World Cup 2010 Analysis: Fabio Capello’s England Are Second Favourites To Reach Knock-Out Stages Behind Brazil, But Ahead Of Spain
Three Lions backed to roar through Group C.

Fabio Capello’s England side has been backed as the second most likely country to qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup finals, with only five-time winners Brazil ranked ahead of them.

To coincide with this summer’s tournament in South Africa, Castrol have released the Castrol FIFA World Cup™ Predictor, which measures past team and player performance based on every international match in the last 10 years to calculate the attack and defense ratings of each team competing in the tournament.

The system then simulates the tournament a staggering 100,000 times, before calculating each country’s chances of progressing through the competition.

Goal.com UK took a look at the results, and plucked these statistical gems for analysis...

England|Set to destroy Group C
Chance of progressing 90.4%
Finishing as group winners 65.1%
Third place finish 7.5%
Bottom of the group 2.1%

Brazil| Favourites to progress
Chance of progressing 91.8%
Finishing as group winners 70.6%
Third place finish 7.3%
Bottom of the group 0.9%


Italy | Reigning champions
Chance of progressing 84.9%
Finishing as group winners 53.0%
Third place finish 13.9%
Bottom of the group 1.2%


Spain | The readers favourites
Chance of progressing 88.8%
Finishing as group winners 68.2%
Third place finish 8.2%
Bottom of the group 3.1%

World Cup 2010 Analysis: Fabio Capello’s England Are Second Favourites To Reach Knock-Out Stages Behind Brazil, But Ahead Of Spain
Three Lions backed to roar through Group C.

Fabio Capello’s England side has been backed as the second most likely country to qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup finals, with only five-time winners Brazil ranked ahead of them.

To coincide with this summer’s tournament in South Africa, Castrol have released the Castrol FIFA World Cup™ Predictor, which measures past team and player performance based on every international match in the last 10 years to calculate the attack and defense ratings of each team competing in the tournament.

The system then simulates the tournament a staggering 100,000 times, before calculating each country’s chances of progressing through the competition.

Goal.com UK took a look at the results, and plucked these statistical gems for analysis...

England|Set to destroy Group C
Chance of progressing 90.4%
Finishing as group winners 65.1%
Third place finish 7.5%
Bottom of the group 2.1%

Brazil| Favourites to progress
Chance of progressing 91.8%
Finishing as group winners 70.6%
Third place finish 7.3%
Bottom of the group 0.9%


Italy | Reigning champions
Chance of progressing 84.9%
Finishing as group winners 53.0%
Third place finish 13.9%
Bottom of the group 1.2%


Spain | The readers favourites
Chance of progressing 88.8%
Finishing as group winners 68.2%
Third place finish 8.2%
Bottom of the group 3.1%

I hope Lassana Diarra doesn't come to OT:nono:.. take these rumours as a pinch of salt.

Now you know how United feel with a Spanish team breathing down their necks;), they have lots of resources then you have Platini and co who come down harsh on the English clubs but let the Spanish and Italian clubs etc get away with what they want:rolleyes:.

Netherlands have a great record going into the world cup.

They are consistantly performing..

Wonder if they will be able to go the distance.

I think so, although it's more than likely they'll have to take out a big boy at the quater final stage or so. But yeah, I can see them knocking out a few big teams.

8 wins in 8 in the group stages..

Beat Ghana 4 - 1
Beat Hungary 6 - 1

I could see them making the final, but not winning.

If England are knocked out I hope Holland surprise every one.. about time the likes of Spain and Brazil miss out for once:p.

Spain have only one 1 thing (the euro 2008) in ages.


I would love spain to win it if england and holland cant.

Everyone forgets how good a team germany are to lol.

You never know, let the pitch do the talking instead of paper;).

I would like Argentina to do well too but I can't see them tbh with Maradona in charge, he's soo pathetic:rolleyes:.

-David Villa has astonishingly backed England to win the World Cup - branding Fabio Capello’s team ‘The Perfect Generation’

Manchester City are ready to offer Robinho and £10million for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Yaya Toure - LOL Toure = 15-20m Zlatan = 30m+... Robinho.. 25m?lol

Manchester United will reluctantly end their pursuit of £30million goal machine Luis Suarez - because they cannot afford it

Harry Redknapp has declared his interest in signing Joe Cole on a free transfer from Chelsea - and is also putting together a £22million package to lure England reject Gabriel Agbonlahor to Tottenham.

Arsenal centre-half Phillippe Senderos is in talks with Fulham about a possible move to Craven Cottage, according to reports.


The Swiss international, who is currently with his national side preparing for the World Cup, is out of contract at the Emirates and free to find a new employer.

Senderos spent last season on loan at Everton and the 2008/2009 campaign with AC Milan and has already stated he is keen to find a new club.

It has now been reported the 25-year-old is in talks with Fulham and could possibly seal a move to the Cottagers before the World Cup kicks off on Friday.

Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed just how close he came to signing for Sir Alex Ferguson’s bitter rivals Arsenal FC prior to his move to Old Trafford in 2003. The former World and European player of the year was shown around the Gunners training facilities by Arsene Wenger on three separate occasions, with the Frenchman even offering the precocious youngster an Arsenal shirt as a memento of his visit.

Despite interest from Arsenal FC, Ronaldo eventually signed for Manchester United in a deal worth £12.24 million and he subsequently went on to win three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, as well as establishing himself as an Old Trafford legend and one the world’s best players.

Although he enjoyed an illustrious Manchester United playing career, Ronaldo recalls he and his mother watching a Premier League game involving Arsenal FC prior to his move to England, during which Arsene Wenger appeared on the screen. Ronaldo recalls his mother’s reaction to seeing the Frenchman, with her declaring how much she had liked the Gunners manager.

The Manchester United legend told the latest edition of GQ Magazine: “It’s true. I was an inch away from signing for Arsenal.”

“I saw Arsene Wenger three times with my mother. It was very close to being a done deal.”

“After I signed for United, she and I were sitting watching a Premier league game on television and she yelled out, ‘I know that guy – I liked him.’”

Although Arsenal had shown strong interest in the then Sporting Lisbon talent, the player’s agent Jorge Mendes, suggests Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had showed the greatest intent on signing the player by offering the Sporting Lisbon starlet the best deal.

Mendes told GQ: “This is what really happened. Everyone wanted Cristiano; Real, Juventus, Barcelona. But only Arsenal and Manchester United attempted to take him from Sporting Lisbon that season. The others wanted to leave him at Sporting at least a year.”

“But with United, everything was in place already, since an agreement had been reached the day before the match (a friendly involving Manchester United and Sporting).”

Ronaldo claims he was ready to leave Sporting Lisbon at the time, and despite his host of suitors from around Europe, he simply chose Manchester United because they offered him the best deal.

The Manchester United legend said: “The reason I went to United was because they were the team that made me the best offer.”

“I had never been to Manchester before, but what helped me was that my mother lived with me, my family visited a lot and I made friends with the players. What were my first impressions of the city? It rains a lot.”

Anybody heard anything about United signing Edin Dzeko?

I haven't seen any stories or anything on it just searching through google, but on Dzeko's wikipedia page, it says 2010- Manchester United?

I know wikipedia isn't the most reliable source but I just found this strange..

United apperaently have the ronaldo money to spend. He is worth nowhere near that.

We dont know, i think they have taken it in and most of it will come off their debt.

Luis suarez is worth 30m.. euro i think. if thats what you meant obviously not worth 80 lol.

He socred like 46 goals this season.. i know its only eredivisie but its still more goals than rooney drogba messi villa ronaldo..

I really hope Nemanja Vidic doesn't leave United:(.

LOL apparently William Gallas isn't happy because Patrice Evra is the France captain:joker:.

Going to be more pressure on the lads now to win against Algeria which we will do:).

Rafa Benitez is rumoured to be interested in attempting to lure Anfield pair Alberto Aquilani and Lucas Leiva to the San Siro. The new installed Inter Milan manager apparently wants to bring the two midfielders to the Serie A side as he prepares to lose a number of his side in the summer as Jose Mourinho considers snapping up the likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Wesley Sneijder.

Brazilian international Lucas Leiva has come under a lot of fire during his three years at Liverpool but is clearly a player that Rafa Benitez had a lot of faith in. The 23 year old started 32 Premier League matches last term and has improved greatly during his time on Merseyside.

The signing of Alberto Aquilani was one that baffled many as the Roma man arrived at the club for a fee of £20 yet was in the middle of a spell out with a long term injury. When he was fit he was used sparingly and only showed patches of the form that had made him one of Italy’s leading lights.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, criticised by fans after his young side failed to win a trophy since 2005, is to splash out £30million on building a squad to end the drought.
Wenger will make the club’s biggest impact on the summer transfer market for more than a decade, with Everton defender Phil Jagielka the latest target, along with Chelsea’s England midfielder Joe Cole, Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny.
Wenger is finally ready to make major signings after almost 10 years of being constrained by the club’s move to the Emirates Stadium.

And Everton centre-half Jagielka, controversially left out of Fabio Capello’s 30-man preparation squad for the World Cup finals, is the latest player to be targeted by the Frenchman, although Everton manager David Moyes will fight to keep the 27-year-old defender at Goodison Park.
But Arsenal now appear to be confident of adding Cole and Schwarzer to the squad after the World Cup finals, even though negotiations with Cole’s representatives have yet to reach a conclusion.

Fulham have rejected an initial inquiry for Schwarzer, but the Australian goalkeeper has only one year left on his contract at Craven Cottage and, at the age of 37, he will want to seize his last chance to play Champions League football.
Arsenal remain in talks for centre-half Koscielny but, with William Gallas out of contract and leaving the club, they are committed to signing another experienced Premier League defender.
Jagielka is their first choice and Wenger has been cleared to spend, with around £30m at his disposal plus any more he receives if Cesc Fabregas leaves for Barcelona.

Rising Dutch star Gregory van der Wiel has expressed his desire to seal a move to the Premier League with Arsenal from Ajax.

The 22-year-old full-back is attracting interest from a host of top clubs in Europe although for now his focus is on the World Cup with Holland.

However, the chances of him remaining in Amsterdam seem slim particularly with the player himself welcoming the talk surrounding him.

He said: "Of course it's nice to read that Arsenal are interested. I consider myself a good fit for the Premier League.

"Robin van Persie has told me many stories about the Premier League, Arsenal and Mr (Arsene) Wenger. Maybe he can put in a good word for me.

"I know that Barcelona and Real (Madrid) are interested, but now I am only thinking about doing well at the World Cup in South Africa."

Rangers are interested in taking Manchester United winger Gabriel Obertan on loan.

The Frenchman, 21, has made a limited impact since arriving in a surprise deal from Bordeaux and Sir Alex Ferguson is keen for him to pick up more experience.

Rangers, however, would need United to subsidise the deal.


Would love him on loan at Rangers..

While Tottenham and Aston Villa are due for negotiations over a Gabriel Agbonlahor -Robbie Keane part-exchange deal, the Midlands club are set to battle it out with Spurs for Everton's Steven Pienaar , according to the Mirror.

Pienaar, who scored seven goals in 36 games for Everton last season, has one year left on his contract at Goodison Park, but the 28-year-old South African is yet to agree to an extension to the current deal.

Everton manager David Moyes is desperate to keep the midfield playmaker, and has reportedly slapped a £15m price tag on his head.

Villa will have a tough task competing for Pienaar's signature with Tottenham, who can offer the South Africa man the lure of Champions League football next season.

Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill may also have to compete will another Champions League club for Pienaar, with Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger reportedly pondering a move for the player.

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas says he is not even entertaining the thought of a transfer as he focuses on the World Cup.

The 23-year old midfielder is currently on international duty with Spain, preparing for their opening group stage match against Switzerland but is refusing to be drawn into transfer speculation which has him heavily linked with a move to Barcelona.

"I am isolated from it all and I am not thinking about anything else apart from the national team," he said.

"I have come to play a World Cup, which is the best thing possible for a player, with the same excitement that I had at the World Cup in Germany when I was 19.

"I am hungry to do something important and the only thing I will do is always give everything, with a lot of desire and make sure the hunger and competitiveness are never lacking."


Apparently wenger has said he will sell him for 36m..
the next day the same paper said he refuses to sell him or even discuss it.