World Cup 2014, Brazil.

It's exactly the same scenario for Italy, is it not!!?

 

The long trip to Maneus (sp) is our first game and is against a European side if anyone is looking for positives. The next two matches are only 200+ miles from England's base. We have a pretty good chance of getting out from this group...and that is the best I am expecting in this World Cup. Experience gained for a few youngsters and any oldster who has worked in a beetroot factory will be good, then move onto the EC.

 

Yeah, but Italy is way much warmer than here. If Italians come from the South, they're used to intense heat. If they come from the North, they're used to high humidity and heat.

Hey, if it happens to be a cold, damp, miserable day England'll have a distinct advantage.

 

Granted. As long as the nasty pitch doesn't hurt Dani or Adam....

 

To be honest, the more I think about it, the less I want our reps going to the World Cup. It'll only screw-up their pre-season and then they could have a crap 2014-15. Totally selfish, I know but then I'm Club first, and if there's anything left in my enthusiasm tank, Country.

 

I would make an exception for Rickie. It would be the climax to his career and he wants it soooooooooo much.

 

Northern Italy isn't that hot, they have a lot more snow in Turin than we ever get, and though the south is warm, it is not at all comparable to the oppressive conditions you get in the tropics. It won't be any easier for them (save for the fact they played there in the confed cup so may have a better appreciation of what to expect).

 

True, even the little Confed cup seems to have had a big impact on Gaston and Maya. Most would have expected Maya to start the season over Fonte, if he wasn't so late joining up.

 

Maybe get the groundstaff from St Marys out to show them how its done. The surfaces in some of the smaller stadiums could be a deciding factor with teams like Spain struggling to play their type of football. Friends of mine are going by river from Colombia, there is no road system or rail service so the only other option is to fly, which fan is going to to all that trouble? It is a pretty dumb place to play just one game

 

Interesting article which makes the point that we could have been seeded for the WC and had a much easier fixture list if we had NOT played any of the friendlies.

http://www.theguardian.com/football...-seeded-switzerland-world-cup-draw-friendlies

Would not have liked to cancel our lads debuts, but the planning of the FA is risible.

 

Croatia also plays in Manaus, against Cameroon. For them it will be like playing at home. And not to mention we were drawn into the worst possible position in the schedule, A2.

So it could be much worse for England.

 

You'd never know it from our press!

 

And if you get through all of that in the top two, it's probably gonna be Spain or Netherlands in the next round.

 

Remember this when the summer comes around: I bet you Chile qualify from that group and the Netherlands don't.

 

At least Croatia are surely the second-best team in that group.

 

That group is the group of death not England's.

 

England could have been in a far worse situation. Italy play all their games in very hot and humid conditions for example. I think England will win the group.

 

Poor Netherlands. Always seem to get the group of death.