Sudan with the top team progressing to the third round. Ghana expectedly ran away with the group winning five out of six games only conceding three goals in the process. In the third and final round, Ghana were drawn against Egypt who reached that stage unbeaten after winning all six games conceding no goals. Ghana however had too much quality and in the 1st leg, virtually sealed their spot in Brazil with a huge 6-1 victory. Despite losing the second leg 2-1, the huge deficit Egypt had to make up meant that Ghana had qualified for Brazil. Since then, Ghana have looked impressive slipping to a tight 1-0 defeat against the Netherlands but bouncing back with a 4-0 demolition of South Korea.

Ghana will be hoping Essien is on top form 

The Definitive Opinion - Ghana have been drawn in a very tough group alongside tournament favourites Germany and Portugal. However, I would not put it past them to spring a surprise here and qualify in place of one of the two aforementioned teams. Ghana have a team that is full of attacking quality. Players like the country’s leading scorer and Captain Asamoah Gyan finished joint top scorer in the African qualifying stages with six goals. His strike partners Abdul Majeed Waris and Jordan Ayew, whichever is picked to start alongside, both know where the net is with Ayew scoring a hat-trick in the recent game against South Korea. This attacking threat is improved by the creativity they have in midfield from Kevin-Prince-Boateng and Andre Ayew. These players are allowed to go forward and express themselves as they are given cover from defensive midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah in what gives Ghana are very strong and balanced midfield. Despite these positives, whether Ghana are strong enough to compete with the likes of Portugal and Germany is an aspect that has to be questioned. I feel that unless one of the two top nations under-performs, which is possible as I stated with Portugal, I think that it will be the Black Cats first ever World Cup group stage exit.

The Team – USA

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake). Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders). Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City). Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).

The Manager - Jurgen Klinsmann - A world cup winner as a player with Germany, Klinsmann took over as manager of USA in 2011. He had a shaky start as manager and came under criticism for his tactical decisions early on. However, he was able to turn this around and led the USA to victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2013 and secured world cup qualification later that year with a win over Mexico.

The Preparation - In qualifying, the USA received a bye to the third round along with five other nations. In this round, they were drawn in a group alongside Jamaica, Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda. Despite a disappointing loss away to Jamaica, USA finished top of the group with 13 points which placed them in the fourth round with the other two group winners and three runners-up. They impressed in this round finishing top of the group by four points and so qualifying for Brazil. They have carried this form into their pre-tournament friendlies with three comfortable wins over Azerbaijan, Turkey and Nigeria.

Tim Howard and Michael Bradley 

The Definitive Opinion - Despite USA’s recent good form, I do not hold much hope for them this World Cup. They have been drawn in arguably the toughest group in the tournament alongside Germany, Portugal and Ghana and sadly for USA fans I cannot see them making it out of the group stages. They lack the goal threat that the other three possess and the decision not to include Landon Donavan in the final 23 man squad, may come back to haunt Klinsmann in Brazil. Their main outlet for goals is Sunderland’s Jozy Altidore. The 24 year old scored one goal in thirty appearances for Sunderland I the Premier League this season and though his record for his country is fairly good, if USA are to stand any chance of getting out of the group, they will need a better focal point in their attack than Altidore.

Group H

The Team - Belgium

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid, on loan from Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Sammy Bossut (Zulte Waregem). Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit St Petersburg), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham). Midfielders: Nacer Chadli, Mousa Dembele (both Tottenham), Steven Defour (Porto), Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Marouane Fellaini, Adnan Januzaj (both Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Divock Origi (Lille), Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg). Forwards: Romelu Lukaku (Everton, on loan from Chelsea), Dries Mertens (Napoli).

The Manager - Marc Wilmots - WIlmots has been with the Belgian setup since 2009 when he was the assistant manager for first Dick Advocaat and then George Leekens. Nicknamed “The Warpig” whilst a player at Schalke for his battle hardy style of play, Wilmots has led Belgium to their first World Cup since 2002, and his talent-filled squad will be expected to turn a few heads in Brazil.

The Preparation - Belgium qualified for the tournament unbeaten in what was a tough qualifying group with the likes of Serbia and Croatia also vying for the top spot. Belgium took it though, and in style with eight wins and two draws leaving them finishing nine points ahead of second placed Croatia. They go into the World Cup still unbeaten after three victories in the pre-tournament friendlies over Luxembourg, Sweden and Tunisia respectively. One issue that has arisen for Wilmots’ men is that they travel to Brazil without striker Christian Benteke who has been ruled out with a ruptured achilles tendon.

Lukaku is a dark horse for top scorer

The Definitive Opinion - It has become somewhat fashionable for even people with little knowledge on the make-up of the Belgian squad to declare Belgium as the dark horses of the tournament. It’s not without question that this Belgian squad has immense talent with players like Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, both of Chelsea, hoping to have a real impact on the tournament. The defensive partnership of Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen is possibly the best centre back pairing heading to Brazil coupled with other talent like Jan Verthongen and this will make for a Belgian team that is very hard to breakdown. I however believe that it is two years too soon to expect Belgium to go and win the World Cup. Though talented, they have a team that is inexperienced at major international tournaments and I feel that it will be this inexperience that will be the downfall of this side who will reach the quarter finals as a maximum in my opinion.

The Team – Algeria

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Rais Mbolhi (CSKA Sofia), Cedric Si Mohamed (CS Constantine), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (USM Alger). Defenders: Essaid Belkalem (Watford, on loan from Granada), Madjid Bougherra (Lekhwya Club), Liassine Cadamuro (Mallorca), Faouzi Ghoualm (Napoli), Rafik Halliche (Academica Coimbra), Aissa Mandi (Stade Reims), Carl Medjani (Valenciennes), Djamel Mesbah (Livorno), Mehdi Mostefa (AC Ajaccio). Midfielders: Nabil Bentaleb (Tottenham), Yasine Brahimi (Granada), Medhi Lacen (Getafe), Saphir Taider (Inter Milan), Hassan Yebda (Udinese). Forwards: Abdelmoumene Djabou (Club Africain), Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia), Nabil Ghilas (Porto), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City), Islam Slimani (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Hilal Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb).

The Manager - Vahid Halilhodzic - The experienced Bosnian became manager of Algeria back in 2011 taking charge of his eleventh team. He brings a wealth of experience to Algeria having managed both at club and international level at teams like the Ivory Coast and PSG. He has taken Algeria to only their fourth World Cup and will hope to beat their current record of going out at the group stage every time so far.

The Preparation - In qualifying, Algeria received a bye to the second round in which they were drawn in a group with Mali, Benin and Rwanda. They dominated the group winning five out of a possible six games putting them into the final qualifying round which was a play-off game against Burkina Faso. They lost the first leg in Burkina Faso 3-2 and were on the verge of failing to qualify but managed to squeeze through after a 1-0 win back in Algeria meant that they qualified on the away goal rule. Since qualifying, Algeria have been unbeaten albeit against weak opposition. In the pre-tournament friendlies, they have beaten Armenia and Romania 3-1 and 2-1 respectively.

Nabil Bentaleb 

The Definitive Opinion - With the group that Algeria have been placed in, this is probably their best chance to make it out of the group stages. They are a team that people will look at and just rule out completely but they have to be taken seriously as England found out back in 2010. Sporting CP striker Islam Slimani finished as Algeria’s top scorer in qualifying with five goalshas impressed for club and country bagging 10 goals in 20 for Algeria. They have a squad riddled with top league talent, with tricky wingers such as Sofiane Feghouli and Riyad Mahrez along with midfielders Saphir Taider of Inter and Nabil Bentaleb who has looked steady when playing for Tottenham. In terms of chances, I can see Algeria making it out of the group though for the only time this tournament, there is a group where all four teams could possibly make it through. Algeria will need their star players performing at top level if they are to be one of the two that make it out of the group.

The Team – Russia

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Yury Lodygin (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergey Ryzhikov (Rubin Kazan). Defenders: Vasili Berezutskiy (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Granat (Dynamo Moscow), Andrey Eshchenko (Anzhi Makhachkala), Sergey Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexey Kozlov (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitry Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semenov (Terek Grozny), Georgi Schennikov (CSKA Moscow). Midfielders: Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Yury Zhirkov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexey Ionov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Viktor Fayzulin (Zenit St Petersburg), Oleg Shatov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Krasnodar). Forwards: Maxim Kanunnikov (Amkar Perm), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kokorin (Dynamo Moscow).

The Manager - Fabio Capello - Capello became the manager of Russia in 2012 following the departure of Dick Advocaat. He has a managerial CV that cannot be matched having managed clubs like AC Milan, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid who he managed twice. The Italian’s only national job previously to Russia was when he managed England after they failed to qualify for Euro 2008. Though England qualified unbeaten, their performance at the 2010 World Cup was nothing short of shambolic. They scraped through their supposedly simple group only to be knocked out in the round of 16 after an embarrassing 4-1 loss at the hands of Germany. Capello was criticised for his strict rules and boundaries that he put in place in South Africa which had a large negative effect on team morale. He will be keen to put that disappointment behind him by taking Russia far in Brazil.

The Preparation - After being drawn in a qualifying group with Portugal, many people expected Russia to have to qualify via a play-off. But after beating Portugal and Portugal slipping to two draws against Israel, Russia qualified in first place by a solitary point and did not have to go through a play-off. Russia head into the World Cup on a ten match unbeaten run having recently beaten Slovakia and Morocco in Russia.

Russian star Alan Dzagoev 

The Definitive Opinion - Russia head into the tournament in great form and since Capello has come in, the dead wood like Arshavin and Pavyluchenko have been gotten rid of allowing for players such as Aleksandr Kokorin who is expected to shine for Russia along with their star of Euro 2012 Alan Dzagoev of CSKA Moscow to come through to the fore front of the Russian team. As usual with Russia, they have a team with a powerful midfield with Igor Denisov and Viktor Fayzulin at the heart of it. In terms of chances for this tournament, they will be favourites along with Belgium to get out of the group and should their key players perform, then they should be able to qualify for the knockout stages. They need to be careful in not underestimating the other two teams in their group however who have a lot to offer in Algeria and South Korea. As stated, should Russia perform, then I expect to see them in the knockout stages and they will not want a repeat of the performance from Euro 2012.

The Team - South Korea

The Squad - Goalkeepers: Jung Sung-ryeong (Suwon Bluewings), Kim Seung-gyu (Ulsan Horang-i), Lee Bum-young (Busan I'Park) Defenders: Yun Suk-young (QPR), Kim Young-kwon (Guangzhou Evergrande), Hwang Seok-ho (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Hong Jeong-ho (Augsburg), Kwak Tae-hwi (Al Hilal), Lee Yong (Ulsan Horang-i), Kim Chang-soo (Kashiwa Reysol), Park Joo-ho (Mainz) Midfielders: Ki Seung-yueng (Sunderland, on loan from Swansea), Ha Dae-sung (Beijing Guoan), Han Kook-young (Kashiwa Reysol), Park Jung-woo (Guangzhou R&F), Son Heung-min (Bayer Leverkusen), Kim Bo-kyung (Cardiff City), Lee Chung-yong (Bolton Wanderers), Ji Dong-won (Augsburg). Forwards: Koo Ja-cheol (Mainz), Lee Keun-ho (Sangju Sangmu), Park Chu-young (Arsenal), Kim Shin-wook (Ulsan Horang-i).

The Manager - Hong Myung-Bo - Hong is a very inexperienced manager with the South Korea job being the first senior management job of his career. He has managed the South Korean under 20’s and under 23’s sides including leading the under 23’s to a bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012. He will hope to build on that previous success with a good showing in Brazil.

The Preparation - South Korea have not been in the best form recently. After they got through the third round in qualifying finishing top of a group that consisted of Lebanon, Kuwait and the UAE as well as themselves, they were placed in group A along with Iran with whom they had a fierce rivalry, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Lebanon. They were expected to finish top of that group but after underperforming in numerous matches including losing to Iran twice and drawing with Lebanon and Uzbekistan, they finished second and just qualified automatically ahead of Uzbekistan by a single goal. This poor form has continued into the pre-tournament friendlies which have resulted in a 1-0 loss to Tunisia and a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Ghana.

Ki Seung-Yeung

The Definitive Opinion - Korea appear to be the weakest of the four nations in group H. Having nearly had to qualify via a play-off narrowly beating Uzbekistan in qualifying, Korea have gone from bad to worse. They are the only team in group H to arrive at the World Cup in poor form and I cannot see this form being turned around in time for the tournament. If the defence plays anything like it did against Ghana, then Korea will have no chance come the 17th of June when they take on Russia. Korea have the ability to make it through this group, with players like Heung-min Son from Bayer 04 and Ki Seung-Yeung from Swansea but if they don’t regain some form before the start of the tournament, then Korea will be heading out in the group stages.