William Hill’s twitter home for everything World Cup related is #ItsComingHome
and while football may not be returning to its spiritual source in Russia, there are reasons for optimism that England can bring the famous trophy back to its roots by the time the tournament is over and done with.
Gareth Southgate’s side are 16/1 to win the World Cup and there’s plenty of cause to be optimistic that this time David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and the Lightning Seeds’ famous words will be vindicated. #ItsComingHomeeven has it’s own emoji.
#ItsComingHome because England are riding a lengthy unbeaten streak
The Three Lions are unbeaten in their last ten games. Not only that, but they won seven of those and conceded only twice across the whole sequence.
Yes Malta were among their victims, but so were the Netherlands, while neither 2014 World Cup winners Germany, nor Brazil, 4/1 favourites for the 2018 edition, could get the best of them.
#ItsComingHome because their draw’s given them a chance to gain some serious momentum
England were dealt a bad hand in Brazil four years ago, when they failed to qualify from a group featuring Uruguay, Italy and surprise quarter-finalists Costa Rica.
This time around, Southgate’s squad have been handed a far more hospitable section, with Panama and Tunisia looking very beatable in their first two games.
That should have the side purring by the time they take on Belgium, a good but far from terrifying team, in the match which should secure top spot in Group G for the victor.
The Three Lions are 6/5 to give an early signal #itscominghomeby winning their group.
#ItsComingHome because Harry Kane is a world class striker
One of only four players to score more than 30 goals in Europe’s top five leagues last season, along with Lionel Messi, Benfica’s Jonas and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, England are in possession of centre-forward in a different stratosphere to the ones available to Roy Hodgson at Brazil 2014.
Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Rickie Lambert were the strikers called up four years ago, but the first mentioned was the highest league scorer in the preceding campaign, with 20 strikes.
Kane has eight goals in his last eight appearances for his nation. He’s 11/10 to be top England goalscorer at the World Cup and 16/1 to be outright top goalscorer at the tournament.
14th June 2018
