Who Should be on the Plane to Rio? - With a Twist

We are coming close to the announcement of the English World Cup Squad, and players are keeping their phones close, in the desperate hope of a trip to Brazil in June. Everyone has their own opinions on who should go to Brazil, and I thought I would share mine but this time, I will put on my tinted glasses, and look at it from the perspective of the Scots, Irish, Welsh and Northern Irish.

GK - John Ruddy
The goalkeeping spot goes to Norwich's one and only John Ruddy. The Canaries are sitting in 18th position, with relegation looking very likely. To add more misery onto Ruddy, he has conceded 60 goals this season, only David Marshall of Cardiff City has leaked more (71). With a Squawka Performance Score of a solid -144, he is a sure bet to prevent England from progressing in the tournament.

RB - Kyle Walker
It was a tough decision between Kyle Walker and the deadly double from United, Jones and Smalling. Having not played in any of the last 8 matches, Tim Sherwood has noticed the liability posed by Walker. Throughout the season, he has only one 56% of his duels which included 45/76 headed battles. His poor heading stats would make him a great option for England.

CB - Michael Dawson
Another one of the Spurs contingent is Michael Dawson. With only 45% tackle success and his severe lack of pace, could you imagine Ronaldo or Messi up against Dawson? Things would definitely get messy. Time after time, players have shown a fresh pair of heels to out-pace Dawson and bare down on poor Hugo Lloris. With 3 defensive errors, I'm sure he would add to his tally if selected for the World Cup.

CB - Chris Smalling/Phil Jones
It's a tie between Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Although solid when tackling, Smalling has shown throughout the season that he can flap when under pressure, and his high foul count could work in the favour of the oppostion. Similar to Smalling, Jones does commit a decent amount of fouls, but also has a lower success in the tackle than his fellow team mate. Only if Rio hadn't retired, then it would make my life a lot easier.

LB - Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole isn't that bad, but with Baines and Shaw in contention he seems the more viable option. The reason I selected the Chelsea man, was because he has only played 16 games this season and his inability in the air caps a defensive line that should struggle up against the bigger sides. On offence, he has only completed 9/22 take ons. Please Roy, get him on the plane.

RM - Aaron Lennon
It can be very hard to predict Aaron Lennon. Sometimes he is scintillating to watch, but he can also make a Sunday league player look like Paolo Maldini. This season has proven why he should be on the flight to Rio. With 83 successful duals, he is not even in the top 200 of Squawka's successful duels, with only 30/65 take ons being successful. He is definitely one to be on that plane.

CM - Tom Cleverley
With Tom Cleverley, the ball is guaranteed not to go past the half way line. Even though Cleverley has an 89% pass completion rate, he has not completed a single through ball all season, which can explain the high pass percentage. In addition to this, he has only created 10 chances, none of which have earned him an assist. So much for a playmaking midfielder.

CM - Scott Parker
I have to go for Captain Crop Circle himself, Scotty Parker. The recently relegated Parker has a 41% shot accuracy so it will be unlikely for him to trouble the keeper from distance. Although he has not got the worst Performance rating, he has only created 18 goal scoring chances, something that you would expect more from Scott Parker.  With bags of energy, Parker has the ability to run around in circles all day long.

CM - Jack Wilshere 
Jack the Saviour is arguably one of the most overrated English players about. I'll admit, he can serve up moments of magic, but those are rare. He has 8 Squawka worst awards as well as 4 defensive errors, showing that he can be something of a liability in defence. Considering that a gentle breeze could sideline the Gunner, he is a shoe-in for the final CM Spot.

LM - Danny Welbeck
Welbeck is not the worst player on this list, but he does have a reputation for capitulating under pressure, and the Champions League tie against Bayern proved that. With 55% shot accuracy, Welbeck couldn't hit a barn door with a machine gun, which makes him the perfect candidate to board my plane to Brazil. In addition to this, only 1 out of the 13 chances he created was converted, showing that it's hard to see where the threat from Welbeck comes from.

ST - Andy Carroll
Remember when people were baying for a call up when he was at Newcastle? Oh how times have changed. Unfortunately for Carroll, his injury hit career has led to him being known as one of the flops of the Premier League era. With no Kevin Nolan to receive the pass from, I struggle to see where Carroll will score his goals.

We are blessed with a superb crop of players that would certainly make the cut for this team. Players such as Ashley Young and Glen Johnson would definitely form the bench for the tournament. With the Premier League over, let's hope for another summer of disappointment and frustration for English fans!

Thanks to Daniel Ballantyne (@ballantyne_d) and Andrew White (@whitey997) for the help with writing this piece.

The Road to Rio

It is just 184 days until the start of the most prestigious trophy any footballer could have, the World Cup. With the draw made on Friday afternoon, I will take a look at each of the groups. 

Group A - Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Having won 12 of their last 13 matches, and arguably favourites for the tournament, Brazil are expected to comfortably win Group A. Mexico have had a testing qualifying period with the use of 47 players and a staggering 4 managers. Although not to the same calibre, the Olympic final in 2012 will give the Mexicans confidence having shocked Brazil in London. Mario Mandzukic has 10 goals from 18 appearances for Bayern this season and will be looking to lead from the front for outsiders, Croatia, in a group where they can be quietly confident of finishing second. Cameroon have the ability to cause an upset, however I don't see them neutralising the fire power of Brazil.

Group B - Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

This group sees a rematch of the last World Cup Final in which Netherlands look to seek revenge after a late Iniesta winner secured Spain their 1st World Cup title. On paper, Spain and Netherlands should qualify easily, but it depends what Dutch team shows up on the day, after all, their Euro 2012 campaign confirmed that to us all. Chile have only lost one game this year and last month's performance against England laid down a marker for the Spanish and Dutch. With Australia being the lowest ranked team at the tournament next year, nobody is giving the Aussies any hope, but the cliche still stands, matches aren't won on paper.

Group C - Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

Colombia will be expected to breeze through this group with a potent attack force including Radamel Falcao, Luis Muriel and Jackson Martinez. The battle for second place requires more contemplation. I feel that it is between the Ivory Coast and Japan. However, remember in 2004 when the Greeks shocked everyone by winning the Euros? I will no longer right off Greece after that year. A lot of expectation will be heaped on the Ivory Coast, the highest ranked African nation as they try to break the duck on the African teams, while Japan will be looking to string together a few results and hopefully have a decent run in the competition. 

Group D - Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group D, or Group of death as many English fans like to think it as. You heard the disappointment from a collective nation when England were drawn from the little ball. Whilst most people are pessimistic about the upcoming tournament, I wouldn't be very surprised if England progressed. The only thing that will cost England the match against Costa Rica is complacency in a match that they must pick up 3 points in. If they play to their optimum, it is very probable that they can nurture a result out of the match against an ageing yet very dangerous Uruguay side. Italy could prove a stumbling block. A decent all round unit could see them reach the semis or possibly even the final.

Group E - Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

A dream group for France, this is. Having needed a near miracle against Ukraine to scrape through the qualifying stages, this competitive group gives Les Bleus a very good chance at reaching the knockout rounds. Standing in their way is Ecuador who established a fortress at home by only dropping 2pts which sent them through. With the talent of Inler and Shaqiri in the Swiss squad, they will look to try and topple the French who will be licking their lips at a group like this.

Group F - Argentina, Bosnia, Iran, Nigeria

Lionel Messi will look to continue on his fine form for Argentina having scored 20 goals in his last 20 games. While Messi grabs the headlines, we often forget about the attacking prowess of the other forwards, Kun Aguero, Tevez and Di Maria to name a few. They entertain the African Cup of Nation victors, Nigeria, who desire to kick on from that memorable victory. Iran have never reached past the knockout round in 3 attempts, while Bosnia represent the only debutant in the World Cup next year.

Group G - Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

It must of been written in the stars for USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann to face his home nation whom he won the trophy with as a player and went on to manage. Portugal have the potential to be a dark horse in the tournament, particularly if they can keep their talisman and joint record goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo fit. On the other hand, a replica of their performances against Northern Ireland could see them struggle to beat Ghana and particularly the USA. 

Group H - Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

A dream of a group if you are a Belgian. Group H was the creme de la creme, the ideal group for every manager. Belgium have a young dose of talent coming through including Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard plus others. This new intake of talent was been publicised in the media leading many World Cup neutrals to jump on the Belgian bandwagon. I certainly agree that they have the potential to achieve great things as a team, but I don't think they can live up to the hype. In second position for this group, behind Belgium, I would put my money on Russia. A tight unit with several very influential individuals can seal this team second position ahead of Algeria and South Korea.

After an exhilarating draw seeing relief and disappointment, I have no skepticism that this will be a roller coaster of a tournament. As only a South American team has lifted the Jules Rimet trophy when it is held in South America, the odds will be stacked in favour of the pattern continuing. But hey, traditions were made to be broken.