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Ved Birdi

It is no open secret that this World Cup has had it’s fair share of controversies, but as we get closer to its opening day, the more the nation and FIFA are exposed for an array of reasons. Let’s dive into this cesspool of corruption, fixture congestion and poor working conditions.

In this post, you’ll Read about the problem with Qatar 2022
Corruption
Winter world cup and Climate
Injuries to players
Migrant workers and stadiums
Social concerns
Environmental concerns
Paid Fans

Corruption

Countries have been throwing allegations at Qatar for buying votes to gain support for their bid to host the World Cup. All of this was just speculation until the ex-president of FIFA, who awarded Qatar the World Cup, openly admitted that it was a mistake to select Qatar 2022 as hosts for the World Cup. Blatter himself lost his post as president for corruption scandals, and when you look back at it all, corruption and the Qatar 2022 world cup can be presumed to be linked.

Qatar 2022

Winter world cup and Climate

This is the first time in history that a world cup is being played during the winter months due to the extreme weather conditions in Qatar during the summer, making it impossible for players to play in the scorching heat. Due to this, the World Cup is being played in between football seasons around the world, where there is only a week’s break before and after the World Cup. This has caused minimal rest days for players and no time to prepare for the tournament. This has also made the World Cup a very short tournament in terms of days, with teams like Portugal getting only 7 rest days between their first game and the final.

Injuries to players

The winter World Cup has forced domestic leagues to have extremely congested fixtures, leading to players playing games every few days. Starting the season early has reduced the rest time for players between seasons as well. A lot of players whom the world wants to see will miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in the tournament of their dreams. Loads of teams are affected by these absentee players, which will change the outcome of the World Cup for them. Some notable players who will miss the World Cup are Mane, Jota, Reus, Reece, Chilwell, Kante, Pogba, Werner, Nkunku, and Kimpembe.

Migrant workers and stadiums

Qatar 2022, being traditionally a non-football-playing nation, lacked the infrastructure to host a world cup. This led them to hire migrant workers, who served as cheap labor to construct the stadiums. Most of these workers were from South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. The conditions of stay and work have been very questionable, with many workers dying during the construction of the stadiums, with the deaths being underreported. Some reports say as many as 6,500 workers have died during the construction of the stadiums. The workers reported that they were giving very poor accommodations and were underpaid or not paid in full. The workers submitted their passports before starting their work and are alleged to have been exploited until they completed their work to receive their passports. Further allegations were made that the workers had to sign false statements to say that they had been paid in full to retrieve their passports. This led to outcries around the world, calling it slavery and asking for a call to action to boycott the World Cup. On November 5, 2022, Gianni Infantino and Fatma Samoura sent out a letter to all participating nations, telling them to cease and avoid any further or current discussion of Qatar’s poor human rights records, to “respect all opinions and beliefs without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the world” and to “focus on the football” so as to “not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists”. 

On September 28, 2022, Danish sportswear company Hummel unveiled Denmark’s “toned down” kits for the tournament in protest of Qatar’s human rights record. One of these kits includes a black alternate kit that represents “the colour of mourning”, which references the dispute between Hummel and World Cup organisers in Qatar in which Hummel claimed that thousands of migrant workers died during the construction of the venues

Qatar 2022

Social concerns

Qatar has very stringent policies on lgbtq, drinking, and clothing. Anyone engaging in sexual activity in the LGBTQ community could be detained and jailed. Captains have been advised not to wear rainbow armbands. Anyone wearing ‘indecent clothing’ or seen taking off their shirts could be detained and sent back to their countries.Drinking will be restricted to only drinking zones, with alcohol being expensive in these zones. Any form of public drinking will be deemed illegal. This has again led to fans asking to cancel the World Cup.

Environmental concerns

There are growing concerns about high carbon emissions due to all the stadiums being air-conditioned. Even though they are all fitted with solar panels, energy waste and carbon emissions will be through the roof.By some estimates, the World Cup is going to cost Qatar in 2022 approximately £138 billion (US$220 billion). This is about 60 times the $3.5 billion that South Africa spent on the 2010 World Cup.

Qatar 2022 has been accused of having paid fans to pretend to be supporters from different countries. This has been looked at as a PR stunt to make it seem like the World Cup is in full flow.

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Africa, the land of creation and the birthplace of all living creatures as we know them today. Any amount of praise is too little for this continent, but the same cannot be said for their footballing prowess. There are 5 teams from Africa participating in Qatar, namely Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon, and Ghana. Let’s look at these teams and see how they can make their countries and their continent proud.

In this post, you’ll Read about The African Lions AT World Cup
Senegal
Tunisa
Morocco
Cameroon
Ghana

Senegal

Senegal is probably the strongest team from Africa this year and is also the current AFCON champion. Senegal has a very strong side on paper, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Irdissa Gueye, and Isamialla Sarr, who bring to the team a great deal of European experience. This will be the nation’s third World Cup finals tournament, with their best performance coming from a 7th place finish in 2002. They also participated in the 2018 World Cup. Senegal have built a team from the ground up and can challenge to be one of the strongest dark horses in the tournament. The team is expected to finish 2nd in their group and could go on to do well in the knockout stages. Sadio Mane is in excellent form and will play a key role to the team’s success.

Aliou Cisse 'optimistic' over Sadio Mane fitness: Senegal's 2022 World Cup squad announced

Tunisa

The Eagles of Carthage have qualified for 5 World Cups (WC) in the past and were also a part of the 2018 World Cup. Tunisia topped their qualifying group with ease, netting 11 goals and conceding only two. Wahbi Khazri is their leading goal scorer and had scored at the previous World Cup, making him a goal scoring threat for the side. Hannibal Mejbri is the 21-year-old surprise package for the nation, who has emerged from the Manchester United academy. Tunisia is predicted to finish 3rd in their group behind Denmark and France,but theyt have the potential to cause an upset with any one of these teams and go on to the knockout stages for the first time in their history.

Tunisia World Cup 2022 squad: Final 26-man team announced | FourFourTwo

Morocco

Morocco is a country in the Northern part of Africa and is known on the continent for its footballing strengths. This will be the nation’s 6th World Cup, with their highest finish being the round of 16 in 1984. They had also qualified for the 2018 World Cup, but it was a poor showing from them, finishing 27th. This time around, they are in an extremely difficult group with Canada, Croatia, and Belgium and will most likely finish third. Their match against Croatia will be an important one, as both teams have excellent players head-to-head. The Moroccan players bring a wealth of experience to the squad, with almost all of their players playing in the top leagues of Europe, some of whom are even playing in their Champions League. Some very notable players who will make a difference to the squad are Bounou, Hakimi, Mazraoui, Saiss, Amrabat, En-Neysri and Boufal.

African lion at this World Cup

Cameroon

Cameroon is a nation that is synonymous with football in West africa. Samuel Eto’o is one of the players responsible for shining a light on this nation in the past. This will be the country’s 8th world cup, the most by any team on the list. They also hold the record for the 2nd most AFCON titles with 5. Their recent form also looks good, with them winning 5 out of 6 WC qualifiers, scoring 12 and conceding only 3. The nation also finished in 3rd place in the AFCOn, showing positive signs for the world cup. Although they did not qualify for the 2018 world cup, the team became famous for Alex Song’s red card at the 2014 WC after punching Crotia’s Mario Mandzukic, going to finish dead last in the tournament. The team is gifted in an excellent shot stopper in Andre Onana and has great attacking prospects with Ekanji, Mbuemo and Choupo-Moting. The team has a balanced midfield and defense with players who play around the world in top leagues. Cameroon is in a very open group at the world cup with Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland. With Brazil expected to top the group, the fight for second place is wide open, and it will be interesting to see the three teams battle it out on level grounds.

CAN 2022: Choupo-Moting, le chouchou des Camerounais et au-delà

Ghana

Popularly known as the black stars, the Ghanian team has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the course of its footballing history. With 4 Afcon titles, it is the team that holds the 3rd most titles, and having qualified 8 times for the world cup but withdrawing 4 times has shown how strong the nation is but not free of its own problems. The team became famous for its loss against Uruguay in the quarter finals of the 2010 world cup, after Gyan missed a penalty given after Luis Suarez’s hand of God incident, shattering the hopes and dreams of the entire continent as the only team from Africa left in the South African World cup. After that, the team struggled at the 2014 world cup and went into a state of decline, and has risen again to qualify for this year’s WC. Ghana goes into the world cup with mixed form, struggling in the AFCON group stage and doing reasonably well at the WC qualifiers. The team again has players in great form, playing in top leagues in Europe with notable players such as Tareeq Lamptey, Salisu, Baba Rahman, Amartey, Partey, Kudus, Inaki Williams, and the Ayew brothers, most of whom are in the prime of their careers. Their group, like Cameroon’s, is wide open for second place, with Portugal expected to qualify in first. The team should make easy work of Korea, and their biggest test will be Uruguay; beating them will ensure a spot in the Round of 16.

Ghana World Cup 2022 squad: Otto Addo announces final 26-man team | FourFourTwo

Though the African teams had struggled at the previous World Cup, this time around could be different with so many in form players and so many groups open for the taking. We expect at least 2 teams to go through to the knockout stages, with Senegal being the biggest threat for the continent. The Africans bring a sense of flare, speed, and flamboyance, which will be a treat to watch. Keep an eye out for these teams, as they will be the biggest surprise packages of the world cup.

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Introduction

Germany, one of the most feared teams in the history of football. The team that makes you feel like you are up against machines, completely unforgiving to anything that comes in their way The Germans have always been relentless and have an excellent record in the knockout stages of the World Cup as well as in penalties. So, is this finally the time the German’s equal the Brazilians for the total number of World Cups, or will they have to wait another 4 years?

In this post, you’ll Read about
History of Germany at the world cup
Manager Profile
Tactical analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
World Cup Path

History of Germany at the world cup

Germany has the second most World Cup (WC) appearances and the second  greatest number of titles, with 4 championships. Their most recent one came in 2014 in Brazil, where they destroyed every team, they faced. Their first one came in 1954, and subsequently they have also finished in 2nd place 4 times and in 3rd place four times as well, showing their pedigree on the biggest stage of world football.

Manager Profile

Hansi Flick is the German manager, taking over from Low in 2021, the season after winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich. Flick has great coaching experience dating back to 1996, he has also been an assistant coach for Germany from 2006–2014, understanding the demands of international football.

Tactical analysis

Flick has chosen to alternate with the 4-2-3-1 and the 3-4-2-1 formations with Germany, very evidently based on the opposition they are facing and their chosen style of play. Germany seems to score more as well as concede more with the 4-2-31 formation, as seen in recent nation’s league games against England and Italy, whereas they seem to be defensively more sound with the 3-4-2-1 formation, proving the legitimacy of the systems. Their recent form, with a 3rd place finish behind unqualified Italy and Hungary in the nation’s league, has shown a dip in their form, scoring 11 goals and conceding 9 in just 6 games. Although they sailed into the World Cup with 9 wins and just the 1 loss in 10 world cup qualifiers, they showed potential in their squad.

Why is Hansi Flick leaving Bayern Munich?

Strengths

Germany’s main strength lies in their attack, with their wide range of attacking options in Havertz, Gnabry, Sane, Muller and Musiala all serving as goal scoring threats. Their defensive players Kimmich and Hoffman both serve as options for chance creation and goal scoring. Their XG in recent tournaments has been 2.4 showing their potential to score goals in abundance. The team likes to keep possession and depending on the system, like to create chances either through crossing if they are playing 3 at the back and through the center when they switch to playing 4 at the back. Joshua Kimmich plays an important role defensively at RWB and is a very useful asset going forward, his versatility to play in defense and in midfield acts as a huge advantage to the team. They also have very quick forwards, who break quickly when playing on the counter, making it extremely difficult for defenders to catch them. Leroy Sane is in excellent goal scoring form in club competitions and will be a major threat in their attack. They also have excellent bench strength and adaptability that is seen through players who play in different positions such as Kimmich, Hoffman and Havertz. The German goalkeeper will be the most experienced goalkeeper at the world cup and is a true leader, having led his club and country for many years. He is also one of the best goalkeepers in the world, who is responsible for making ball distribution an important aspect of every Keeper’s game. With WC winning players and multiple participation from the likes of Muller and Neuer, they carry experience that can be passed on to the younger generation, Muller’s goal scoring prominence at world cup’s will be Germany’s biggest weapon.

Thomas Muller Urges Germany to Draw Inspiration From Real Madrid After Disappointing Nations League Campaign ▷ SportsBrief.com

Weaknesses

The German team seems to be at its weakest point in recent years even though they have done well, showing the standard set out by them. Their main weakness stems from their defense with an XGC of 1.18 per game. They have been unable to keep a single clean sheet in the nation’s league and seem prone to conceding against the opposition. This has been the effect of instability in the back line, with an extremely fluid rotational policy between defenders, making it difficult for players to truly understand their role and position. The team has played with multiple center backs and fullbacks have been made to play on either side with David Raum and Tilo Kehrer.  This occurrence can be seen mainly due to injuries to regular starters such as Rudiger and Kimmich being played in midfield. They also need to sort out their left back position which has been played using different players and with Robin Gosens out of the team, the position should be open to all, making the German left exponentially weaker. Though Germany scores many goals, their goal conversion rate isn’t very good with only Havertz having a higher than 0.5 shots on target per game in comparison to other players. This indicates wastage of crucial chances, especially in match defining moments.

World Cup Path

Being kicked out of the group stages as title holders at the 2018 world cup was an insult no German could stand, making this year’s group stage a form of redemption for them. Germany is in the toughest group in the world cup but also are the toughest team to face from the group. Germany is expected to top the group and face Croatia in the Ro16 and Brazil in the Quarter’s. Should they finish 2nd in their group, they will go on to face Belgium and should they win that, Portugal. It is by no means an easy pathway for the European football giants, but nor will they make it easy for anyone else. The Germans have little to no breathing space, with every game being a massive matchup for them. If any team can conquer all these teams and go on to win the WC, it is Germany.

Manuel Neuer during the International Game between Germany and Serbia Editorial Image - Image of europe, goalkeeper: 183633560

Players to watch

Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rudiger, Manuel Neuer and Ilkay Gundogan

Young players to watch

Jamal Musiala, Karim Adeyemi, Nico  Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz, Youssoufa Muokoko

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Denmark go into this World Cup as dark horses that every team should fear and not take lightly. The team has been improving in the last decade and could finally challenge for titles now. They went on to the semi finals of the most recent Euros, losing out in a close game to England.

In this post, you’ll Read about
Denmark’s history at the World Cup and major competitions
Manager profile
Tactical analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
World Cup Route
Players to look out for

Denmark’s history at the World Cup and major competitions

This will be Denmark’s 6th World Cup finals tournament qualification and their second consecutive one. The Danes bowed out in the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in one of the most enthralling penalty shootouts ever to finalists Croatia. Their best ever finish was the quarterfinals at the 1998 World Cup. The nation also won the Euros in 1992, adding some sort of pedigree to their footballing success

Manager profile

Kasper Hjulmund has been the coach of Denmark since 2020 and has overseen great performances in a very short stint. His team reached the Euro semi finals even after the incident with Christian Eriksen during the tournament. The team showed promise in the nation’s league, finishing above world cup group mates France and one point behind toppers Croatia. To lose only 1 game and win 4 out of 6 in a group with world cup finalists is no easy task and is a testament to how strong Denmark have become under Hjulmund.

World Cup score

Tactical analysis

The Danish team usually plays in a 3-at-back system, with Mahele being one of their most important players on the left wing. Their midfielders, Hojberg and Delaney, play important roles in converting possession and playing progressive passes Christian Eriksen and Olsen play behind the striker, creating goal scoring opportunities for the man in front. Most of Denmark’s games see a balance in possession for both teams, with Denmark neither holding the ball for too long nor sitting back and soaking up pressure. They use a very balanced style of play that suits both the defense and attack.

Strengths

The Danish team has many strengths, one of which is its ability to have multiple goal scoring options. They have had 7 goal scorers among 9 goals in the recent nation’s league, all scoring from various parts of the pitch. The team has a very experienced midfield in Delaney, Hojberg, and Eriksen. One surprise miss from the 21-man squad who could be added later is Poulsen. Maehle is one of their most important players going forward and has also had the most assists for the team in recent tournaments. He was one of the best wingbacks at the Euros and will be an essential asset in attack and defense for the team. The team has true leaders in Schmeichel and Kjaer, who have captained club and country for years together. Kjaer being a rock in defense and Schmeichel being a wall behind him are all important blocks to their defense. Players like Christensen, Wess and Andersen all add to the solid back line. Schemeichel has excellent shot stopping and distribution skills but most importantly is excellent at saving penalties, which is very important for a tournament like the World Cup. Phillip Billing has also been in fine form for Bournemouth. Youngsters Daamsgaard and Olsen are important players to the Danish team.

Winning Cup

Weaknesses

The obvious weakness of the Danish team is their poor shot conversion rate of 13%. They create 2.3 big chances per game but fail to convert 1.5 of them. Their forwards need to be more clinical in front of the goal. They also take 11.8 shots per game, but only 4.8 of those are on target, indicating poor shooting from the front line. The team is also not very quick and needs to decide the tempo of the game according to their strengths. They can get caught out of possession very easily, with no pace to catch quicker opposition. Their passing accuracy in the opposing half could be better with their current rate of 72.5% in comparison to their overall passing success rate of 82.4%. As much as Mahele creates chances from the left, they need better options from the right and it is up to  Daniel Wass to do so, otherwise their attacking play will seem very one dimensional. The team also does not have the experience of winning big matches against big teams like other European nations do and that is probably why Denmark are looked at as dark horses and not the main contenders for the title.

World Cup Route

Denmark are lucky in a sense that they have a very similar group to that of the 2018 world cup with only Tunisia being the different team. They have also played France multiple times in the nation’s league and beaten them, making the world champions a familiar opponent and providing them with confidence to face them. Denmark should finish second in the group behind France and will probably go on till the round of 16 where they could face Argentina who would prove to be too good for them. But being dark horses means that they have the potential to beat all these teams and also advance to the finals.

World Cup cheering

Players to look out for

Kasper Schmeichel, Simon Kjaer, Joakim Maehle, Christian Eriksen, Pierre Emile Hojberg, Andreas Christensen, Kasper Dolberg, Joachim Andersen and Andreas Cornelius

Young players to look out for

Andreas Skov Olsen, Mikkel Damsgaard, Jonas Wind and Jesper Lindstrom

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The Red Devils are widely known to be in the golden generation of their football history. This golden generation, believed to have started in 2014, looks to be in its twilight years, with the core of the team nearing retirement age. Could this be their year, or will the small nation from Europe have to lay in wait to see success on the international stage.

In this post, you’ll Read about
History of Belgium at the World Cup and major competitions
Manager Profile
Tactical Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Belgium World Cup route

History of Belgium at the World Cup and major competitions

The team went from not qualifying in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups to becoming one of the main title contenders at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. This shift was marked by the talented pool of players that popped out of nowhere over the past decade. Despite having world class players such as Hazard and KDB at different positions, the team has struggled to do well in the knockout stages of any major tournaments, failing to reach any finals.

Manager Profile

Belgium has been managed by Roberto Martinez since 2016. He managed clubs such as Wigan and Evevrton before his tenure at Belgian. Martinez has always been within touching distance of a trophy with Belgium. His greatest managerial achievement would be winning the FA Cup in 2012–13 with Wigan. 

Golden Generation

Tactical Analysis

Now let’s look at how Belgium has set itself up in the past. Roberto Martinez has stuck to choosing a 3-4-3 formation, with no flexibility for change even after recent disappointments. Choosing similar players to start has allowed the team to build chemistry and a style of play over time, with Romelu Lukaku becoming the obvious outlet for goals in the side. Lukaku’s dip in performance and injuries over the last 2 years for his clubs can prove detrimental for the side’s World Cup campaign. He has already been sidelined, with Mitchy Batshuayi and Leandro Trossard taking charge of the goal scoring in the recent Nations League. The two major sources of chance creation historically have been Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. Kdb is in fine form and has finished 3rd in the Balon d’or race, whereas Hazard has struggled to find his feet ever since his big money move to Madrid. Recurring injuries and poor fitness have made the Belgian captain’s football career a living nightmare. Positives can be seen through Tielemans and Batshuayi, who have been instrumental in creating chances for the team. Though the team finished 2nd in their nation’s league group, they lost both their games against the Dutch, proving to be another sign of their struggles against big teams in important games. This lack of big game mentality could affect the team in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Golden Generation

Strengths

The main strength of this team lies in the individuality of the players; each player is only as good as the player around him. Axel Witsel, who has played the most minutes, is also responsible for the number of goals Belgium scores when he is on the pitch. The team has strong forwards in Lukaku and Batshuayi, who link up well with wingers, wingbacks, and the midfielders around them. The versatility of the fullbacks helps solidify the status of the 3-4-3 formations, with them being able to defend well and be quick and creative when attacking. Assuming key players like De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku, and Courtois step up, there could be no stopping this formidable force. Belgium is gifted with ace shot stopper Courtois, who just won the Yashin Trophy. Courtois is in the best form of his life and will prove vital in defense as well as penalty shootouts. Jeremy Doku was a standout player during the 2020 Euros and will be the biggest surprise package for Belgium this year. Kevin De Bruyne might well be the best midfielder in the world at the moment, and this could be his world cup.

Golden Generation

Weaknesses

The most glaringly obvious weakness of the team would be the slow and ageing centre backs in Toby Alderweireld and Jan Verntonghen. The formation Belgium play with could leave the centre backs exposed with no cover from the wingers, causing the opponents to have more chances by overloading the Belgian defence with their forwards. Though Alderweireld has been their best centre half through the nation’s league and Euros, the team lacks the resources for better centre backs to play alongside him. Leander Dendoncer and Boyata may have important roles with Jason Denayer also an option if he is called up by the boss. The biggest liability Belgium have at this moment is their captain Eden Hazard, with him not getting game time for his club and being the captain of the national side, he cannot be dropped due to the virtue of the name he has made for himself. His role in the team can make or break Belgian hopes in the world cup. Belgium lack the big game mentality and need to step up in the knockout stages of the world cup.

Golden Generation

Belgium World Cup route

Belgium look strong enough to top their group even though they have the runners up from the previous World Cup in Croatia as their biggest challenge. Belgium is a team that can surprise the world this time around, but they are also the same team that is expected to lose their first knockout game, which in all probability will be to Spain or Germany, who are currently on a similar tangent as them. We believe that Belgium should be able to get past the Round of 16, and the confidence from there will see them go on to do well in the further rounds.

Players to watch out for

Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne,Romelu Lukaku, Thorgan Hazard, Michy Batshuayi, Axel Witsel and Thibaut Courtois

Young talent to look out for

Jeremy Doku, Arthur Theate, Charles De Ketalaare and Zeno Debaast.

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England, the mighty three lions, will they bring football home? After all the hype created by English media during the 2020 Euros, the team seems to have fallen flat on its face in the recent nations league. Tensions are high after failing to perform well in the recent year, with expectations that this squad is becoming the new golden generation of football to the fans. Football in this nation is like a festival, where the whole nation shuts down to drink beer and watch the football when it’s on.

In this post, you’ll Read about
Brief History Of England At The World Cup And Major Competitions
Manager Profile
Tactical Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Road To The World Cup

Brief history of England at the World Cup and major competitions

Let’s look at what England have achieved in the past. The team has won only one World cup (WC) in1966, which they reminisce until now. Outside of that, the team really hasn’t given much for the fans to sing about. The recent 4th place finish in the 2018 World Cup and 2nd place finish at the 2020 Euros, serve as a glimmer of hope for the nation this time around. On the contrary their abysmal performance and relegation in the 2022-23 nation’s league have sent a shiver down the spines of the English faithful.

Manager Profile

Gareth Southgate has been the English manager since 2016. The 4th place finish at the 2018 World Cup and 2nd place finish at the 2020 Euros are his best accomplishments with the side. Southgate has no trophies as a manager to back him, but his English sides have shown promise in the past. Gareth Southgate managed Middlesbrough before becoming the English manager.

Tactical analysis

Southgate has always preferred a 3-4-3 set up but has experimented with a 4-2-3-1 in the recent nations league, after fans cried out for a change in tactics. The new system looked to have gone poorly, leading Southgate to switch back to his 3-4-3 set up. This formation allows England to play with a lot of possession against weaker teams and lets them set up to play on the counter against stronger opponents. The English team has had decent success against smaller teams and have struggles to score goals and win games against stronger opponents due to this counter attacking set up, stopping the team to build up play from the back and create chances going forwards. This system has also forced wing backs to play in more attacking roles, with Luke Shaw having 3 assists and the most crosses per 90 (5.0) in comparison to any other player. He also has the most non penalty goals (0.84) per 90, indicating a lack of scoring options for the team. They have also topped their World Cup group with 8 wins and 2 draws in 10 games, having an easy run of fixtures.

national league of football

Strengths

The main strength of the English team comes through their captain Harry Kane who is their leading goal scorer in all recent competitions, making him their obvious goal scoring threat. He also ranks in the 94th percentile in the world for shots taken in comparison to other forwards. Ranking in the 92nd percentile for xA, he can drop deep and create chances for wingers making inverted runs into the box. This has helped Raheem Sterling become a viable goal scoring threat for England. The English team also has excellent squad depth in each position, to a point where the manager is spoilt for choice. His decisions on the 23-man squad for the WC will be crucial in predicting their campaign. The double pivot role played by Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice is one of the most underappreciated roles to play, ensuring interceptions and progressive passes forwards, leading to chance creation. Jude Bellingham has the third most interceptions per 90 and the second highest number of tackles per 90 in the Nations League. His goal scoring form in the current UCL season serves as a bonus for goal threats in the English national squad. The players look to get along well with each other, off the pitch and this is a good sign compared to the original generation, which was united by England, divided by clubs. England also have an exceptionally good goal keeping unit, with all their keepers in sublime form. Jordan Pickford has gained himself a reputation for saving penalties for England and this could prove to be their game changer in the knockouts.

playing football

Weaknesses

The problem of choice has created a problem of chemistry between players, with players being rotated heavily for the sake of experimentation and opportunity in various positions. This has led to at least 20 players playing over 100 minutes in the nations league, this could cause a disruption in the pattern of play and playing style. England also had a 55-man short list before the tournament with most players uncertain of making the squad. It has also become increasingly hard for Southgate to leave players out after their consistent performances for their respective clubs. Another weakness of the team stems from Harry Maguire, though he leads the stats for most aerial duels won and ranks high on the pass completion scale, he is also extremely error prone defensively, due to poor decision making and positioning. An example of this can be seen through two goals England conceded against Germany in the nations league 3-3 draw. He has also lost his spot at his own club, reducing his playing time, which is a negative sign before a World Cup. Another dilemma Southgate faces is choosing the player to play the RWB position with having multiple world class options like Reece James, Kyle Walker, Trent and Trippier. Reece James has been the preferred choice for the English side whilst Kyle Walker has made the right centre back role his own as he used to sitting back at RB for his club as well, eliminating him as an attacking threat. With injuries to both these players and Trent in poor form, Southgate will have to either change the formation to suit the player’s original positions at RB or will have to find a replacement RCB with no practice games left to play.England also have a history of poor penalty shootouts, winning only 3 out of 10, they need to be clear on the main penalty takers and practice on taking penalties before the world cup. England also go into the world cup without a 2nd left back, as Ben Chilwell has been ruled out of the tournament. This adds a lot of pressure on Shaw who will not be rotated or rested at any stage of the tournament.

Road to the world cup

England have a reasonably easy group to qualify for the knockouts. Their main challenge will be their ancestors from the best in USA. This will be the game of football vs soccer. Following this, they could face Netherlands in the Round of 16 and then either Argentina or France in the quarters, which could prove to be too much for them. England have the capability on paper to win the world cup, but it will only depend on tactical outputs and player performances as the world cup is never won on paper. An interesting factor is that the only times England have reached the finals of major tournaments, it has been on home soil. Fan support in the stadium will have a huge role to play in their success.

Players to Watch

Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw

Young talent to keep an eye out for

Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden

football

By: Ved Birdi

Date: 15th Nov

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In this post, you’ll Read about
History of France at the World Cup and major competitions
Manager profile
Tactical analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
France’s World Cup path
Players to watch out for
Young players to watch out for

France, the reigning world champions, also known as Les Bleus, go into this world cup as one of the favorites, just as all world champions do at every world cup (WC). But if there is one thing that can stop them, it is the World Cup curse, which knocks the holders out of the WC in the group stage itself. Will France be the team to break the curse? Let’s find out

History of France at the World Cup and major competitions

France have won two world cups, in 1998 and 2018, and were also runners up at the 2006 World Cup courtesy of the Zidane headbutt incident. France has also won the Euros twice, in 1984 and 2000

Manager profile

France is managed by Didier Deschamps, who played a key role in ensuring the 2018 success. He has been the manager of the team since 2012 and has served them through 2 world cups and 2 Euros, winning the former once and being the runner up in the latter. He has also led France to their 1998 World Cup win, bringing a wealth of experience to the team. He is certainly a manager who knows how to win big tournaments.

World Cup

Tactical analysis

Deschamps employed the 4-2-3-1 at the previous world cup but has chosen to alternate between it and a 3-4-2-1. This switch has been seen when the main defensive midfielder, Kante, has been absent for the team, thus forcing them to play extra defenders to make up for his loss. The experimentation seems to have gone poorly, as they have won only 1 of their 6 national league games. They were also outclassed in a nail biter against Switzerland in the previous Euros. Deschamps likes to use his wingbacks high up on the pitch as chance creators and shot takers from outside the box. The most important players in the French set up are the double pivots in midfield, who are crucial in converting possession and creating chances forward through quick releases and breaks. 

Strengths

The French team is strong in every department and has great squad depth at every position, making them a formidable team. They have one of the best players in attack in Mbappe, who is a goal machine for PSG. He was also instrumental in their campaign last time around. Their striker, Karm Benzema, who was voted the best player in the world this year, has been unstoppable, scoring every hat-trick in every knockout round of the Champions League. Their other striker, Olivier Giroud, has been in top form as well. Their fullbacks, Pavard and Hernandez, have been superb for their clubs, maintaining consistency in the squad. France has an experienced captain in Hugo Lloris, who is on course to be the most capped French player. He, along with Deschamps, brought two World Cup-winning captains to the squad. Young stars like Saliba, Tchouameni and Nkunku have been in monstrousforms for their clubs, earning them spots in the French team. The French team has an XG of over 2, making them very prominent goal scoring threats with quality in the attack. They also have an XGC of less than 1, showing resilience in their defense. The team is also filled with great penalty takers who will be impactful in the knockout stages of the tournament.

World cup pics

Weaknesses

Though France may seem impenetrable, their recent form suggests otherwise. Winning only 1 out of 6 national league games has shown that France are a team that can be beaten. This slump has been ongoing since their elimination from the Euros. The main reason for this is due to the recurring injuries to two of their most important players, N’golo Kante and Paul Pogba, who are virtually irreplaceable for the team now. They also confirmed the team would be out of the World Cup due to injuries, altering the entire heart of the team. 4 Champions League winner and French Central defender Rafael Varane is also said to be a doubt for the World Cup. Antoine Griezmann, who played a vital role for France in the Euro 2016 and the 2018 world cup, has barely started any games for his club this season, which will certainly affect his performance for France at the world cup. The French team is used to playing with similar players in similar positions, with injuries and inconsistency among so many of them, the chemistry and style of play will be negatively affected. They may also be forced to play more defensive formations with young, inexperienced midfielders and defenders replacing the injured ones. This could mean that the World Cup curse continues, as the France we will see is not the same as the one we’ve seen over the past few years. Deschamps will be scratching his head, wondering what to do, as the ripple effect of this has been seen in the nation’s league. Having lost to Denmark in the nation’s league, the French team has a lot to worry about before facing them in the group stages.

France’s World Cup path

France is most likely to be the group topper, with Denmark their only realistic challenge. From there on, France will mostly draw Mexico in the round of 16 and then possibly England in the quarterfinals. France should be able to do well in these games and go on to do well at the World Cup, but with the curse, no one can ever say what surprise they will throw at us.

Players to watch out for

Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud, Hugo Lloris, Benjamin Pavard, Kingsley  Coman, Antoine Griezmann, and Raphael Varane

Young players to watch out for

Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, Aurelian Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga

world Cup Mbappa

Contact us for more information! 

You can call us at +91- 9311593910, +91-8085094046

Or email us at help@unifiedsports.in