I think that we have a better chance than usual for victory in the coming World Cup. Not only have we solved our left-side problem, but we also have more strength in depth than usual going into the tournament. Right-back is a somewhat weak position, but apart from that we have a good replacement for anyone who might be injured. Also working to our advantage is that Sven already knows that he'll be losing his job once the tournament is over, so he won't be quite so afraid of taking a few risks. The only thing that worries me is that while the team contains some great individuals, they might not function as well as a unit. Gerrard and Lampard are never quite as commanding for their country as they are for their respective clubs.

We're certainly good enough to top our group, and even failing that I can't see us failing to qualify. Once we've done that it's simply a matter of consistency, which is something we've been improving on recently. A lucky draw in the knockout stages would give us the confidence we need to take on the better sides. If we can avoid Brazil and Argentina until the semis then we should be in with a shout.

On the subject of top scorers, I think Rooney will out-score Owen by a couple of goals. The kid is so good at beating players, it'd take a team with a bloody good defence to mark him out of the game. And Trinidad and Tobago ain't it.