World Cup Betting
Since Fabio Capello took over as England manager in 2008, fifteen players have scored for the Three Lions. As the Italian finalises his squad for the World Cup it is worth considering who is going to provide England’s goals in South Africa.
It will surprise no-one to discover that Wayne Rooney has been England’s leading scorer under Capello. Rather than simply accommodating Rooney in their line up, both Capello and Sir Alex Ferguson have realised that making Rooney the focal point of their attack is likely to reap more rewards. Bear in mind though that the Manchester United striker failed to score a single goal in England’s march to the quarter-finals in Germany four years ago, although he was generally playing as a lone striker under Sven Goran Eriksson.
Rooney has scored eleven goals under Capello and is the 7/4 favourite to top score for England in South Africa.
Jermain Defoe’s form for club and country is likely to see the diminutive forward in Capello’s squad for South Africa and the Spurs hitman is 9/2 to be England’s top goalscorer at the World Cup. Defoe leads the Premier League top scorers table this season with fourteen goals and despite not playing every match under Capello he has notched eight international goals since the Italian took charge. He was England’s third top goalscorer during 2009 and with his role in the squad becoming ever more important it could well be his chance to burst onto the international scene in the summer.
I like the chances of Frank Lampard to be top scorer for England at the World Cup at 11/2. Having undergone something of a renaissance under Capello (the introduction of the more defensively minded Gareth Barry alongside Lampard has allowed the Chelsea man to play his more attacking game) he was joint top scorer for England in 2009 with six goals.
Lampard is also England’s nominated penalty taker and so the prospect of a ‘bonus’ spot kick goal, his ability to find space and his recent goalscoring record for the Three Lions make him excellent value to top score in South Africa at 11/2.
Of the remaining contenders, Steven Gerrard leads the betting at 6/1. Looking a pale shadow of his former Liverpool self and occupying an unfamiliar left sided role for England, Gerrard has struggled for goals of late. The Liverpool captain has only scored four goals for England since the start of 2008 and both of his two England goals in 2009 were scored within an hour of one another in England’s 5-1 demolition of Croatia in September.
He remains one of Capello’s most experienced and trusted midfielders but his recent form and goals record for England don’t tempt me at 6/1.
Interestingly, one of the main challengers to Gerrard’s position on England’s left side is a 22/1 shot. Joe Cole is returning from injury problems but a fit Cole is almost certain to travel with England to South Africa. Prior to injury, Cole was England’s joint second top scorer in 2008 and also hit the net with a stunning volley against Sweden in the 2006 finals.
Peter Crouch has been a bit-part player under Capello with the Italian seemingly preferring the muscular strength of Emile Heskey. Whilst Heskey might bring power and purpose to the England front line, Crouch, lest we forget, has an international goalscoring record that rivals any striker. The 28 year old has scored 18 goals in just 35 England appearances and hit the back of the net four times for England in 2009. That’s only one less than the prolific Defoe and so if he plays himself into Capello’s reckoning by June the 10/1 about Crouch top scoring for England at the World Cup could look very tempting indeed.
Emile Heskey is 16/1 to be England’s top scorer, but considering the Villa centre forward has scored less international goals than Paraguayan goalkeeping legend Jose Luis Chilavert, there won’t be many tempted by that price.
Darren Bent is 20/1, Carlton Cole is 25/1 and Theo Walcott is 22/1 to repeat his exploits in that famous away win in Croatia in September 2008. For the romantics, Michael Owen is a 28/1 chance to roll back the years and reproduce his best international form in South Africa. There’s just the small manner of getting in the squad in the first place, of course…
