World Cup draw Russia 2018

With the dust settling on FIFA´s World cup draw, it´s time I gave my two cents. The draw, held in Moscow, was headlined by stars such as Gary Lineker and the icon that is Diego Maradona with the eyes of the world watching. Once the speeches were given by Putin, Infantino and the dancing stopped, we finally found out who´s playing who.

My initial reaction, from the perspective of an England supporter, was that the draw was very favourable to us. Although we have to play Belgium, who undoubtebly have some brilliant players we are all familiar with; such as Chelsea´s Eden Hazard and Spurs´ever consistent Moussa Dembele, not to mention the magician De Bruyne, from past showings they do not perform well on the big stage and mirror England´s disappointing showings despite a pool of talent. For me, even if we assume England get nothing from the Belgium game in Kaliningrad, surely we will offer enough against Tunisia and newcomers Panama to progress. My prediction is for england to finish the group comfortably in second position and qualify to the next round. Beyond that, I feel England could get to the quarter finals but I can´t see the three lions going beyond this stage given the inexperience of the squad and the comparative quality of potential opponents. My pessimism, of course, comes from England´s historical failures throughtout my lifetime. From penalties in ´98 to the darkest hour in English football history against Iceland, I am, to put it lightly, not filled with optimism.

My reservations start with manager Gareth Southgate, who for me is a pawn of the FA and essentially a politically correct “yes man”. I would much prefer Allardyce to be drilling the defence and kicking the pre-madonnas into shape. However, the FA made their decision and now we have to see where the latest managerial reshuffle takes us.

For me, it´s too early to list my preferred England squad for the tournament because form could change, not to mention the injuries that could arise. However, based on what I have seen this season, I am going to share my starting XI, although it is probable that it will change come June.

GK: Pickford. Despite Everton´s shortcomings this season I feel Pickford is the best choice for the number one shirt because he is a great shot stopper and has decent distribution. I feel he offers more than the inconsistent Hart, but perhaps Butland would be unlucky to miss out on being the number one too.

LB: Rose. Despite being injured and only recently returning to action for Spurs, I think Rose offers the energy required to compete against the world´s best sides. All great teams seem to have active full-backs and Rose fits the bill with his great work rate both forwards and backwards. Offerring support to our wingers and creating space is crucial and I feel Rose is the best available.

CB: Jones. Possibly a controversial inclusion amongst some segments of the England support, but I feel, when fit, Jones adds the grit and fight we see England lack on so many occasions. His displays from United this season have shown what he adds and I feel with the regemented defensive structure José has no doubt instilled in him, he would be a good option for us.

CB: Stones. Manchester City´s impressive defensive record this season perhaps shows how Pep has coached Stones into being a more well-rounded professional and more solid than we have seen in previous seasons. Stones, as is well documented, can play out from the back and I feel his finesse paired with Jones´grit would be a well balanced and complimentary combination which would help England to launch attacking moves and retain possession in crucial periods of games.

RB: Walker. Kyle has been a permenant fixture in Pep´s side and has demonstrated how he can fly up the line and help to create chances. For similiar reasons to Rose, I feel Walker has enough to defend primarily and to be a cause for concern for opposition because of his blistering pace and his attacking threat.

CM: Winks. A young player who has played with such maturity in acid test games against Real Madrid. His composure would be welcomed in the England set up and I would back him to start given his displays in Europe this term.

CM: Dier. In the same vein as my Jones and Stones pairing, I think the midfield is all about balance. Winks would get things ticking and Dier would be there to break play up. His aggression would ruffle a few feathers and I feel every balanced side has at least one midfielder dedicated to breaking the play up and protecting the centre backs.

CAM: Alli. Despite not quite yet hitting the heights of last season, Alli provides creativity in midfield and has great chemistry with Spurs team-mate Kane. He has proven consistently over the last few seasons his worth, and he would definitely be a worry for any opponents. However, he must carry himself more maturely and not get dragged into confrontation, or we could be instore for another Rooney-Ronaldo style incident at a major tournament.

LW: Rashford. For me the most exciting young english player at the moment, Rashford has to start and be deployed where José has often played him this season. His pace, skill and directness would add an edge to England´s attack and I´m sure he would get amongst the goals.

RW: Sterling. Raheem has been flying this season under the stewardship of Guardiola and he merits his inclusion in the side. He has added more goals to his game and could go both inside to shoot or outside to supply crosses. With Walker overlapping on the outside, I feel he would help to commit defenders and stretch defences; therefore making space for others to score.

ST: Kane. England´s best player Kane is an obvious inclusion. His goal record speaks for itself and with Alli, Rashford and Sterling supplying him I´m sure he would net a few. In Europe he has proved he can mix it at the highest level, just don´t let him near set set pieces this time! For me Kane is best in and around the 18 yard box causing problems.

Shifting the focus away from England, there was no real “group of death” this time round. Spain – Portugal, the Iberian derby, will be an interesting affair but the juicier ties will come in the knockout phase. With the draw quite balanced, I feel all the big dogs will progress and we could be set for some great knockout football. My tip for this tournament is France, Euro 2016 runners-up, who have ridiculous squad depth and some hard hitters up top such as Griezmann and young Mbappé. However, they are prone to camp bust ups and collapse, so I would also tip the ever efficient Germans to go far, as well as Messi´s Argentina, as he is still on the hunt for the final trophy alluding him, after coming so close in Brazil.

The groups in full: 

• Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay
• Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran
• Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark
• Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
• Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
• Group F: Germany, Sweden, Mexico, South Korea
• Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England
• Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan