It seems like England's preparations are being hampered by injuries ahead of the World Cup this summer. The run-in to the end of the season should be the time when the cream of the English players rise to the fore and stand out, but this is not happening and the likes of Ferdinand, Cole and Lennon are instead all out injured. England seem to be ranked around the third favourites in the World Cup betting odds but this seems a very confident prediction IMO. While the likes of Spain and Brazil are the two favourites to lift the trophy this summer, surely nations like Argentina, Italy and even Germany could be classed as stronger than England. The English side has star players who struggle to perform on the international stage, while the fringe players could not be up to the class required in such a competition.
Am I being too harsh on England to write them off months before a ball has ever been kicked? Who does people fancy for the World Cup, if it is not going to be England then who is it going to be?