I reckon we should have a separate thread to discuss all things world cup.

England Provisional 30-man squad:

Rob Green, David James, Joe Hart

Glen Johnson, John Terry, Michael Dawson, Ledley King, Jamie Carragher, Matthew Upson, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Stephen Warnock

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon, Steven Gerrard, Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, James Milner, Joe Cole, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott

Wayne Rooney, Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey, Jermaine Defoe

Discuss ...

The seven I'd drop from 30 would be Dawson, Upson, Warnock, Huddlestone, Parker (or Barry if he isn't fit), Wright Phillips and Adam Johnson.

Wouldn't of picked Carragher at all, think it's wrong what he's done, just coming out of retirement for the World Cup, but you need cover for right back in the 23.

Starting XI

1 Hart

2 G. Johnson
5 Ferdinand
6 Terry
3 A. Cole

7 Milner
4 Lampard
8 Barry
11 Gerrard

9 Rooney
10 Heskey

Think the best England can hope for is the semi finals. Spain, Brazil and Argentina are all better sides, Germany always do well in the tournaments and France have good players all over the pitch. Holland and Italy still have a few dangerous players, but semis should be the aim.

World Cup squad news:
-France leave out Nasri, Vieira and Benzema.
-Argentina leave out Cambiasso, Gago, Zanetti and Lucho Gonzalez.
-Germany leave out Kuranyi.
-Holland leave out van Nistelrooy and Seedorf.
-Ghana select Essien.
-Italy leave out Totti, Luca Toni, and Del Piero.
-Brazil leave out Adriano, Ronaldinho and Alex.
-Spain select Fabregas and Torres.
Discuss ...

Argentina must have some squad to leave out Cambiasso. They will either go all the way or crash and burn in the last sixteen, will depend how Maradona sets the side out.

Germany will be their usual efficient selves, probably get to the semi finals.

Italy will be tough to beat but are an old squad....Quarter finals.

France,England and Holland no strength in depth outside the 1st choice 11....Quarter finals.

Dark horses for me are Serbia,or Cameroon.

Brazil and Spain have my money

I can see Ivory Coast doing well. They may be in the group of death with Brazil and Portugal but I can see them upsetting Portugal and then making the quarter finals after that. With Kalou, Drogba and The Toures they have the talent.

But they have got Fabricio Coloccini who, last time I noticed, was getting ragged by Nicky Maynard.

Looking at that squad, Maradona has clearly lost however much of "the plot" he had left.

Brazil or Germany to win the World Cup.

For South America team coverage click [url=http://conmeballs.blogspot.comhere[/url

For European team coverage click [url=http://euroballs.blogspot.comhere[/url

Ta.

I've got Serbia, obviously, at the bookies.



In the second round, if England win their group they will likely face Serbia, who will hopefully get 2nd behind the Germans.

Everyone is usually second behind the Germans.

Group D with Serbia, Australia, Ghana and Germany in it looks a great group in my opinion. All 4 are capable of going through with some great players on show.

I take it all back just seen the Argentina squad



No G.Milito, 7 strikers?,..Bet Maradona starts with Palermo as well



My crash & burn comment looks more likely.

Don't think Carragher even remotely warrants a call-up, never mind what sort of message it sends out to let him come straight back from the wilderness into a world cup squad. Would cut: Carragher, Upson, Warnock, Wright-Phillips, Cole, Walcott and Carrick or Huddlestone. Unsure which way I'd go on the last, Carrick has the previous pedigree, but Huddlestone has the better form by far.

I agree with you there mate. Their midfield is dire, players like Veron and Gutierrez have been selected over Cambiasso. What is Maradona playing at ?!

If Carragher and Walcott are in the final squad then I think I'm going to have to transfer my half-ar5ed support of England to someone else.

I don't know which would be the more ridiculous. Picking a player who's had a poor season, after turning his back on the England team. Or picking a player for the second successive WC without him doing the slightest thing to deserve either of the call ups.

But, but, Walcott's fast and defenders hate playing against pace!

Seriously though, I'm with you on this. He offers far too little for the international game, it doesn't matter how much pundits bang on about his speed when his end product is so hit and miss. Besides, Lennon is quicker and has much more reliable delivery these days.

But but but he scored a hat-trick against Croatia...and there's no Becksy-Wecksy for the right-hand side...he's fast...he plays for Arsene's "young" team so must be a genius...and and and...

People forget how young he still is, you know.

England are not going to get near winning the world cup. Quarter finals at best.

One of spain germany or brazil to win it for mine with suprise package ivory coast in the semi's.

England are no different now to what they were under sven. We may have a manger with spine but performance against the top teams are the same - we get passed off the park. We have improved under capello because McClaren was before him.

Our squad now is worse than under sven. All our best players are getting older, the only one in his prime is rooney and he's carrying injuries into the world cup.

For the last 12 years at major tournaments beckham has been on our main sources of goals. From free kicks and his delivery. Now we have no beckham.

We'll go out in the quarters, and don't be suprised if it's penalties again.

We'll win it. You'll see.

Sorry, which top team passed us off the park under Capello? The only bad defeat I recall was against Spain last year. Jagielka, Wright Phillips, Carrick, Heskey and Downing all started that game. No Rooney, Ferdinand, Gerrard or Lampard. I'd hope that with 5 improved players in their places we would at least give it a go against Spain,who incidentally are the best team in the world at this time.

I would definitelylike to see more evidence of these top teams passing us off the park as well when you're ready.

Germany's problem will be goals. Their best striker, Kevin Kuranyi, will never play for the national side whilst Joachim Loew is in charge and the rest are average at best. They won't concede many but if they're relying on Mario Gomez to lead the line, they've got no chance.

Any talk of any major nation having 'no chance' is ridiculous. If Italy won it last time with the pathetic performances they made through the tourny (the second round vs the australlians) then any of France, Germany, Holland, England, Italy etc etc can win.

England have as good a chance as anyone else in it imho but we NEED luck (for a change)

I see your point,a great striker is a must if you have any chance of getting close to winning it,mind you France managed it in 1998.

But the German's still have Miroslav Klose to call on,and a very strong midfield with goals in them...Ballack,Podolski Schweinsteiger and Ortzil(who could be the best young player in the tournement)

Ballack is out of the tournament, I wouldn't be surprised if Germany don't get out of their group now.