It’s about time that I started a new page on here and what better topic than the 2010 World Cup. Seeing the draw yesterday has got me all excited for that easy passage through the group stages followed by a nice good second round win and a cruel penalty shoot-out exit in the last 8 :-)

Seriously though, it is a good draw for England and with the greatest respect to the other teams, I would be surprised at this stage if we fail to top that group.

USA, Algeria and Slovenia will not be easy opponents but England should come through that group. I love this stage of the tournament where everyone starts plotting how groups are going to turn out and who will play who in the last 16 and the last 8 and history tells us that it never turns out that way :-)

Still though, it is immense fun and I love it and yes……I will be having my special World Cup wall chart……can’t break the habit of a lifetime. Group A to me looks fascinating and France have just not been playing at the level that they were whilst being under Domenech. In fact I have even heard some pundits call him France’s version of Steve McClaren…….hardly…..Domemech at least got France qualified even though it was through the hand of Henry.

South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay will be their opponents and that will prove tough as Mexico always seem to do reasonably well in World Cups. The South African’s with the entire country behind them will be tougher than what they normally would be and they have had some poor results of late.

This could be the first time in ages that a host nation has failed to qualify from the group and even the USA in 1994 qualified although it was as a best 3rd place finisher which isn’t part of the format in 2010 thankfully.

But lets not write them off just yet although it is a very tough group for them and let us not forget that France were within a whisker of not even being there at all. Actually this group and the one including Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and Korea will be the two most fascinating groups of the lot.

I think that I will research on various football sites, such as Footbetting.co.uk, to start my World Cup group predictions although trying to find the 1st and 2nd in a series of only three matches is very tough…..will not stop me from trying though :-)

see you soon

Carl