Who will win the world cup?

It’s the defence that’s the big worry, the lack of creativity in centre mid can be worked around tactically but you can’t help but look at our centre half’s and not think we are going to be vulnerable up against the better sides.

I'm not so sure....Stones & Walker have just been part of (arguably) the most dominant side in Premier League history. We've a number of capable full backs. And I think Harry Maguire is a player with bags of potential.

I really do think that central midfield is the big issue. You want your players to be either supremely skillful, athletic or physically imposing. So they're either the creative hub of your team, or at very least they're massively disruptive and impossible to play through.

Dier and Henderson are none of those things - they're tidy and efficient, and would work well if you paired them alongside a creative wizard (e.g. Iniesta), a defensive pest (e.g. Kante) or a freak of athleticism (e.g. Pogba) but together, they're just thoroughly blah.

For what it's worth, this is also the reason why I don't Belgium will (or ever do) win - they've all the forward talent in the world, and some mean defenders, but they're going to be rolling out the likes of Dembele, Witsel and Fellaini in CM, and that's just not enough in the most important part of the pitch.
 
I'm not so sure....Stones & Walker have just been part of (arguably) the most dominant side in Premier League history. We've a number of capable full backs. And I think Harry Maguire is a player with bags of potential.

I really do think that central midfield is the big issue. You want your players to be either supremely skillful, athletic or physically imposing. So they're either the creative hub of your team, or at very least they're massively disruptive and impossible to play through.

Dier and Henderson are none of those things - they're tidy and efficient, and would work well if you paired them alongside a creative wizard (e.g. Iniesta), a defensive pest (e.g. Kante) or a freak of athleticism (e.g. Pogba) but together, they're just thoroughly blah.

For what it's worth, this is also the reason why I don't Belgium will (or ever do) win - they've all the forward talent in the world, and some mean defenders, but they're going to be rolling out the likes of Dembele, Witsel and Fellaini in CM, and that's just not enough in the most important part of the pitch.

Dembele is decent, the Belgian lad who plays for Roma is good if unspellable and Kevin De Bruyne was the best creative centre midfielder in the world last season, so not certain I would go along with Belgium struggling there.

Henderson, a player I have never been a big fan of, has not held Liverpool back in the champions league while being a regular alongside James Milner in a not exactly inspiring midfield two, so tactically you obviously can have two plain workhorse CM’s if you have an attack with quality. Personally I would prefer giving Delph a run alongside Henderson over Dier myself but I doubt Southgate will do that.
 
Dembele is decent, the Belgian lad who plays for Roma is good if unspellable and Kevin De Bruyne was the best creative centre midfielder in the world last season, so not certain I would go along with Belgium struggling there.

The problem with Belgium is that, no matter how talented their individuals, the team is less than the sum of its parts. They will go through probably top on goal difference after a draw with England in the final game, then give someone a pasting in the second round or QF, then everything will fall apart against a well marshalled team. At least they shouldn't bore us all to death like under Wilmots.
 
Probably the Germans again. One thing for sure is Scotland will never win the world cup!
 
Was looking at the betting to win outright and just can't decide who to back!
 
Was looking at the betting to win outright and just can't decide who to back!

Way I see it, there's three teams that look to be the strong favourites in that they've got the players, and they've got the pedigree - Brazil, Germany & France. Wouldn't be surprised to see any of them lift the trophy; best odds for any one of those three is France.

Spain's golden generation are getting old, and their younger players are more limited. Argentina are hugely unbalanced. Belgium never show up when the pressure goes on. Wouldn't want to back any of those.....don't think you're getting value.

And then everyone else is an outsider.....and whilst that's sometimes worth a shot in the Euros, the last (and only) time there was anything resembling a shock winner of the World Cup was 1950!
 
Spain for me.

Best Goalkeeper in the world. Best CB parternship. Got players who have won it before and have the know how.

Only slight worry is a lack of a world class striker.

Also no one is talking about then which I think helps.
 
Short memories. There wasn’t much crap about the last World Cup in Brazil.

Spain 1 Netherlands 5, Brazil 1 Germany 7, the performances of Colombia and James Rodriguez, Costa Rica punching above their weight, Suarez getting his teeth into opponents again. Lots of memorable moments. Fans seem to judge World Cups based on England’s performance hence the misty-eyed opinion of the 1990 World Cup which was a turgid affair. I’ll agree that 2006 and 2010 weren’t the most memorable though.

...from an English point of view. We Italians loved '06!
 
In terms of goals per game, 2016 was up there with 1994 as the most in recent years (well, since 1982 - before that, there were a lot more goals!) at around 2.7.

The three worst - 2006 (2.3), 2010 (2.23) and bringing up the rear 1990 (2.21). Although we have fond English memories of Gazza and Nessun Dorma, the 1990 competition was so dull it led to the introduction of the backpass rule!

By contrast, and further to Unification's point, 1994 was a great competition - other than the final - even though we weren't there. Bulgaria with Stoichkov, Letchkov and the Wolf Man; Sweden with Brolin & Dahlin; Baggio, Romario, Saaed Al-Owairian, Houghton beating Italy.....happy memories!
 
The wolf man was Trifon Ivanov I believe. He also died in 2016 from a heart attack.
 
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Made me want to spew but just done the argies EW at 9/1
 
Have any of the South American nations ever won the World Cup, when the host nation has been European...
 
I honestly can’t remember when a South American nation won the World Cup in Europe.
 
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