Bet on World Cup

Kammy here, Well it was another fantastic day yesterday when England beat Trinidad and Tobago with the England fans again proving that they really are the best in the world.

There were something like 70,000 fans who couldn’t even get into the stadium and the vast majority were very well behaved which is a great credit to them. The fans really deserve World Cup success, but unfortunately the team isn’t giving them too much to cheer at the moment. Fair enough it’s two wins from two games, but England haven’t been that convincing yet.

Tactically, Trinidad and Tobago were always going to play a lone striker and pack the midfield so the onus was really on England to get some width into their game but it didn’t happen. The two wide players, David Beckham and Joe Cole, both like to cut inside so things get narrowed down in the centre of the pitch. In fact, we struggled down the flanks until Wayne Rooney came on and one of his first touches was to set Ashley Cole off down the left which at last gave us some width.

Talking about Rooney, it was one of those ‘hairs on the back of the neck’ moments when the England fans began calling for the Manchester United man to be introduced to the game. It was a brave decision to put Rooney on at the expense of Michael Owen rather than Peter Crouch, and also to push Beckham to right full-back, so Sven Goran Eriksson did eventually make some inspired changes and a win is a win. Hopefully we can now avoid the Germans in the next round.

With Rooney now back Eriksson has some tough choices to make but I think he should partner him with Owen. It’s tough on Peter Crouch but we’re too one-dimensional with the Liverpool striker in the side and you can’t win a World Cup playing that direct. Crouchy isn’t even that good in the air, especially with his back to goal, although he is better coming on to the ball as we saw with his goal. Owen struggles to pick up the pieces when we lump it up to Crouch and he plays better with Rooney. Aaron Lennon is also a good foil for Owen because he has the pace to get down the wing and put the sort of ball in that the Newcastle man thrives on. So, all in all, there are a few things for Eriksson to think about for the Sweden game.

I just hope the England coaching team take on board everything we’ve seen because we simply need to improve. Rooney did enough to suggest he’s fit again although it is hard to change a game in 20 minutes. I’ve always thought Steven Gerrard should anchor the midfield but I admit I got that one wrong because it’s been proven that it doesn’t work. Gerrard is okay doing that job but going forward he is a world-class player and we aren’t playing to his strengths.

Looking at today’s games and I’ve been impressed with Argentina and their striker Hernan Crespo so I’m taking them to beat Serbia and Montenegro. Holland should be too strong for Ivory Coast and Mexico will be too strong for Angola.

Crespo is such a predatory striker at this level and is a good bet for the opening goal, while Riquelme has really impressed me as well with the way he pulls the strings in midfield.

Ivory Coast are an athletic side but they may struggle to get out of this ‘Group of Death’. Holland should be too strong for them with Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy providing the attacking threat for the Dutch. Mexico’s fans have really lit up the tournament and I reckon Jose Francisco Fonseca is a good bet to break the deadlock against Angola, with the Mexicans going on to book their place in the second round.

That’s all for now, I’ll have more tomorrow.