World Should Fear England – Gerrard

Live World Cup Draw

Ask Kasey Keller, ask our editor, ask anyone who has ever been in England in World Cup year. Newspapers that will shy of predicting the monthly rise in the unemployment rate in North West Norwich, will crown England World Cup winners before a ball is kicked. Usually the players know better.

But not Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard. The Reds’ captain has put the rest of the world on alert to beware England in Friday’s draw, which saw England placed in the top seeds. Gerrard has used the likelihood of an initial favourable draw and concluded that England can win the trophy and believes it’s time for the other sides in the competition to fear and respect them.

“It can only be to our advantage. We can come against some tricky teams in that “pot four” but I think the way England are playing we have improved since Fabio Capello took charge. I don’t think we can be afraid of anyone. We will certainly respect anyone we come up against. But for me, I think it’s time teams started fearing us.”

In entirely related news, Ghana manager Milovan Rajevac has announced the list of teams he fears. The Serbian who could end up coaching against his home country incidentally said, “England have a very good coach but I think Ghana playing England wouldn’t be a problem. Any team is okay but I don’t like Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Serbia. These teams play very good and I’d like to avoid them in the group phase. Maybe in the quarter-finals or later on.”

Rajevac has a very powerful squad to call from and in the eyes of some, if Africa is to produce the winner in the first World Cup to be decided on the African continent, the “Black Stars” of Ghana are likely to be the one. Rajevac should know what he is talking about. Among the players he has at his disposal are Chelsea’s Michael Essien, Inter Milan’s Sulley Muntari, and Bologna’s Stephen Appiah. As well as England and Italy, Ghanaian squad players represent clubs in Holland, France, Spain and Germany. His comments about Serbia may be more than lip service too.

The Serbs finished top of a tough group containing France, Romania, Lithuania and Austria and made it look easy. Manchester United’s highly respected centre half Nemanja Vidić, Inter’s Dejan Stanković and Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović are their best known players but they have quality all over the field. However four years ago, the Serbs were drawn in a very tough group and lost all three games to the Netherlands, Argentina and the Ivory Coast. Nonetheless, despite all the hullaballoo about Portugal and France’s presence in that Pot 4 when they should have been seeded, Serbia may also be one of the sides worth avoiding in Friday’s draw.

Also see:
Capello: We Can Win It – The Sun

England Calm Down – Glasgow Herald