Can England win next years World Cup

Many people are saying that the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa next year represent the best chance for years with regards to England being potential winners. But can they overcome years of underachievement to lift the greatest prize in world sport? Fabio Capello is definitely the right man for the job but is it an impossible job? Football betting will also reach its peak next summer with millions of patriotic bets being lumped on the men in white.

The problem with the England football team is one of mentality. Despite the fact that they have the potential, England still have an awful long way to go in my opinion before they can take their rightful place alongside the likes of Spain and Brazil. But then again it is perfectly possible to get to a World Cup Final without being a great side.

One only has to look at Germany in recent years who reached the 2002 final despite having a very ordinary side. A lucky run of games from the group stages all the way to the final against Brazil and that kind of run could happen to England. At the time of writing, the World Cup is only eight months away and I think that it is perfectly obvious that we are not going to be as good as the likes of Brazil and Spain in eight months time.

But that is not what we should be aiming at, we need to be aiming at becoming the best that we can be. Eliminating mistakes and personal errors and getting into a situation where we can beat teams that we are on a par with. The big two (Brazil and Spain) could quite easily be eliminated after a bad or unlucky match as this is a cup competition after all.

We are not the best side in the world and we will not be the best side in the world come next summer. But Italy were not the best team in the world four years ago and Greece were not the best team in Europe when they won Euro 2004. So history tells us that the best teams do not always win the big competitions. If England can build slowly into a team that is as good as the teams just below Spain and Brazil in ability then they have a real chance.

I think that the tough disciplinary measures of Capello are just what England needed, they had life all too easy under Steve McClaren and probably under Sven Goran Eriksson as well. But it is this tendency to switch off at crucial moments and the lack of ability with regards keeping possession that is England’s Achilles heel. Capello though is a watcher and a learner and his is tough enough to drop the big names if they don’t perform.

One only has to remember how he axed David Beckham at Real Madrid to see that he has no favourites. Rio Ferdinand has been making far too many errors lately and if that continues then it is difficult to see him starting in South Africa given Capello’s insistence on always picking players in form.

The draw will be made on December 4th and if England get a good draw then you would have to expect them to make the last eight as a minimum. How much further we are capable of going after that will be in the lap of the gods. But the questions marks remain until England put in a great performance against a top side in a game that really counts.

This article was produced by Carl “The Dean” Sampson