Shifty's Team of the World Cup so far

Basically, I have long held the opinion that anything Mick Mccarthy can do, I can do better. So, when I saw the Irishman with the broad Yorkshire accent pick his team of the tournament on the Guardian website this morning, I decided to have a go myself. Unlike Mccarthy, who picked 11 players in no shape, with many of them out of position, I have decided to try and pick something which could work as a team, in a 4-3-3 formation.

Goalkeeper: Fernando Muslera (Uruguay). World Cup Sticker Book Status: Got

One of only 2 goalkeepers to have kept a clean sheet in all 3 of his side's games so far (Muslera got the nod just infront of Portugal's Eduardo, who would warm the bench for this side if there was one). Muslera has been commanding behind an ever-changing defence both in terms of personnel and shape- Uruguay have altered between a back 3 and a back 4 during the tournament so far. He has dealt with everything that has been thrown at him so far, and, with the Uruguayan front line lead by Diego Forlan in fine form so far, a continuation of his current form could see Uruguay go a long way

Right-back: Maicon (Brazil). World Cup Sticker Book Status: Got

Brazil's rampaging right-back edges out Holland's talented but rash Gregory van der Wiel and Germany captain Philipp Lahm in a position where, apart from the three aforementioned number 2s, no-one has really stood out: Argentina's Jonas Gutierrez is yet to be properly tested defensively, Portugal have used 3 so far, Spain's Sergio Ramos has yet to hit top form and Glen Johnson has looked shaky. Chile play with 3 central defenders, of whom Gary Medel looks like having the attributes required to play this position

Left-back: Fabio Coentrao (Portugal). World Cup Sticker Book Status: Not in book

One of the stars of the tournament so far, the 22-year-old only started to estabish himself for Benfica this season, before making the breakthrough into Carlos Queiroz's side. He has defended dilligently, and has ventured forward at every opportunity, getting involved in a number of Portugal's 7 goals against North Korea, using his pace to get into advanced positions, where his crossing has been excellent. Expect rumours of Real Madrid/Barcelona/Premier League interest to appear soon

Centre-backs: Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal, Got) and Ryan Nelsen (New Zealand, Got)

Carvalho has once again demonstrated his ability at the highest level, as well as an understanding of the dark arts of the game (and getting away with it) that is uneuqalled on the world stage. New Zealand's performances were nothing short of heroic, with Nelsen the perfect embodiment of that, displaying not only immense bravery but also good organisational and communication skills in marshalling the less experienced players around him, namely Tommy Smith and Winston Reid, both of whom should also get honourable mentions in this category

Defensive Midfield: Rafael Marquez (Mexico, Got)

Nominally a centre-back for Barcelona, Marquez has been used at the base of Javier Aguirre's 3 man midfield, the position he plays for this team. He brings the ball out of defence well, with short, quick, simple passes to his more forward-thinking team-mates, as well as providing useful height at set-pieces, as seen in the opening game, along with cover in central defence.

Central Midfield: Juan Sebastian Veron (Argentina, Need) and Angel Di Maria (Argentina, Got)

Seba Veron has been a joy to watch so far- such composure on the ball, with a fantastic passing range ('tis a very rare sight, Veron giving the ball away) and a ferocious strike. At 35, he no longer has the legs to run up and down the park for 90 minutes, but next to him he has the livewire Di Maria, who normally plays as a left-winger for Benfica (linking up with Coentrao), but an ingenious move by Diego Maradona has seen him stationed nominally in central midfield for Argentina alongside Veron, but with license to push on.

Outside-Right: Alexis Sanchez (Chile, Got)

Arguably the player of the tournament so far. Chile have been ultra-entertaining so far, with Sanchez on the right wing the pick of a very exciting young group. He has bags of tricks, plenty of pace and a great work ethic, tracking back when required. Another thing he does well that has drifted out of the game is that he holds his position wide when not in possession, thereby stretching the game and restricting any forward runs from the opposing full-back. His club Udinese will do well to keep him, although if they do lose him, they're likely to receive a transfer fee in excess of £20 million

Outside Left: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Got)

Has single-handedly led Portugal's attack. Has shown only flashes of his immense talent, but expect him to improve as the tournament goes on. Along with Sanchez, he just edges out Landon Donovan, Giovani dos Santos, Lionel Messi and Lukas Podolski for these positions

Centre-Forward: Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Got)

Forlan has been imperious so far, dictating the pace of the game from a slightly deeper position. He would operate just off the front in this team, moving away from the opposition centre-backs, allowing Ronaldo to move onto the shoulder of the last defender. Another contender for this position would be Gonzalo Higuain, but Forlan's all-round game has been much better than the poacher Higuain

The World Cup So Far Part 1

After the first week of matches, here are a few things we've learned from South Africa 2010 so far:

The Contenders- South American sides on top
At this stage, the most likely winners of the tournament are Argentina and Brazil. Diego Maradona's side possess such potency going forward that, even with some slight uncertainties over their defence (one has to wonder whether or not makeshift right-back Jonas Gutierrez would cope with an Arjen Robben up against him, with only Javier Mascherano likely to offer any help from midfield), they could simply outscore teams with their array of attacking talent. Brazil have the ominous look of a team that, unlike previous Brazil sides, can sacrifice flair and grind out results even when they are not playing well. They have no such doubts at right-back, with Maicon likely to be a key attacking outlet. Also among the favourites at this stage are Germany (despite their loss to Serbia, they should still make at least the quarter-finals) and Holland, who, like Brazil, have added extra steel and organisation to their undoubted attacking talent- they should also be able to add Arjen Robben to their side in the later stages.

Of the other heavyweights, Spain have work to do. Along with the Barcelona side from whom some of this seleccion is drawn, their playing style has been found out. Jose Mourinho and Ottmar Hitzfeld have both shown that, by congesting the centre of the park when not in possession and forcing the opposition into the wide areas, and by avoiding trying to retain possesstion in the centre and by moving the ball quickly to the front, Spain and Barcelona can be stopped. Vicente Del Bosque seems reluctant to change his ways, although he may have to consider starting with Jesus Navas on the right wing to try and beat Honduras, who will no doubt copy the Hitzfeld model. France are heading for a disgraceful early exit and deservedly so. A similar fate may well await England- even if they make it out of their group, a tough 2nd round tie awaits them against either Germany, a vibrant Ghana or a steely Serbia. Italy, even taking into account their tradition of starting a tournament slowly. don't look anything like potential winners- quarter-finals at best for them on current form.

Of the other sides, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico have all looked impressive- it would be no surprise to see at least 1 of them in the quarter-finals. Chile's madcap 3-3-1-3 formation, combined with some slick, accurate passing at high tempo made them a joy to watch against Honduras, with Alexis Sanchez on the right of the 3 man attack particularly impressive. Uruguay were solid if unspectacular in their opener against France, but were a class above against South Africa- coach Oscar Tabarez moving Diego Forlan into the trequartista position working beautifully, as Forlan ran the show, continually finding space behind South Africa's flat midfield (more on that later). Mexico were equally impressive with their fluid 4-3-3 system, full of neat passing and movement, with Guillermo Franco the pivot in attack off whom the livewire Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela can operate.

The Formations- The Death of 4-4-2
As I mentioned before, the South American sides have had the edge so far- but intriguingly, one thing that all the contenders mentioned have in common is that none of them (Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay) play 4-4-2. Argentina play a quasi-4-3-3, which almost becomes a diamond 4-4-2 when Messi drops away from Higuain and Tevez. Having Mascherano in the DMC positions allows Di Maria the freedom to push on as an orthodox left-winger, with Veron (or Maxi Rodriguez) playing more centrally. Brazil play a fairly regulation 4-2-3-1, with 2 holding midfielders in Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo allowing Maicon and Michel Bastos bombing forward from the full-back positions. Germany also play 4-2-3-1, although their 2 central midfield players (Schweinsteiger and Khedira) are given more license to push forward- in actual fact, when Phillip Lahm pushes on, their system almost becomes a back 3, with the more defensively-minded Holger Badstuber sitting back and moving more centrally, with right-sided centre-back Arne Friedrich covering Lahm. For Holland, replace the 2 DMCs with Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong, until they both get suspended. Mexico, as aforementioned, play a very fluid 4-3-3, with the emphasis being on moving the ball quickly and accurately, with width being provided by Carlos Salcido from left-back, and Efrain Juarez from the right. Chile's 3-3-1-3 formation has made them arguably the best team to watch so far- their game against Spain should be a treat, while Uruguay moved from a back 3 against France to a 4-3-1-2 against South Africa designed to allow Diego Forlan to dictate the game against a flat 4-4-2.

Shifty's End of Season Awards in association with Morningwood Industries

The rumours, speculation, and provocative texts from former Serbian Under-21 international Scott Djukic can now stop. The votes have been counted and verified, it's time to announce the winners of Shifty's End of Season Awards:

Player of the Year:
The majority of the voting panel went for Lionel Messi, with honourable mentions for Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney, Diego Milito and Richard Brittain. Shifty's rapid recovery from a broken metatarsal also gets a mention

Goal of the Season:
Plenty of suggestions for this award, ranging from Arjen Robben's millimetre-perfect volley for Bayern Munchen against Man Utd, Benjamin Huggel putting a beautiful finish (in off the underside of the bar is to goalscoring what the reacharound is to foreplay) to a fantastic team move, Karim Benzema finishing after that backheel from Guti, Duda from Malaga scoring direct from a corner (I thought it was just me who could do that) and numerous other golazos! from La Liga. But this award has to go to Steven Craig's goal for Ross County against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi Final, as it's the goal that the majority voted for. You see, at ShiftysLastWord, we give the people what they want, unlike the Scottish PFA. You won't see us fixing the result of a vote just so an Old Firm player can win. This blog tries to keep the sweary words on here to a minimum, but in the case of the Scottish PFA ignoring the results of the fans' poll in their goal of the season awards to give the award to an Old Firm player, we feel the following is justified:

FRASER WISHART IS A HORSE'S ARSE

Gaffer of the Season:
Derek Adams. Youngest ever manager to lead his side to a Scottish Cup Final- he will one day manage a much bigger club than Ross County

Best-Dressed Man of the Season:
Derek Adams was again the front-runner for this award for sartorial excellence. But after receiving a recommendation from former Serbian Under-21 international Scott Djukic, another candidate entered the running. And, for having the audacity to, in amongst thousands of orange boiler suit-clad Dutch supporters and kilted Scotland fans, wear a suit, and at the Scottish Cup Final opt for the classic kilt-and-County top look, Shifty's taking this award for himself

The How Is He Still Being Paid to Play Professional Football Award
Many contenders here, among them half the Aberdeen team, Joey Barton and Ross Tokely. Michael Carrick was a front runner, but his form only really suffered after his disastrous stint as a centre-back, so this award goes to a player who was truly rotten, the French Charlie Adam, Jerome Rothen

Moment of the Season
Many of the judging panel put forward Steven Craig's goal, but having already given Craig goal of the season, methinks we need to give the award to someone else. As mentioned before, Wayne Rooney has had a magnificent season, one of the high points coming back in January. Carling Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg. A pulsating Manchester derby was set to go to extra time, until Ryan Giggs swung a cross over from the right. Up leapt the boy Rooney infront of the Stretford End and BANG! Some of the judging panel were at the game, and experienced what was by far the best atmosphere at Old Trafford for many, many years. The blue-blooded noisy neighbours had been well and truly silenced. Fook off back to Stockport

Stat of the Season
From the Sids 2010: In Feburary, Catalan hospitals reported a 45% increase in the birthrate- exactly 9 months after Andres Iniesta's last-minute goal that took Barcelona into the Champions League Final

Shifty's World Cup Preview: Group G

This looks set to be one of the most interesting, and high-scoring, groups of the World Cup. Brazil are, along with Spain, favourites to lift the trophy on July 11. They should qualify comfortably from a group that also contains their B team (Portugal), Sven Goran Eriksson's Ivory Coast, and Kim Jong-Il's North Korea.

Brazil
Dunga's outfit topped the South American qualification section, and won last summer's Confederations Cup in South Africa. Their array of attacking talent is as impressive as ever- Sevilla frontman Luis Fabiano will lead the line, with midfield support likely to come from Benfica's industrious wideman Ramires on the right, Robinho on the left and Kaka in the middle in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with backup being provided in the form of Elano, Julio Baptista and Nilmar- Lyon forward Michel Bastos, who has been deputising at left-back, could also be pushed back into his natural position. But this Brazil team lacks the flair, the joie de vivre, the kamikaze attacking instincts of previous Brazilian sides. Dunga, very much a destroyer himself, will send his side out with 2 defensive midfielders in Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo- both players' remit does not extend into the opposing half, and neither has the range of passing to be able to open the game up. Expect Maicon to get the nod at right-back over Dani Alves to provide an extra outlet on the right, but no-one has made the left-back position their own. Expect them to be solid in defence nonetheless- Inter's Julio Cesar has established himself as 1st choice, and, unusually for Brazilian keepers, he's actually good, although he's a slight inury doubt for the start of the tournament. Should he miss out, Spurs' Heurelho Gomes has proved himself to be an able deputy. They should progress comfortably enough from this group (the quality of the opposition they face is not of a sufficient standard to turn them over), however they could struggle to break down a side who can contain their front 4. They also face a probable 2nd round match against a Chile side who could simply outscore them, or even worse Spain.

Portugal
It's unfair to describe this lot as Cristiano Ronaldo + 10 others. After all, they have a top-class goalkeeper in Eduardo of Sporting Braga, the defence features Chelsea pair Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho, Porto's midfield anchorman Raul Meireles.....you know what, this is just Cristiano Ronaldo + 10 others. Coach Carlos Queiroz struggled to get the best out of Ronaldo during qualifying, with CR9 scoring a total of 0 times as Portugal limped through qualifying, needing a play-off victory over Bosnia. There are doubts over the fitness over Real Madrid central defender Pepe (who has been bewilderingly deployed in midfield), and, Ronaldo besides, there is a dearth of top-class players. Queiroz's attacking options were further limited this week with Nani being ruled out of the tournament after injuring himself performing an acrobatic overhead kick in training (no, really)- add to this concerns over the fading influence of Deco (against Brazil, Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo will surely have him for breakfast) and, Ronaldo apart, a lacklustre front line (apart from THAT howitzer of a free-kick for Porto against Inter a few years back, Hugo Almeida has done little of note), and an earlyish exit beckons. It's hard to see them getting beyond the last 16

Ivory Coast
The Sven Goran Eriksson World Tour makes its latest stop-off with Ivory Coast for this summer, before a probable move to a biggish European club. His squad arrive in South Africa after a poor showing in the African Nations Cup earlier this year, having been knocked out in the quarter-finals by a so-so Algeria side. Eriksson has had little time to stamp his authority on a side that possesses real strength and quality in some positions, but is desperately lacking in others, so much so that Hibs centre-back Souleymane Bamba is a likely starter alongside Kolo Toure. Behind a positionally clueless, foul-o-matic clown and Souleymane Bamba is Boubacar Barry, who has looked out of his depth at this level. The midfield is strong defensively and physically, with Didier Zokora and Yaya Toure among the best in La Liga, however there is a real lack of creativity- while Zokora and Toure are both excellent at winning the ball and are competent ball-carriers, neither of them have an extensive passing range. In attack, much (if not all) depends on the fitness of Didier Drogba- while the likes of Kader Keita, Salomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane and Gervinho can all play just off a frontman (or as wide attackers in a 4-3-3), none of them can lead the line with the physicality and hold-up ability of Drogba. With Drogba likely to miss what looks like being the crucial opening game against Portugal, the Ivorians may suffer a similar fate as they did in 2006, where a strong, well-fancied team were drawn in a "Group of Death" with Holland and Argentina, and were edged out.

North Korea
Underdogs? Yes. Underestimated? For sure. North Korea have been written off as mere cannon fodder, set for a gubbing in all 3 games. They have already gone down in World Cup folklore for their fantastically audacious attempt to increase their attacking options at the World Cup by registering striker Kim Myong-Won as their 3rd goalkeeper. They came through almost 2 years of qualifying matches to get to the tournament, conceding just 5 goals in the process. Their draw is undeniably tough, although facing such strong sides may actually help them: during qualifying, even against lesser lights such as Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia, coach Kim Jong-Hun set his side out with 5 across the back, looking to utilise striker Jong Tae-Se's pace and power on the counterattack. Against sides with the attacking prowess of Brazil and Portugal, Shifty's Coaching Manual states that the best way to neutralise attack-minded sides is to station 9 or 10 men deep, behind the ball. There will be no expectations or criticisms of the side from home (dissent isn't generally tolerated by Kim Jong-Il), and so anything they get will be a bonus. The team have been together for longer than any other in South Africa (domestic-based players, which is most of them, have been given the last few months off league duty to prepare as a national squad) and have a great spirit about them. Recent friendly results have been encouraging (including a 2-2 draw against fellow qualifiers, and disciples of defensive play, Greece) and, should Kim Jong-Il allow it, many players will harbour aspirations of a move to Europe (North Korean- Russian diplomatic relations are said to be good). They may well struggle to avoid being tonked by Brazil in their opening game but, as long as they can bounce back from that, an off-colour Portugal and a Drogba-less Ivory Coast could be in for a nasty shock. You have not seen the last of North Korea

The bets for Group G:
Brazil to win 9 group stage points: best price 13/5 with Bodog
North Korea to qualify for round 2: best price 16/1 with bwin

Shifty's World Cup Preview: Group F

Reigning champions Italy are favourites to progress, with the other 2nd round place likely to be a straight fight between Paraguay and Slovakia, with New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert freely admitting his side are happy just to be in South Africa

Italy
After stepping down for Euro 2008, World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi has stuck faith with much of the side that triumphed in Germany in 2006- as many as 9 of the team that won the World Cup are likely starters this time round, which has its pluses and minuses: one of the main strengths of that side was their mental strength and resilience; Lippi created a siege mentality within the squad in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal. However, even back then some of the side seemed past their best, and their likely starting line-up contains 7 players over 30. There are concerns about a lack of mobility in a central midfield likely to contain 2 of those 30-somethings, namely Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso, around whom doubts surround; Pirlo has been struggling with a calf injury, while Gattuso is no longer a 1st-choice at AC Milan, and hasn't had much match practice this season. At the back, while Gigi Buffon is one of the very best keepers in the world, there are doubts about the rest of the defence. Fabio Cannavaro has had a woeful season for Juventus (who have now released him. After the World Cup, he's off to the Middle East for some nice petrodollars) and AC Milan full-back is another of the over 30s and looks it. Lippi has at least replaced Marco Materazzi, although his replacement Giorgio Chiellini hasn't fully convinced- it will be interesting to see if Lippi puts in one or both of promising younger options Leonardo Bonucci and Domenico Criscito. Back in 2006, Lippi recognised his lack of a truly top-class centre-forward, and thus decided to take an arsenal of 6 attackers, all with different qualities, a decision that paid dividends. He has adopted a similar approach this time. The forward line features the goalscoring instincts of Alberto Gilardino and Gianpaolo Pazzini, the workrate and industry of Marco Borriello, Serie A's top scorer Antonio Di Natale, the physical presence of Vincenzo Iaquinta and the unpredictablility of Fabio Quagrialella. Providing Lippi's team can provide service to whichever 2 or 3 start in attack, they should progress comfortably, although they may struggle to make an impression beyond that

Paraguay
Argentinian coach Gerardo Martino's side qualified impressively for their 4th consecutive World Cup. They boast an impressive array of attacking talent, even without striker Salvdor Cabanas, who was shot in the head (no, really) in January; Benfica's Oscar Cardozo is set to be partnered by 1 or 2 from Man City benchwarmer Roque Santa Cruz, Dortmund striker Nelson Valdez or Pachuca's Edgar Benitez. And then there's the man this writer is tipping to make a big impact this summer, Valdez's strike partner at Dortmund, Lucas Barrios. Argentinian-born Barrios only received his Paraguayan citizenship earlier this year, but has already found the new for Martino's side in warm-up games, after a fantastic first season in Germany. He too is in contention to start with Cardozo. The problems for Paraguay, however, lie in midfield and defence. If Martino wants to go with 3 of his strikers upfront, then he'll have to swith to 4-3-3, a formation that Paraguay struggled with during qualifying- Martino may yet go 4-4-2 and use Barrios as an impact sub. The defence, which features Sunderland centre-back Paulo Da Silva, is solid enough alongisde the experienced Julio Cesar Caceres, however behind them 5ft 10 keeper Justo Villar is suspect at crosses. They do, though, have sufficient firepower to get them into round 2

Slovakia
This is their first appearance at a World Cup as an independent nation. They took great pride in defeating the Czech Republic in qualifying, and sealed top spot in Group 3 with a 1-0 win away to Poland. They have some highly-rated individuals- Martin Skrtel and Vladimir Weiss Jr (Vladimir Weiss Sr is the coach, and represented Czechosolvakia at Italia 90) both have Premier League experience, while talented Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik captains the side at the tender age of 22. The squad is a young one- their provisional 30-man squad contained only 5 players into their 30s- with much of the focus being on Hamsik. There is no doubting Hamsik's ability, and he may well find himself moving on to an even bigger stage after the World Cup, but can he lead his side to round 2, particularly given doubts over Skrtel's fitness? They may just fall short

New Zealand
With the recent seismic shift in the Earth's surface that resulted in Australia becoming part of Asia, the Oceania qualifying section suddenly became New Zealand's to lose. They managed to see off the collective might of New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Vanderreal and Bahrain to make it to their first World Cup since 1982. I may have made one of those teams up. Expect Ricki Herbert's side to go with 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, with hard-as-nails Blackburn centre-back Ryan Nelsen captaining the side. While they lack the ability to seriously challenge for a place in round 2, they will look to threaten from set pieces, while they are industrious and hard-working. It's difficult to see them managing even 1 point from their 3 games against superior side, but they won't embarass themselves

The bets for Group F:
Italy to win Group F: best price 8/15 with Blue Square
Paraguay top goalscorer Oscar Cardozo: best price 4/1 with bet365
Slovakia to win 3 group points: best price 10/3 with Blue Square
New Zealand to score over 1.5 goals: best price 4/5 with bwin

Shifty's World Cup Preivew: Group E

Despite uncertainty surrounding an injury to Arjen Robben, Holland are much-fancied to do well, and should progress from this group. They are unlikely to be challenged by any of ther other 3 teams in the group; a Cameroon side who seem over-reliant on Samuel Eto'o, Morten Olsen's Denmark and a Japan side looking to improve on a disappointing 2006 World Cup.

Holland
As they do at most tournaments, Holland go into this World Cup as one of the favourites, with an execptionally talented squad at their disposal. However, in previous tournaments, in-fighting and defensive liabilities (not so much liabilities as deciding not to bother with it) have cost them the chance to add to their 1 tournament triumph from Euro 88. Coach Bert van Marwijk has sought to address both of those failings- they won all 8 of their qualifying matches, conceding just 2 goals in the process- the players also talk of a much better team spirit within the camp. They have looked impressive in their build-up to the tournament, putting 4 past Ghana and 6 past Hungary, indeed the only negative from the Hungary match was an injury to Robben. Should Robben make it, then he is expected to line up on the left wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt also operating behind Robin van Persie. If not, then van Marwijk has a number of options- he could replace Robben on the left wing with Rafael van der Vaart, Eljero Elia, Ibrahim Afellay or Ryan Babel, or move van Persie to left-wing and bring in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar at centre-forward. Behind them, Mark van Bommel will kick most things that come his way, with Nigel de Jong alongside him, although van der Vaart could come into that position if van Marwijk is looking for extra creativity. In defence, Feyenoord's Giovanni van Bronckhorst is still an international-class left-back at the age of 35 (incidentally, he shares his birthday (albeit 10 years apart) with the man he could possibly be marking in the quarter-finals, Cristiano Ronaldo), while at right-back Ajax youngster Gregory van der Wiel has come in, allowing van Marwijk to shift Johnny Heitinga into central defence alongside Hamburg's Joris Mathijsen, while Maarten Stekelenburg has taken over from Edwin van der Sar in goals. All things considered, they have all they great attacking talent of previous great Dutch sides, with an improved defence and team spirit. They are very much a force to be reckoned with in South Africa

Cameroon
Paul Le Guen (remember him, Rangers fans?) took charge of a struggling Cameroon side last summer and turned the team's fortunes around to get them to South Africa, before a disappointing showing in the African Nations Cup in which they became over-reliant on Samuel Eto'o before being knocked out by Egypt in the quarter-finals. There's no doubting the qualities of Eto'o (to abbreviate that to "his qualities" would have resulted in apostrophe overload, however it's difficult to see where the service to him is going to come from- aside from Betis midfielder Achille Emana, there's no real creativity in the side. Defensively they are sound- Carlos Kameni is one of Africa's best keepers, in defence Monaco's Nicolas N'Koulou is a real talent capable of playing anywhere along the back 4, and Arsenal's Alex Song offers extra protection in defensive midfield, but, without anyone in attack to help out Eto'o, they'll do well to make it out of the group

Denmark
The Danes qualified impressively ahead of Portugal and Sweden, with a strong blend of youth and experience- talented youngsters such as Simon Kjaer in central defence and Nicklas Bendtner upfront have established themselves as key players in a side otherwise containing players the wrong side of 30, which could be both an asset and a liability. In goals, Thomas Sorensen has carried his club form with Stoke onto the international stage, while Christian Poulsen will anchor the midfield. However, on the flanks Olsen looks set to start with 2 from Jesper Gronkjaer, Martin Jorgensen and Dennis Rommedahl, all of whom are into their 30s, and have lost the best of their pace. Given that Olsen's sides have traditionally favoured attacking from the wings, and that the only natural playmaker in the squad, 18-year-old Christian Eriksen, is unlikely to be put in from the start, they may struggle to create chances for Bendtner and Soren Larsen in attack. They are unlikely to threaten an on-form Holland side, but may just have the edge over Cameroon and Japan to take them into round 2

Japan
This will be only Japan's 4th appearance at the World Cup- their 2006 showing was a real disappointment as they crashed out in the group stage, failing to push on from their 2002 showing on home soil, where they reached round 2. Coach Takeshi Okada (who has set his team a target of reaching the semi-finals) retook the reins of the national team from Ivica Osim in 2007, and has built a technically sound side, who keep the ball well- midfielders Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow and Makoto Hasebe of Wolfsburg add Champions League experience, and, as England found out in their recent warm-up match, centre-backs Yuji Nakazawa and naturalised Brazilian Marcus Tulio Tanaka are both a threat from set-pieces. They do, however, lack an out-and-out goalscorer to strike fear into the hearts of the Dutch, Cameroonian and Danish defences, a problem they also had in 2006. If they can find goals from elsewhere in the team, however, then they'll be in contention with Cameroon and Denmark to sneak into round 2

The bets for Group E:
Holland to score 10 or more goals: best price 17/10 with totesport
Cameroon top scorer Samuel Eto'o: best price 7/4 with Paddy Power
Denmark to win 4 group points: best price 3/1 with bet365
Japan to reach the semi-finals: best price 66/1 with bwin

Shifty's World Cup Preview: Group H

Apologies, readers, for not doing the groups in order: I'm skipping past groups E, F and G until we hear more definite news about the injuries to Arjen Robben, Andrea Pirlo and Didier Drogba respectively. For now, let's plod on with Group H. Spain are overwhelming favourites to top the group ahead of an exciting, adventurous young Chile side and Central American outsiders Honduras. Oh, and Switzerland have qualified again.

Spain
They go into every tournament with a talented squad and many people saying this is their year before failing around about the quarter-finals, but this time could well be different. Firstly, they have a frankly preposterous record in their last 47 games of 44-2-1, which is most certainly championship-winning form. Secondly, the side is largely settled, with most of the starting 11 the same as Euro 2008, but with enough newcomers such as Pedro and Jesus Navas emerging in (and on) the wings to keep the first XI on their toes. But perhaps most importantly of all is that this side, and these players, are winners. Spain have used Euro 2008 as a springboard and come into this tournament full of confidence. Significantly, many of the side's players have also tasted major success with their clubs. They should sail through this group and are, along with Brazil, the pre-tournament favourites to win the competition, a billing they can live up to

Chile
Expect Marcelo Bielsa's young, adventurous side to be one of the more entertaining sides to watch during the tournament. Bielsa is likely to send his team out in a 3-3-1-3 formation, with Sporting CP playmaker Matias Fernandez playing just behind a 3-man frontline that is likely to include ex-Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez on the left, and thereby proving tht he and Fabio Aurelio are, in actual fact, 2 different people. Livewire Udinese frontman Alexis Sanchez is set to feature on the right, with Zaragoza centre-forward Humberto Suazo through the middle. Many of Bielsa's current squad featured in the 2007 Under 20 World Cup, where Chile finished 3rd. In that tournament, it was the 3-3-1-3 formation that brought them success, and as long as their talented youngsters perform again, Chile should progress from this group

Honduras
The Central American minnows are making their 1st appearance at the World Cup since 1982, and have only just made it now. They struggled to make it to 3rd place, and even that required the USA nicking a late draw against Costa Rica. They do have a few individuals playing in the Premier League, namely Wigan pair Maynor Figueroa and Hendry Thomas, alongwith Thomas' central midfield partner Wilson Palacios of Tottenham, but apart from that the team looks decidedly mediocre. They may not even be that attractive to watch, with coach Reinaldo Rueda likely to favour a cautiosu approach- it's difficult to see them finiishing anywhere other than bottom of this group

Switzerland
Ottmar Hitzfeld's side have qualified again, but were far from convincing during their qualifying campaign: indeed, their qualifying campaign featured the standout result of qualifying: Switzerland 1 Luxembourg 2. The side is solid if unspectacular, although a crop of talented youngsters are beginning to emerge- they won the Under-17 World Championship last year, though this tournament will be too soon for the players involved to make it into Hitzfeld's squad. There are question marks over centre-back Philippe Senderos' lack of match practice this season, and they lack a top-class goalscorer- it's therefore difficult to see them making round 2

The bets for Group H
Spain to win 9 points: best price 6/4 general
Chile to score over 4.5 group stage goals: best price 13/10 with bwin
Honduras group finishing position 4th: best price 4/7 with Sportingbet
Switzerland to win 3 group points: best price 10/3 general

Shifty's End of Season Awards: Goal of the Season

Right, I thought I'd take a bit of time out from the World Cup previews to bring y'all the Shifty's Last Word End of Season Awards. Our crack team of judges are still deliberating over the rest of the awards, but we've decided to throw the Goal of the Season Award over to the masses. Here's a selection of goals that have stood out for our panel this season. Post a comment with yer vote either here or on Facebook

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEB3jB5dMHI&feature=related Andrei ARSHAVIN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2BH3dklJo&feature=related Steven CRAIG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx16iOUQn8A Arjen ROBBEN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byK2oBB_ucQ Lukas JUTKIEWICZ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnBIU54iHR8 Karim BENZEMA