3 Players Who Attract Unwarranted Hate

With how popular social media has become over the last 4-5 years, and how pundits and other commentators will say whatever it will take to earn clicks and attention, it is fair to say some crazy things are said. Let’s go through three players who seem to be hated by certain people, when it isn’t entirely justified. There isn’t a ranking of any sorts here, because hate is something that shouldn’t exactly be ranked.

1. Paul Pogba

By far the player who seems to attract the most hate, Paul Pogba is a controversial player since his world record transfer. Whether it is Garth Crooks constantly complaining about his haircuts (which to this day is a stupid thing to criticise a player for), or the mainstream media saying he doesn’t do enough for the team in the bigger games. Everyone always wants to find a guy to blame, because it’s easier than finding a real problem. I do not know how many times I have to keep stressing how much of a special talent the Frenchman is. If United play well, it’s because of Paul Pogba. I have only seen him have a few bad games in a United shirt, being Spurs away, Chelsea in the final of the FA Cup, and in the league cup final. Other than that, I don’t think he has any particular bad games. In his first season for the club, Pogba was getting a lot of unnecessary stick, but it can be defended very easily. I remember on the last game of the season against Crystal Palace, where Paul scored and assisted. Ian Wright on Match of the Day said he wasn’t good enough because of his lack of goal contributions. But I think that’s too vague. I constantly complain about pundits not doing their research, and this is another example. Zlatan Ibrahimovic that season had a conversion rate of 12%. You expect your striker at the top level to get around a 25% conversion rate. While Zlatan did carry them in an attacking sense, he would still have his moments of failing to good chances away, and who picked him out during these missed chances? Paul Pogba. The now world cup winner was excellent in picking out his Swedish teammate, but Ibrahimovic failed to convert these chances. You cannot blame to the creator for his striker not putting the ball away, when he probably should. What’s important to remember about United is that they rely heavily on Paul Pogba. One of the main reasons he has been playing so deep is so he is able to get on the ball as much as possible, but doing that limits his ability going forward. Pogba is a player who is great when dropping wide, and also excels in front of goal. You want him further up the field to get the best out of him. Having him further back puts more emphasis on his defensive work, which isn’t great, and at times woeful. But that is not the strengths of the player. You want him playing a role where his defensive work, while not absent, is more limited. It also does seem that fans and pundits just do not like how he presents himself off the pitch. I can defend his ability and performances on the pitch, but what he does off the field is more or a matter of opinion. Many fans do not like all the haircuts, the dancing and the Instagram videos. My opinion on the social media side is the who really cares? If Pogba wants to enjoy life, let him. He shouldn’t be scrutinized on his personal life. When he performs, it is never mentioned, but when he has the occasional average performance, social media is the first thing that is blamed. I just will never understand why it is relevent. It could be the Manchester United fan in me, but I do feel the hate he gets is very unjust. Let’s hope he continues to silence his numerous critics.

2. Raheem Sterling

I briefly mentioned the hate he was receiving when discussing players that I wanted to see succeed in the summer, but I will try and elaborate. Up until last season, Sterling was always a very frustrating player, but was never a bad one. He is an excellent player in getting in goal scoring positions, but just failed to convert his chances. However that seemed to change last season. It was famously covered that Pep gave him one very useful tip in changing the way he played. Instead of stopping the ball when receiving it, take a heavy touch and try and beat the opponent with pace. It was so effective, because it just made him so much more unpredictable. Sterling was absolutely fabulous last season. In a record breaking season, he was one of their best players, ending the season with 18 goals and 11 assists. Those are real world class numbers for a wide player. However even after that incredible season, there is still doubt from other fans, especially England fans. Sterling still has that moment of missing chances, and that it was people remember. In the first game at the 2018 World Cup, he had two chances, that he failed to convert near the beginning of the game against Tunisia. Sterling was seen as one of the worst players for England. While I do not think he was great, he was playing a role that he is not used to. He had to play as creator, while also helping create space for Kane, while also trying to give width to the team. It was very difficult for the Manchester City winger, and he ended up sacrificing a lot of his game, for the sake of the team. That cannot be credited more. However his performances were not the main talking point about Sterling. Before the world cup even began, a certain tabloid tried to paint the winger in a negative fashion by highlighting the gun tattoo on his leg. This unnecessary attention towards an aspect of his life that isn’t related to football was wrong in so many ways. It seems like the media in every other country wants to support their team before a huge competition, but not in England. The media is desperate for clicks in any sense that they are willing to put the people against the players. But if you go through all of that certain tabloid’s posts about Sterling, it is more than just the tattoo. They have criticised him for buying his mother a house, going in regular plane travel, driving his car, and even shopping discount shops. While Pogba’s hate was mostly from fans and old fashioned pundits, Sterling’s hate is based mostly on nothing related to his career. If any players gets hate that is completely undeserved, it is Raheem Sterling.

3. Mesut Ozil

Another player I have defended multiple times in the pass. Mesut Ozil is by far my favourite attacking midfielder in Europe. No other playmaker in the top 5 leagues possess his incredible vision and technical ability on the ball. He is by far the best creator in the premier league. While De Bruyne, Hazard and Eriksen are all excellent creators, I think Ozil just edges them. Attacking midfielders are positions that are quite flexible. You have creators, like Ozil, who specialise in helping the attackers in the final third. Goal scorers, like Alli, who are more second strikers, and extra midfielders, like Banega, who are great at dropping into midfield to provide extra numbers. Ozil is the best creator. His creative numbers have been excellent throughout his career. His best season was the 2015/16 season, where he averaged a frankly unbeatable 4.2 key passes per 90. While that number has declined, it has still stayed over 3 since that season. Even at the world cup, where Germany underperformed, Ozil was still very good. Pundits like Martin Keown will say the usual he doesn’t work hard enough, but he still made 5.5 key passes in his two games. He does his job to the best of his ability. However Ozil is a player who has gathered hate from all over the country. A lot of Arsenal fans dislike how he fades in the “big games” (an argument I just don’t understand), and pundits, as previously mentioned, dislike him for his lack of defensive contribution. This has a lot to do with system. Ozil has so far been struggling this season, because of the more defensive approach of Unai Emery. It isn’t a strength of the ex German international. You can criticise him in the way of him not changing his game. But Ozil plays in a way that you have to build around him. Emery in my opinion has to get the best out of him in the same way that Wenger was able to. This summer has seen criticism in another form for Ozil. In the middle of May, Mesut Ozil and Ilkay Gundogan, were pictured alongside the Turkish President, a controversial figure in Germany. This resulted in numerous backlash from German fans, including racist and discriminatory insults towards the Arsenal playmaker. The backlash became so bad that it ended with Ozil retiring from the German national team. Ozil was a player in his prime years so retiring this early was a bit of a shock for everyone. Even this decision resulted in backlash however, with international team mate Toni Kroos branding his racist comments “nonsense.” It does seem ignorant from Kroos to deny that racist comments were made, with it being the main reason why Ozil made that decision. Originally this was going to be about 7 players, but the players mentioned receive hate on another level compared to other players I was going to discuss (Henderson being disliked and Morata not being what Chelsea fans wanted were going to be 2 of them). Going into length about these 3 players was needed, to show a more darker side of football, and to show the difficult circumstances that footballers can find themselves in.

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2018 World Cup Quarter Finals Preview

As we’re closing in on the final, the stakes are higher, with players feeling the stage getting bigger and the stakes getting higher. Let’s look at the next round of games in this brilliant World Cup

Uruguay vs France

Last time I discussed these teams, I expected them to lose. How wrong I was. France surprised me in that I didn’t expect them to attack in the way they did. My issue was them playing Matuidi on that left side, because it gave them a real weakness on that side when attacking, however I was wrong as usual. Deschamps did this to help overload the midfield and it would also let Griezmann drift in areas where a left winger would usually operate. I still think having a more natural wide player in that position would be better, however it so far has worked in giving them balance to the team. It has also gotten the best out of Kylian Mbappe in a certain way. Throughout the game against Argentina, he was making excellent runs and being that real needle France needed to penetrate that weak defense. Because of Giroud’s selfless style, it gives Mbappe the space for these runs. He ended the game with 2 goals, being the first teenager to score a brace since Pele in 1958. Mbappe is probably the best young player since R9. He’s even better than Ronaldo and Messi were at his age. Mbappe shows incredible maturity and power in his play. Pogba also has been incredible. He has been making those brilliant runs and killer balls we’ve been wanting him to make .

Uruguay surprised me in another way. I had previously criticised Luis Suarez for just not showing his qualities in the tournament. He definitely wanted to prove me wrong, because he was excellent. His hold up play was simply incredible and his cross for Cavani’s first goal was great. While he hasn’t been great in front of goal, he has definitely made up for that by being a great partner for Cavani. Uruguay conceded their first goal of tournament against Portugal. It is simply incredible that it has taken that long for them to concede. It was a pretty bad goal to concede. Pepe and Ronaldo completely outsmarted Godin and it resulted in Pepe being able to run in an open area to head it into the back of the net. While conceding a simple goal could be a worry, the injury to Cavani is so much worse. Cavani was brilliant in the game against Portugal, finishing his game with an honestly brilliant finish. His injury is not good news at all for Uruguay. They have two good players in reserve, being Maxi Gomez and Christian Struani. While both had excellent seasons, with the pair scoring over 10 goals for Celta Viga and Girona respectively, they both haven’t played enough in this tournament. They haven’t been given enough time to be able to fill Cavani’s boots in any way. It’ll be a real concern for Oscar Tavares.

For France to beat Uruguay, they will need to play in a similar fashion to how they beat Argentina. They need to use Mbappe in a similar way and most importantly, get Pogba on the ball as often as possible. For Uruguay to beat France, they need to make sure France to not play in that similar way and Torreira and Vecino need to protect that back four. Suarez also needs to continue in a similar fashion. He needs to get into those position where the centre halves do not want to go, and open space for his partner up front. I think France are too strong however, and will win, but not comfortably.

Uruguay 0-1 France

Brazil Vs Belgium

Easily the best tie of the quarter finals, both teams to into this game having excelled in the forward department.

Let’s start with Brazil, who are easily the favourites for the tournament. While this Brazil team isn’t the best in terms of entertainment, it is certainly the most balanced. The most recent winning Brazil teams always had a solid base, to make the most out of the attack. In 1994, they had Dunga, while he wasn’t a good manager, he was an excellent defensive midfielder. In 2002, they had Gilberto Silva, one of the best defensive midfielders ever. He could just do everything you need in a DM. And now in 2018, they have Casemiro. While the Real Madrid midfielder isn’t exactly an all rounder, he is one of the best destroyers around. He gives that defense an excellent screen and ensures a solid base, something they haven’t had since 2002. Another seemingly controversial issue seems to be Neymar. As the tournament as gone on, his performances have definitely improved. Against Mexico he was a constant threat, with him scoring and putting in a great performance. However it’s his diving that has caused a lot of attention. His reaction to a light tap on his ankle from Miguel Layun was the definition of an overreaction. I can kind of understand why players do this. It’s the world cup and they will do anything to win. However for his own image, it doesn’t help him at all. I have no issue usually when players stay down, but when they do it like Neymar, I start to have an issue with it. Coutinho has also been very good for Brazil. So far in this tournament he has been a real hero for them, scoring their first of the tournament, and the winner against Costa Rica. It’ll be interesting to see how he does in the rest of the tournament.

Belgium are a very strange side. On paper they have been excellent, winning all their group games and scoring 3 or more in 3 games. However because of their manager, I still have so many reservations. Japan exposed them very easily so it’ll be interesting to see how they fair against a team with real good attacking players. They also seem to be failing to get the best out of Kevin De Bruyne. While I think the midfielder has been quite good in this tournament, he is definitely not enjoying that deep role. It means he has to come so deep to retrieve the ball, which means he in advanced positions to be able to make those same great opportunities he did for City. Their left wing back position seems to also have some cloud over it. Martinez chose to not take an actual left back because he believed Januzaj, Carrasco and Chadli has wing backs. So far it hasn’t worked. Carrasco looked very poor against Japan. While Chadli did look good when he came on, he has missed many minutes last season due to injury, and he was only used as an impact, so seeing how he would do as a starter would be very interesting. As an actual positive, their forward three have been brilliant. Hazard has been excelling in his dribbling and creativity, successfully completing 4.7 dribbles per 90 and he has already bagged 2 assists. He has been sensational. His partner, Romelu Lukaku, has also been excellent. While he did miss some good opportunities against Japan, he has still been one of the best forwards at the competition.

For Brazil to beat Belgium, Gabriel Jesus and Willian will both be key. If Boyata does not play, Belgium will lose his athleticism once again, meaning Jesus could benefit by making some excellent runs behind the aging back four. Willian will be key in stretching the defense and exploiting the space that the left wing back will leave. For Belgium to beat Brazil, they need to make every chance count. They have had the benefit of playing teams who do not have their same quality. They are playing a team that have been brilliant defensively. They cannot afford to take the same luxuries they have in their previous games. Japan was their warning, so they need to wake up now. I do believe Brazil will win here, and it will not be as close as many think

Brazil 4-2 Belgium

Sweden Vs England

A tie that many are righting off before it has even began. As I have mentioned so long ago, I’ve been rooting for Sweden through out this competition, after Wales’s disappointing campaign, I saw Sweden knock out Holland, and then knock out Italy in the play offs. They have been defying expectations ever since qualifying began, including a victory over France. They have been beating these big teams throughout the world cup. They have also been excellent defensively, keeping 3 clean sheets out of 4 games. Even against Switzerland, their approach was quite perfect. Berg and Toivenen were both excellent in pressing the goalkeeper and ensuring any short passing lane was blocked. It was to ensure that they were always in the game and it definitely worked, with Switzerland struggling to create chances. They also kept Switzerland’s most dangerous player, Xherdan Shaquiri, very quiet. Usually when he had the ball, there would be two players ready to put pressure on him. Their biggest issue is easily converting chances. Against the Swiss, Sweden had some very good chances, including an easy chance at the back post, and Berg in a one on one, but failed to convert the chances. They seem to get in these good areas but then failed capitalise, leaving them always with a worry of falling behind. Marcus Berg has also been quiet poor, being the player to have the most shots without scoring. They need to hope he will be having a good game.

After finally beating a team on penalties, England and their fans are on top of the world. They have a team of players who seem hungry and no pressure is pulling them down. It does help that their captain, Harry Kane, has been putting the ball in the back of the net whenever he can. This team contains a solid blend of defensive workhorses and quality players in the final third, and playing 3-5-2 seems to get the best out of those attacking players. They haven’t been perfect however. England have so far failed to keep a clean sheet, with them giving away goals that should be relatively easy to stop. Worst of all they seem to be failing to use Sterling effectively. I love Raheem Sterling. He gives so much movement in the final third and takes a lot of pressure away from Kane. However against Columbia, he was not given enough support, resulting in him being attacked by 3 different players. If they want to continue to play him, Lingard and Alli need to be giving him runs on the outside, so all of his runs are worth something. Another issue could actually be their fitness. England had to go to extra time against Columbia, and while it might not sound like much, it took a lot of energy out of them. Southgate needs to make sure these players are ready to do another 90 minutes.

For Sweden to beat England, they need to take their chances. As previously mentioned, Marcus Berg has been poor throughout this tournament. Sweden need to hope he can turn up for this game. They also need to be patient and wait for that perfect opportunity. England concede goals and usually have a lot of players attacking at once. The Swedes need to wait for that perfect moment and strike. For England to beat their opponent, they will need to use Alli and Lingard as much as possible. England do not possess a great creator, which means the only way to get past this Sweden team would be to use their dribblers to beat players. If they can beat that first line of defence, then they should be okay. I’m actually going for a draw here, with a penalty shootout occuring again.

Sweden 1-1 England (Sweden to win on penalties)

2018 World Cup Round of 16 Preview – France vs Argentina, Uruguay vs Portugal

With the group stages finally over, let’s look at the round of 16, where teams will need to step up their game and prepare for the knock out portion of the tournament.

France vs Argentina

The first game of the round of 16 is a huge one. Both teams have a huge history and would like to add to that this year. Let’s begin with France. The 1998 winners go into this game unbeaten, and only conceding 1 goal. However this looks much less impressive when looking at their performances. They only scored 3 goals and got the first 0-0 of the tournament. They also did not keep the same team in any of their games. It continues to show further incompetence in Didier Deschamps. He is easily the most overrated manager at this tournament and it amazes me how he still has a job, with other Frenchman like Zidane and Wenger available. It should be classed as a crime to not be performing with the best players on the planet. They have looked very poor as a team, and I can’t see them getting far in this tournament.

I was not disappointed in Argentina in the slightest. In fact I expected this. They have some talented players, but they don’t have balance. So far they have not proven me wrong. Even in their last minute win, they still didn’t play good. That game was won from a Marcus Rojo of all people bagging the winner. Even though they were poor, there are still some positives. Ever Banega was very good. He added a player with real ball ability in that midfield. But it still brings up the issue of why is Perez and Mascherano still starting for Argentina. Mascherano is not near the player he was 5 years ago, yet he is still starting every game for Argentina. Why isn’t Lo Celso starting, a guy with real ball winning ability. Or even taking Parades. Even though he is playing in a poor league, he is still a great distributer. Sampoali has baffled me throughout this tournament with these strange selections.

For France to beat Argentina, midfield is their key. If they want to take a book from Croatia, who beat Argentina because of their superior midfield. It is a game where France need all their best ball players, so a midfield 3 of Pogba, N’Zonzi and Kante would be perfect. Pogba and N’Zonzi have a brilliant range of passing and would help bypass that weak midfield. Playing Kante would help win the ball higher up the pitch, to stop players like Banega and Mascherano keeping hold of the ball. For Argentina, they need to give the ball to Messi as much as possible. He hasn’t lit up the world, but he is still the best player of all time. He did look much better in a front two. His run for that first goal against Nigeria was perfection all around. The run, the touch, the second touch, the finish. It was all perfect. Messi as usual, is the key for Argentina’s success. This game contains a team that can’t attack in France, and a team that can’t defend in Argentina. Based on goals needed to win games, the Argentine’s will be the victors

France 1-2 Argentina

Uruguay vs Portugal

Both teams can come into this game with some positives. Uruguay went through their group without conceding a single goal. While they did look very poor in their first 2 games, they stepped it up against the hosts Russia, and started playing a midfield 3, adding Torreira to a midfield of Bentacour and Vecino. It gave them much more fluidity and a real drive in the final third. Another bonus for them would be the form of their attackers and defenders. While Suarez has been poor, he has still bagged 2 goals and Cavani also scored his first against Russia. Their biggest positive to take away from the group games would be their defense. Godin and Gimenez were both fantastic. Godin especially was a real leader in those games. He was the one making sure his other teammates would start attacking because he was doing his job, so why weren’t the rest of the team. There were points against Egypt were Godin would run with the ball because no one else would.

Portugal also have some real positives. They have been successfully protecting their old central defenders, even if at times they have been caught out. Ronaldo has also been brilliant. His form is the main reason why Portugal are where they are. He seems to love having the amount of responsibility he does. However they still have some real issues. The rest of the attackers have not been great. Fernandes was dropped after the first game after not having a good game (even though he was out of position). Guedes also has been very disappointing. He just hasn’t shown that raw skill he was shown all through last season. Even in midfield, a partnership of Joah Moutinho and William Carvalho doesn’t scream energy and attacking threat. Their biggest positive is easily how organised they are. Because of their brilliant full back options, it means the centre halves can stay very narrow so they don’t get caught in places where they will be exposed. Fernando Santos has been fine in that aspect, however in the attacking sense they could be better. Putting Guedes outwide, and putting Martins on the right would give them so much pace and width. Andre Silva definitely deserves a chance too. These would definitely help give them a bit more of a threat.

Uruguay can beat Portugal simply their strikers. Both Suarez and Cavani are very hard to deal with for defenders. If they both can help deal Pepe and Fonte, it would allow the midfield players to come from deep and outnumber the opposition. They play such a deep 4-4-2 that just getting their technical players in the box would be enough to cause Portugal plenty of problems. Portugal just have to simply give the ball to Ronaldo. He has been their best attacking player so getting him on the ball as much as possible is their way to win. I can see Uruguay winning here, but because of Portugal so far suprising me, I might just go for a close game but Ronaldo magic to win it

Uruguay 1-2 Portugal

4 Most Disappointing teams at the 2018 World Cup

With so many players and teams showing the world what they are made of, let’s look at the other side of the coin. These are four teams who have completely disappointed me so far in this tournament.

Germany

The most obvious disappointments so far. Germany have looked a shadow of how they were 4 years ago, and explaining why is pretty simple. One of the biggest changes from Brazil is losing their leaders. Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philip Lahm all have since 2014. While they have found some good replacements in Kimmich, Goretzka and Werner, they have lost their experience and leadership. The partnership of Kroos and Schweinsteiger was key during their winning captain and gave a sense of stability to that midfield. Their midfield in general has looked so poor since the start of the tournament. Joachim Low has continued to play a midfield two,with Toni Kroos who usually does not work playing with only one partner, and Khedira, who is a shadow of a player he was 4 years ago. With his increase in age, he lost his defensive ability and any sort of creativity with that. Both were exploited during their defeat to Mexico. Kroos was marked out of the game, while Khedira just couldn’t keep up with the energy and power in Vela and Lozano. Khedira was instantly replaced in the following with Sebastian Rudy, a player who’s only compliment would be solid. Kroos still needs to be put in a midfield three to work, maybe bringing in Goretzka and putting Rudy in a deeper position would give Kroos more time on the ball and would stop him coming so deep to receive it. Even in the attack, it is clear that losing a player like Klose has been a huge hit. It seems even with playing Werner throughout qualifying, they still seem to play as if he is 5 inches taller. I love Werner, but for the way Germany play at times, it seems like he might be the striker they need. He definitely has a use however. Germany are still a very strong team, but are not the same machine they were in 2014.

France

France easily have the most talented squad at this World Cup. They world class rising stars in Mbappe, Dembele and Mendy, while still keeping some solid experienced players in Giroud, NZonzi and Lloris. Even their second team could do very well. However what cannot be underestimated is how frustrating Deschamps is. France qualified relatively simple. However they did have some moments that can be questioned. They lost 3-2 to Sweden, which included a real howler from Lloris. That can be forgiven. Sweden are a solid team and have shown before they can beat any top opposition, as seen with Italy. However what cannot be forgiven is drawing a goaless draw against Luxembourg, a team Sweden beat 8-0. Deschamps in that game chose to play Matuidi and Sissoko, over Pogba and Kante. He has tried over 40 players in qualifying and still seems to not know his best team. France began the first game with a front line of Mbappe, Griezmann and Dembele. I believe that to be their best attack. It gives them three players who are extremely flexible, which enables them to interchange thorought the game. It makes it difficult for defenders to know who to pick up, if the forwards are constantly moving. However Deschamps changed this in the next game and played a 4-2-3-1, which Matuidi on the left and Giroud just in front of Griezmann. It shows a manager who still does not know what system and formation to play, at this point of the tournament that is worrying. The biggest insult is just the way they play. They seem to play a very slow possession game, with usually using Giroud as the link up to the rest of the attack. It frustrates me that they usually resort to that is because of the shear talent they have. Paul Pogba also seems to struggle in this system. Even when he plays with Kante and Tolisso, his most balanced partners, he still seems to not look his best. Pogba is at his best when he is able to drift out wide to the left and open the defense with his pace and power. He seems slow, and that is because of Deschamps. He seems to never play on the front foot. I like these players, but they are stuck with a manager who seems to limit their incredibly high ceiling.

Uruguay

Uruguay qualified at the top their group without conceding a single goal, and winning every game. That does sound good on paper, but when looking into each game, especially the first two, it is clear they are not doing great. Oscar Tavares has set up this team to be so defensive, and rely on the forwards to do something. The problem with this is they don’t have a real creator. He started the tournament with a midfield of Vecino and Bentacour. I like both players, but as a two they don’t work. Vecino just plays it too safe, and Bentacour actually played really well against Egypt, but with a lackluster partner, it made it difficult for him. Tavares only decided to change this in the final game, where he changed into a 3-5-2, to play a midfield of Torreira, Bentacour and Vecino. It worked much better, with Torreira adding his great energy and tenacity. Another problem for Uruguay has been the forwards. Context is so important when looking at the strikers Uruguay took. Suarez, Cavani, Struani and Gomez all scored over 15 goals in their respective leagues. All were in brilliant form and it gave them plenty of options. Suarez however has not looked himself in the slightest. He looks just so much more reserved and is lacking that usual bite (no pun intended) and aggression he usually gives in the penalty area. Cavani I think has been very good. It seems every time one of Suarez or Cavani received the ball to begin a counter attack, there was no other runner beside them, resulting in a situation they failed to benefit in. The first game of the round of 16, Uruguay vs Portugal, could not be as exciting as we hope it is, and speaking of Portugal…

Portugal

Most of Portugal’s issues I can sympathize with. They have an extremely old centre half partnership, with Pepe and Fonte both over 32. It means they have to play much more cautiously, with their centre halves playing very narrow. They have to protect them so it means less focus is on attacking. It gives a huge over reliance on Ronaldo to score while also hold up the ball, and create. They also have been unfortunate with injuries. They lost Danilo Pereira, who was excellent for Porto last season. But that is where my sympathy ends. I still believe this team isn’t hitting its heights. For some strange reason, Fernando Santos chose to take Joah Moutinho, Ricardo Quaresma and Cedric Soares, over players who were in much better form in Ruben Neves, Ronny Lopes and Nelson Semedo. It’s a similar issue that is seen with Joachim Low, who chose players who he liked over players who deserved a spot. Even in team selection questions should be asked. Why was Guedes playing as a striker alongside Ronaldo, instead of on the left hand side, where he has been excelling. He chose to play Jao Mario instead, and while he’s a fine enough player, he should be playing in midfield alongside Carvalho. It’s a position where I think he is much better in. Even though Andre Silva was poor for Milan, he still scored 9 in qualifying, which was the fifth most in Europe. He didn’t start until the last group game. Portugal themselves have been a bit of a chore to sit through. Their protection of the centre halves means it makes them difficult to sit through. They are lucky to have a very good Ronaldo, who has dragged them to this point. While you can question if they would be more balanced without him, like Sweden are now, he has still definitely delivered. Portugal could definitely go a long way because of their style, but I just wanted more from. So many of their attacking players were in such good form, especially Bruno Fernandes (who has been out of position) and it seems we will look back on this side and think, how were they not better.

4 Players Who Will Hope To Have a Good World Cup

The World Cup is full of stories. Whether it is a team defining the odds, a player performing at a level never seen before in his career, or in this case, proving his doubters wrong. There are players going to this world cup who are currently being questioned by their fans and experts alike. Let’s look at some of these players.

Andre Silva

Andre Silva has had one crazy year. While his time in Milan has not been as well as he had hoped. However his form for Portugal has been brilliant. He scored 9 goals in qualifying, which is the 5th most in Europe, behind his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Silva for Portugal has shown to be a real number 9, and ensures that the country has a ready made forward for when Ronaldo eventually finishes his career with the national team. So why does he hope to have a good world cup? He only scored 2 league goals for Milan, and he needs to show the world that he is in fact a great number 9. He was brilliant for Porto, and needs to rediscover that form. While his Serie A form was poor, his Europa League form was actually very good. He scored 6 in 8 games for the Red and Black. He took 2.1 shots per game in the Europa League, and 1.5 in Serie A. The most important thing to take from this is where he was shooting. He was taking 1.6 shots in the 6 yard box when playing the Europa League, and 1 in Italy. It’s clear that he suits playing against European opposition, instead of Italian opposition. It could also help explain why he has been so good in qualifying. If he continues his form into the World Cup, he may remind everyone why £30m was spent on him. It is clear, with the links to Wolves, that Silva does want out of Milan. They are currently in a huge mess and still recovering. If Silva performs, he will be going to another club, and not a newly promoted one.

Olivier Giroud

France’s squad is full of talented players, but the one most consider one of the least talented would be Olivier Giroud, yet he has recently equalled Zinedine Zidane’s scoring record. Didier Deschamps is probably the weakest component of the squad, and his reliance on Giroud could be another weakness. France have so much more talent. His trust in Giroud means Mbappe, Ben Yedder, Griezmann and Lacazette all do not get a chance to start as the number 9. It would make France flow much better in attack, and make them more of an attacking threat. This isn’t to discredit Giroud however. I think he has a very useful set of skills for a team, but to be starting for this team might be a bit too generous. He will hope to have a good world cup because of this trust in him. He has to excel to remind doubters, such as myself, that he is indeed the best option.

Jonas Hector

As mentioned when discussing Leroy Sane not being picked for the World Cup, I mentioned Joachim Low’s trust in certain players. Jonas Hector is the definition of this trust. He has been playing in a poor Koln team, which finished bottom of the Bundesliga. While he definitely wasn’t the worst player in the team, he still didn’t perform to the same levels as last season. One reason for this would be how often he has been moved around. Out of the 20 games he played, 8 of those were at left back. He will be starting for the defending champions in a position he has not even been playing half of his games for. Joachim Low has chosen to take Hector and Plattenhardt, and while I like both, Philipp Max should definitely be on the plane. He has been such a brilliant attacking threat and was in the top 10 in Europe for chances created. I am aware of Low’s loyalty, but taking a player who would add a great attacking threat. Hector needs to have a good world cup to prove that he was right to be selected, and he was right to be chosen over players who are a much better attacking threat.

Raheem Sterling

While the other players are usually favourites for their respective managers, Sterling is here for a more social reason. A certain mainstream newspaper wrote a hitpiece accusing Raheem Sterling of having an inappropriate gun tattoo. This began a huge wave of hate towards the winger, with personalities like Piers Morgan believing he should be dropped from the squad. I’m absolutely tired of this. This country has a problem and it doesn’t get addressed enough. Our media is so focused on getting clicks and getting attention, that it doesn’t even make the time of day to give players the support they need before a major tournament. Sterling has been a target for this certain paper for years now, with articles criticing him for shopping at discount stores, taking regular plane travel and driving a fancy car. He has done nothing wrong to deserve this. Many have said that all this hate is from the colour of his skin, but I would to believe that. I am not an England fan, but for this world cup I am an England fan for Raheem Sterling. I hope he smashes it in Russia and proves to that certain paper that criticism towards him is beyond ridiculous. I would love to hear an apology to all of his doubters.