World Cup Preview - Group G

Group G

England (13)
Belgium (3)
Tunisia (14)
Panama (55)

England - Qualification was relatively straightforward for England as they only dropped points away at Scotland and Slovenia, drawing both. They didn't convincingly win all their games, with a 4-0 win in Malta and 3-0 at home to Scotland their only wins by more than two goals but topping the group was never really in doubt.

Despite continuous high expectations, England have failed to get past the quarter final of a World Cup since a 4th place finish in 1990.

Gareth Southgate will be looking forward to his first major tournament as a manager, and he has gone with a squad that has an average age of just 26.

The big talking point all season was whether Joe Hart would still be number one as he has been since 2012. However his poor form has resulted in him not even being selected, meaning Jack Butland and Jordan Pickford will battle it out for the starting role. The position has been an issue at tournaments for a while with England, and now with less than ten caps between all three goalkeepers, it could be a problem area.

Defensively they resorted to a back three, but strangely it seems to be including Kyle Walker. Walker has been outstanding for Manchester City this year as an attacking full back, but defensively he has been vulnerable at times. On the right of a back three seems to take away his strengths and force him to defend more. Beside him there is a choice of Stones, out of favour at City, Cahill who was a long time out of the team at Chelsea, Jones who is an accident waiting to happen and Maguire, who I am not convinced is a good defender. He is comfortable on the ball, but I think he could be in trouble when up against a top opposition.

In the midfield it seems that Eric Dier will be used in the holding role he plays for Spurs. He was moved there mainly because he isn't a good enough defender. For me he isn't a top level passer and isn't what England need to keep the ball when games are tight. Henderson had a strong season with Liverpool taking them to the Champions League final. He is busier and more aggressive than Dier, and tries more forward passes. He isn't world class either, but might be a better option. It is possible both are playing against stronger teams.

The strength of the England team is in the forward four players. Harry Kane has proved he is one of the best strikers in the world. He scores goals and links the play well and is always hungry to get in the box. One slight worry is it looked like he wasn't fully fit towards the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see how he gets on. Teammate Dele Alli is also a great goalscorer. He doesn't have incredible pace or skill, but he has an instinct for goals and I think his movement in the box is outstanding. He will score goals at this tournament for sure, but he has to make sure he doesn't get sent off because teams will try to wind him up.

Another weapon they have is pace from the bench from Vardy, Rashford, Lingard and Welbeck. Pace at the end of games when defenders are tiring can be a real bonus, and they could all have crucial roles to play.

Star Man - Raheem Sterling has been regularly criticised throughout his career, but since Guardiola joined Manchester City his game has gone to new levels. His confidence is sky high and he has added goals to his game, especially this season. His final product was always the issue, but now he has looked more composed in the final third and set up goals as well as scored goals all season. His pace, quick feet and change of direction make him an important player as England look to unlock defenses and advance deep into the knockout stages.


Belgium - Belgium are nearing the end of their so called golden generation and it hasn't produced what was expected. Now with Roberto Martinez in charge, it seems like nobody is expecting them to challenge for the trophy this time around. He made a strange decision not including Roma midfielder Nainngolan, despite him having a great season for the Champions League semi finalists.

Benteke was a surprise inclusion despite an awful season of just three goals with Crystal Palace in the initial squad, but he has not been included in the 23. It was perhaps as a backup given that Michy Batshuayi picked up an ankle injury late in the season after really impressing on his loan move in Dortmund. He must be fit, so they won't only be relying on Romelu Lukaku to score the goals from upfront. He is one player that has probably gained confidence under Mourinho, as he is constantly talked up in the press and starts every time he is fit. He lost his place at the 2014 World Cup to Divock Origi, but I'd be surprised if that happens again. He won't win the golden boot, but he can be the important link man to get Belgium up the pitch and help get their star players on the ball in the final third.

One of those stars is Kevin De Bruyne, probably the best passer in the Premier League. He is so clever at finding space and recognising when to pass the ball and where to pass it. He has license to roam as Axel Witsel and possibly Marouane Fellaini sit deeper and protect the defense.

Dries Mertens has had his best two seasons as a footballer the last two years at Napoli. Now 31 he has taken on a goalscoring responsibility, and has managed 56 over the last two seasons. He goes to the World Cup after a great season with Napoli and with his pace and running off the ball, will add another dimension from Lukaku, De Bruyne and Hazard.

Despite the reputation of the manager struggling with defense in the past, he is lucky to have inherited such a strong one here. It looks like Kompany might have injured himself, so it could help as Vertonghen and Alderweireld get to link up as a partnership. When they play together at Spurs they are the best partnership in the league, and should be strong for Belgium. Thomas Meunier has played a number of games at right back for PSG this season, and Vermaelen can fit in at left back, despite not being a regular at Barcelona. With Courtois behind them this is a team that shouldn't concede many goals, and is very dangerous on the attack.

Star Man - No doubt that Eden Hazard has had inconsistent form with Chelsea the last few years, but he is such an exciting player to watch. His close control is as good as anyone and when he dribbles with the ball his change of direction and acceleration from a standing start are almost impossible to defend. He can win a game on his own and also has great composure infront of goal. He is likely to be top scorer for Belgium, and with defenses likely to have to watch Mertens, De Bruyne and Lukaku as well, he should get opportunities to run 1v1 at defenders, and there will only be one winner in that scenario.


Tunisia - Surprisingly the highest ranked team in Africa now, Tunisia qualified by winning a group with DR Congo, Libya and Guinea. They were unbeaten and will compete for the first time at the World Cup since 2006. They have never advanced past the groups, and in fact only ever won one game, a 3-1 defeat of Mexico in 1978.

Top scorer in qualifying Youssef Msakni is unfortunately going to miss out on the tournament due to an injury he picked up in April. The second top scorer in the Qatari League, with 25 goals in 22 games was the main goal threat for the country. Now they will be relying on home based players, Anice Bedri and Saber Khalifa, or Saudi based Ben Youssef to find the net. Between them they have 15 goals for their country, but it will be a huge step up from the leagues the play in.

Recent friendly draws against Turkey and Portugal will have given them confidence going in to the tournament, but they are up against it in this group.

Most of the players play in Asia or African leagues, with a handful playing in France. 31 year old Leicester City defender, Yohan Benalouane has only three caps for Tunisia after rejecting call ups previously hoping to earn his way in to the France squad. Born in France he finally accepted a call up for Tunisia this year, and some will not be happy with his inclusion. He is a strong defender however, and is likely to be starting games in central defense.

Only 33 year old goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi has more than 50 caps in the squad, and having made his debut in 2007, it means that every member of the squad will be going to their first ever World Cup.

Star Man - He showed only glimpses of quality at Sunderland, but having scored 11 goals for Rennes this season Wahbi Khazri is the most likely star for Tunisia. He has 12 goals for his country, including a recent winner against Costa Rica in a friendly. His delivery from set pieces will be vital for Tunisia, and he will be relied upon to create chances in open play. This Tunisia team is lacking any real stars, and playing England and Belgium in their first two games, they could be out before they get a chance to beat Panama.


Panama - A national holiday was declared when Panama qualified for their first ever World Cup at the expense of the USA. An 88th minute winner at home to Costa Rica in the final game from 110 times capped defender, Roman Torres gave them third position and a place in Russia. He is one of five players in the squad with more than 100 caps, full of players based in Central and North America.

A lot of the defenders in the squad have struggled for game time at their clubs this season, but one regular has been Adolfo Machado at Houston Dynamo. The 33 year old defender served a two year doping ban from 2012, but with 65 caps for his country he has been a strong central defender in qualifying and in the the MLS.

Only one player in the squad plays in a top level domestic league in Europe, and that is left back Erick Davis. He plays in Slovakia with Dunajska Streda, who finished third in the league this season. With many not being regulars at their clubs, or playing in second tiers, this is for me the poorest squad at the tournament, perhaps along with Saudi Arabia.

They won three out of ten games in qualifying which was enough to see them through, scoring only nine goals, conceding ten. It's an incredibly poor record for a team that qualified automatically and shows how poor the CONCACAF qualifying is.

It will be a great party for them in Russia and their supporters, but they are nowhere near good enough and will be lucky to get a point from their three games.

Star Man - Gabriel Torres is the main striker for Panama, and has had a solid journeyman careers so far. Nine goals in 15 games so far for Huachipato in Chile this season, he has totalled 15 international goals as well. He once had a trial at Manchester United in 2007, but his career has been played on the other side of the Atlantic. He was top scorer at the Gold Cup in 2013, and will be hoping to add to his tally in Russia.



Predictions - This group is probably the easiest to predict given the strengths of England and Belgium over Tunisia and Panama. Also given England meet Belgium last, they both should already have qualified by then. Panama are likely to finish bottom as Tunisia should beat them to claim third spot.

Depending on whether players are rested in the third game, I can see Belgium just having too much for England with the attacking options they have.


What to Bet on - Panama are 15/2 to be the lowest scoring team that the tournament. I don't think they will score any.


World Klutz - In 2010 it was a big chance for Rob Green to earn himself the right to be England goalkeeper for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately in game one versus USA, it didn't quite work out...

This goal resulted in a 1-1 draw for England, who would eventually go out to Germany in the Last 16. Rob Green was subsequently dropped for the following game, and only played one more time for England, two years later. A shocking piece of goalkeeping, one that England will be hoping doesn't happen to whoever is chosen as first choice this year.

The Summer Silly Season

It is that time of year again when contracts are up, players are looking for new clubs and hoping that the phone rings. It is never an easy time, with pre season only a few weeks away and clubs dropping wage bills it means that a lot of players will be left with nothing on the table. Last year after leaving Falkirk I was left with no full time options, so ended up spending all summer waiting before signing for Stirling around the start of August. It turned out to be a good option for me with the chance to play regularly up front, meeting a really good bunch of boys and winning promotion with them. At times it was frustrating, but at the end of the season it was all worthwhile. Now it is up to me to make sure I am not sitting about in July waiting for a contract from someone, and hopefully my form in the last 3 months will help me with that. It certainly doesn't help picking up an injury in the last game of the season, but hopefully potential managers can see passed that and know I'll be fit come pre season.

The Summer Transfer Window 

It is always an exciting part of the football calendar, the Summer window always attracts the biggest signings to the Premier League and the papers are full of rumours. Today I am looking at the 5 rumours that excite me the most for players who might be coming to England for us to watch every week.

5th - Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid - Arsenal). The young striker has shown he could be a real star of the future at Real Madrid, but there are persistent rumours of him moving to Arsenal as he is unlikely to play regularly at the Bernabeu. He was top scorer at the U19 Euros in 2011 and the 2013 U21 Euros with Spain and he would be a great option up front for Arsenal.

4th - Yevhen Konoplyanka (Dnipro- Man Utd/Liverpool/Spurs) The Ukrainian winger seems desperate to move to the Premier League and it would be good to see him. He is a quick creative player with excellent dribbling ability. He would be excellent on the left in the system that those 3 clubs play, and at 24 years old he can only improve.

3rd - Emre Can (Leverkusen - Liverpool) The young German midfielder has been in great form this year in the Bundesliga and he would fit into Liverpool's midfield and be an important player. He is only 20 years old, but he has great composure on the ball, can pass with both feet and is strong in the tackle too. He would be an excellent signing.

2nd - Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid - Chelsea) It is probably just a matter of time before Costa signs for Chelsea, he is the ideal man to lead their attack under Mourinho. He is quick, strong, hard working and a good finisher and will lead the line in the Drogba mould that Mourinho likes. He won't be cheap, but it will be worth it.

1st - Pedro (Barcelona - Arsenal/Liverpool) Pedro is 26 now and should be in the prime of his career, and with his involvement at Barcelona not as much as he would like, he could potentially move the the Premier League. His record at Barcelona is excellent, 52 goals in 169 league appearances, and he has been an important part of a team that has won 4 league titles, 2 Champions League, 2 Spanish Cups and also a World Cup and Euro Championships with Spain. His pace and skill would be great to watch in the Premier League, I hope he comes to Arsenal, he would be a star.

The Weatherston World Cup Preview - Group H

Group H (FIFA Rankings)
Belgium (12)
Russia (18)
South Korea (55)
Algeria (25)

The final group sees the Belgium team that everyone is talking about as a potential surprise package drawn in a group that looks like they should progress comfortably. Russia who promised so much in Euro 2012 will be hoping to improve from that performance and challenge for qualification with Algeria and South Korea both hoping to upset the odds.

Belgium -  They have been talked about so much as surprise packages that it wouldn't be a surprise now if Belgium manage to win the World Cup. It is no surprise that they are being touted when you look at their squad, this is definitely a golden generation for Belgian football, but it will most likely be a similar result to Englands supposed golden generation. They don't seem to lack anything in their squad, but big tournament experience is certainly one thing having not qualified for any of the last 4 major tournaments. They have quality throughout, starting in goals, with Thibaut Courtois looking like the future number 1 goalkeeper in the world. Their back 4 is very strong, with Alderweireld, Kompany, Vertonghen and Vermaelen all having plenty of experience at the top level in European football. Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini provide the strength in midfield which is important for the number of creative players they have. Kevin de Bruyne has been in great form at Wolfsburg this year since his £18m move from Chelsea, while Moussa Dembele and Nacer Chadli both have the skill and quality to unlock a defense. Pace comes in wide areas with Kevin Mirallas and Dries Mertens both extremely direct and good options in the squad. With the injury to Christian Benteke ruling him out of action it means the main man upfront will be Romelu Lukaku who everyone knows from the Premier League as a strong player, is relatively quick and a real handful for defenders. Manager Marc Wilmots will be hoping for big things from this squad, and it should emerge from this group comfortably and be in with a shout.
Key Man - Eden Hazard might not be Mourinho's favourite player, but he is one of the best in the world in my opinion. His close control is frightening, he has an ability to get past defenders so easily, has unbelievable acceleration and can score goals. He is very difficult to keep out of a game as he always wants the ball, he could be a real star this Summer.

Russia - Russia qualified well by beating Portugal in their group, and manager Fabio Capello will be hoping to go further than the Last 16 that he managed with England in 2010. The squad is based entirely of home based players, except Denis Cheryshev of Sevilla, who is quite likely not make the final 23. The spine of the team has a lot of experience with goalkeeper Akinfeev, defenders Ignashevich and Berezutski, midfielder and captain Roman Shirokov, and striker Kerzhakov having over 350 caps between them. They played some great football in Euro 2012, but they lost games they shouldn't have due to lack of goals. They will need Kerzhakov to be on form and Aleksandr Kokorin will have to chip in alongside him. The advantage of a home based team is they all know each other well, will have a good understanding and also they are mid season, so will be as fit as any team. The conditions would have affected them more if they were playing in the North, but only the game in Cuiaba will potentially be a problem for them, which is their first game against South Korea, so the players should cope fine. They have enough quality from players in midfield like Fayzulin, Zhirkov, Shatov and Denisov to cause problems, so they will be battling it out for qualification from this group with Belgium and South Korea in my opinion.
Key Man - Alan Dzagoev is 23 now and should be making his name on the big stage. He showed at the Euros that he has great ability on the ball, can spot a pass and also has an eye for goal. His 3 goals at the tournament was enough to be joint top scorer, and he will be hoping this time his goals can take his team past the group stages.

South Korea -  The Koreans made it to the last 16 in 2010 before being beaten by Uruguay, but they struggled in qualifying this time, just edging out Uzbekistan into second place behind Iran, who they lost to twice. Their squad consists of 9 players based in Europe, and the rest playing in Asia, and their is noticeable difference in quality between their best players and weaker players. Unless you know your Korean players, not many names are recognisable, but one that has been impressive in the Premiership this season is Kim Bo-Kyung of Cardiff. The 24 year old is very comfortable on the ball in attacking midfield and can create chances with his quick feet. Up front, Sunderland reject, but new Dortmund signing, Ji Dong-Won has obviously impressed Jurgen Klopp enough to sign him this summer. His lack of bravery in going for a header led Paulo Di Canio to letting him go but he must have quality. Arsenal striker (yes he is still there) Park Chu-Young has been a top player for Korea, amassing 24 goals in 63 appearances, so he will be hoping a season spent in the reserves hasn't hindered his sharpness. In central midfield Ki Sung-Yueng of Swansea looks like a quality player at times, but perhaps lacks a little bit of work ethic. There is no doubt he has a great touch, great composure on the ball and can see a pass, so with the hard working Korean team around him, he could blossom and provide them with a really good base to start attacks.
Key Man - Son Heung-Min of Bayer Leverkusen is only 21, but he already has 24 caps, and is a star player in the Bundesliga. Anyone who watches German football will know how good this forward is. He is both footed, quick and has an eye for goal, scoring 12 goals for Leverkusen this season as a second striker behind Kiesling. I think he is a quality young player, and I am sure he will have a good tournament. He has been linked with a move to the Premiership this summer, with Liverpool a potential destination, a definite star of the future, if not already.

Algeria - Algeria beat Burkina Faso on away goals to qualify for this World Cup and will go in as big outsiders. They managed a drew with England last time out (their only point) but they will do well to get any points this time. In their previous 3 attempts they are yet to get out a group, although controversially in 1982 they lost out to Austria and West Germany as they played out a convenient 1-0 win for the Germans as the BBC reported here. They don't boast many recognisable names either, but free agent, and former Rangers man, Madjid Bougherra is the captain and main defender. Most of their players are playing around Europe, with strikers Islam Slimani (Sporting Lisbon) and El Arbi Hillel Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb) both boasting a goal every other game for their country. Nabil Bentaleb who broke through at Spurs this season is a recent call up, and made his debut last time out in a friendly win over Slovenia. He is tidy on the ball, but doesn't seem to go forward very often and lacks a killer pass. At 19 however he can only get better.
Key Man - Sofiane Feghouli is the one player that is a genuine star of Algeria. He is a regular for Valencia in La Liga, and he is one of their top players too. He is quick, great on the ball and is a very good creative player who will set up a lot of chances for his strikers. It will be tough for him to show how good he is in this team, but if he can get plenty of the ball he can cause trouble for opposition defences.

Teams to Progress - Belgium and Russia

As this is the final group of the preview, I will be doing one more before the tournament starts next week consisting of predictions for winners, top scorers and best young players.

Rudi Voller points out the unwelcome addition to his perm

World Cuts

The second last World Cuts isn't an easy one to decide, but I have gone back to 1990 for this one, and it is not a good one either. Rudi Voller had a terrible perm/mullet combination, but in 1990 it became even worse. When Frank Rijkaard spat in his hair he reacted and they were both sent off, then as Rijkaard ran off, he did it again. Probably the most disgusting thing you will see on a football pitch, but Rudi Voller became the first and last man to have better hair due to spit dangling out of it.