England World Cup Odds Outright winner
The odds of England winning the tournament in Russia 2018 are 16-1
When there are outstanding players in their ranks, teams will always be able to win tournaments. England’s Harry Kane is a shining example of this. He has been on the rise over three years and is getting closer to Messi and Ronaldo in terms of goals. The Three Lions are not short of top goalscorers like Marcus Rashford, Jamie Vardy and Jesse Lingard.
Gareth Southgate has often questioned the abilities of his team, questioning their ability to field “big players”. England has once again qualified for the tournament without too much fuss, and will be looking to replicate the 1966 class. The squad has shown a marked improvement over the 2014 World Cup. It is not clear if this will be enough to win it.
England won eight matches and drew two during their qualification campaign. They were however unconvincing in the majority of these matches. They managed to win against Lithuania and Slovakia, but were unlucky to get a point against Slovenia. Although they were able to win against smaller teams, they have struggled against higher quality opposition. Their friendly loss against France was a case in point, as they played most of the second period with only 10 players. France won a convincing 3-2 victory. Gareth Southgate will have a lot to do, despite the fact that they are unbeaten in competitive play.
It has been rare that England’s top keepers were all fit at the same time, but this is now the norm. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get a place in the goal. Joe Hart, West Ham’s number one goalkeeper, has been in the top spot since 2010, but after making mistakes against Iceland and Wales in Euro 2016, as well as a permanent transfer from a team other than the ‘Big Four’ it appears his position may be up for grabs. Jack Butland, Stoke’s premier league player, may be the next in line. He is in good form and will make a great replacement. Everton’s signing Jordan Pickford in the summer has been a good player in a team that is struggling and will now be trying to win the number one jersey. While Burnley’s Tom Heaton, from Burnley, and Fraser Forster, from Southampton, will be optimistic about their chances of reaching Russia,
Last Updated on October 2, 2021
