By Rob McDonald FRANCE What We Know: Riberyless but not arguing, the French are another team that seems to be coming into the tournament without much expectation on them. It is understandable given how they have to over-turn a 2 goal deficit to defeat the Ukraine in...
By Rob McDonald URUGUAY What We Know: The best bastards about and marshalled by one of the best coaches going in Oscar Tabarez, we know Uruguay well after their strong performances in recent competitions. With, arguably, the most potent attacking threat in the...
By Magic Spongers FOR US AND PROBABLY YOU, mentioning South Korea and the World Cup immediately invokes 2002, Guus Hiddink, Ahn Jung-Hwan and suspiciously atrocious refereeing. Unfortunately for us, and probably you, 2002 is now 12 years ago and none of that is...
By Ben Johnson JAPAN. Close your eyes, sit back and empty your mind of the nonsense that is currently floating round in it. Ask yourself a question, this question (you might have to open your eyes for a minute to find out what the question is, soz), what is the first...
JESUS, it’s actually happening isn’t it? I mean like, today, happening. Now, immediately, within hours. And the mania has crept in. No, hold on, back a bit. Full disclosure is needed. Years back, when the kids were a younger, a lot younger, so young that...
THE thing about memories is that they are always there for you, writes NEIL SCOTT. They sit patiently somewhere round the back of your cerebral cortex until summoned into action on a moment’s whim, to provide a rose-tinted window to a time long gone. Like many...
WORLD Cup Widows – a phrase that’s become all too familiar….unfortunately, writes KATE FORRESTER. Its origins are pretty basic. Picture the scene: In the testosterone-fuelled corner, we have an England-shirt-wearing, face-painted, glazed-looking fella...
BEEN good these so far haven’t they? I’m feeling a reasonable amount of pressure. Firstly,it should probably be pointed out that the ‘random draw’ element of this series of articles was flouted a couple of times when people felt they had a good...
By Rob McDonald COLOMBIA What We Know: While the loss of Radamel Falcao is hardly ideal, it’s not necessarily a hammer blow Colombia’s chances for a strong showing. In a competitive but not overwhelming group and with a strong squad, Colombia are one of the teams that...
By Clare Newstead OKAY, FIRST THINGS FIRST: I know very little about football. The actual game. The actual players. I mean it. I pick up a bit here and there about Liverpool. It’s hard not to, living with Martin Fitzgerald and watching Kop Kids on LFCTV at tea-time (I...
Salah’s future, summer exit talk, and inside insight from Lewis Steele, plus January pressure on Liverpool to add bodies. Guehi, Branthwaite, Wharton, Konaté’s contract, and who’s really on the radar.
Rob Gutmann hosts John Gibbons, Josh Sexton and Mike Kearney…
