World Cup tips: Phil Thompson’s 42/1 flutter on England’s Qatar 2022 chances

Thommo gives us his best picks for England's chances in Qatar.

Phil Thompson England World Cup bets

England World Cup tips

England to Finish 1st, Wales to Finish 2nd
England To Win All Group Games
Harry Kane To Be England’s Top Goalscorer
England to be Eliminated in the Quarter Finals

*An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 42/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.

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England to Finish 1st, Wales to Finish 2nd

I see England topping Group B and they should do it taking the full nine points too. But it’s not going to be easy, and it could be tricky with Wales in the group too. Also there’s the USA.

These are derby games, even against the USA I’d class that as a rivalry because they want to beat us more than anyone else in the world.

We can’t forget Iran too. Those guys will be playing in the climate, while the players from our part of the world might struggle in the heat.

We all know just how unpredictable derby games can be. So, with that in mind, England will need to be careful. Saying that, we have the best squad of all four teams, I’ve little doubt about that.

Wales have some great players and are a strong unit, but they don’t have players plying their trade at some of the best clubs in European football. Likewise for America, there’s some great players there and a solid team but quite inexperienced at elite-level competition like the World Cup.

England To Win All Group Games

I’m backing England to top Group B and to finish their group games with nine points from a possible nine. I don’t think it will be plain sailing for Gareth Southgate’s Lions but I think they’ll have enough to win all their matches.

Over recent games they’ve set up very offensively – there’s a lot of top attacking players in the squad now and if he has to make changes to shore up the defence he’ll be able to do that too off the bench.

Harry Kane To Be England’s Top Goalscorer

I think Harry Kane will perform quite well in the World Cup. He’s still improving as a player, he’s got more experience now, playing regularly in Europe and his football brain has improved over recent seasons. I think he’ll bag a decent amount of goals and don’t forget he’s on penalties too. It worried me recently when Spurs manager Antonio Conte said he was fatigued following the defeat to Nottingham Forest in the League Cup.

I was just thinking ‘oh no’ – not because he looked tired, but because what a manager says will find its way into a player’s mind. Then Kane might start thinking he was fatigued and we certainly don’t want him thinking in that way going into a World Cup.

I can see England getting past the Last 16 and then getting knocked out but Kane, with his goals, can really drive this team and it won’t be for his lack of trying that we’ll eventually be elimated along the way.

I don’t think there’s really anyone else we can rely on for goals and he’s surely going to be England’s Top Goalscorer in the tournament.

England to be Eliminated in the Quarter Finals

I want England to do well, of course I do, and I want them to succeed and if we top Group B we should be favourites going into a Last 16 game, but then you’d have to look at the quater-finals and the likes of the other teams who will make it that far. I just don’t think the team will be stong enough against any of the last eight teams.

We had a very poor Nations League, and defensively I don’t think we’re stong enough. That has to be the foundation of any good team who wants to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world. I reckon the teams that we could come up against in the quarter-finals are going to be one step too far for this England side.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

England World Cup tips

England to Finish 1st, Wales to Finish 2nd
England To Win All Group Games
Harry Kane To Be England’s Top Goalscorer
England to be Eliminated in the Quarter Finals

*An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 42/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.

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