H: Gary O’Reilly, host
A: Alan Shearer
B: Ronald Koeman
H: Hi I’m Gary O’Reilly, and welcome to this World Cup special web TV show, brought to you by Castrol. Joining me in the studio are two of football’s true legends, ex-England captain Alan Shearer and ex-Holland captain Ronald Koeman. Over the course of the next 15 minutes or so we will find out who the guys are tipping for success in South Africa this summer. So guys, welcome
A: Thank you
H: South Africa in June – I can’t remember a time when there has been so much individual talent on show, and Castrol have come up with a really good ranking system. Won’t bore you with all of it, only to say that we have Leonel Messi at number one, Christiano Ronaldo at number two and Fernando Torres at three. For the European stats, don’t worry we have Wayne Rooney up at one and out of those four guys, do you think these players are the ones that the world cup could well hinge on? Alan?
A: Absolutely. I’ve got no doubt about that, we all want to see the best players in the world and those players you’ve just mentioned and Messi and Ronaldo and Torres and Rooney, they without doubt are the best players in the world. That’s what people pay money to go and watch, to go and watch their skills, their goals, their extravagance, so it’s – I think it’s got – potentially it’s got the – it’s got everything. I’m really looking forward to it because t here’s some great teams on show and some fantastic individual talent
H: Well. Leonel Messi – you’re still in touch with Barcelona, I’m sure you are. How come his performances in the red and blue haven’t transferred into the blue and white?
B: That’s more difficult, in the last few times what you saw was that Messi was not reaching the level what he shows by his own club Barcelona, but maybe for this tournament, and depends the shape what he is, but he’s a fantastic player, he plays one against one, he can play on the left, he can play on the right side. Maybe the way of playing, the style – the Argentine team is a little bit different, that can be a reason for him, that it’s – the feeling is not the same for him than playing for Barcelona, but in quality he’s one of the best players of the world
H: And Alan let’s talk about Torres – we’ve seen him in the English premier league, but he’s carrying a couple of injuries. Is it asking too much of him to carry everything for Spain?
A: Well I think in a strange sort of way, if he can play regular between now and the end of the season then the injuries might have been of benefit to Spain. So he wouldn’t have had a full, hard season with Liverpool, with the regulars of the premier league, week in, week in out. So he might go into the tournament a little bit fresher than he normally would, so which will be of benefit to him and to Spain, but not only have Spain got him of course, they’ve got David Via as well whose a great talent, but in Torres if he is fit then fierce, power, good in the air, work rate – he has everything. He’s a top, top striker
H: Ok. Castrol have calculated Spain’s chances of actually winning the world cup and it comes out at 16.1%. Don’t be too scared, there’s some teams in there with zero! Do you see they will – because it looks as if they win their games, out of their group and go through the knockout stages, they will have one tough task to reach the final. Do you think Ronald they are more than equipped to deal with that? All the way through the team?
B: Yes I think so because they didn’t have any problem in the qualification, in the group and what they show is in the European, in the time that they won that – I think it’s an experience and good experience with the qualities what has the team – the team is quiet, the team is confidence and depends the strikers, everybody has to be in good shape. With Villier and Torres it’s a fantastic couple in front of the team, and with the midfield, it’s Fabregas, it’s a great player but sometimes he did not play, and that means the team is not 11 players, that means a big squad. For me one of the favourites
H: Interesting. On the European qualifiers, the man that came top – Mr Rooney. Do we think he has more than enough to carry the expectations of the English nation with him?
A: Well he’s carried expectations of Man United all this season so to go a little bit further and carry England’s expectations I don’t think will be a problem for him. The problem that we have is trying to keep him fit, because there’s a lot of games for him to play in between now and the start of the world cup. He’s having an exceptional season, he’s doing everything that his manager is asking of him – playing upfront on his own, and that’s not an easy role I can tell you
H: No
A: I think I know probably better than most. So – and he’s not only doing that but he’s scoring goals on a regular basis, so if England are to do well in the world cup then we don’t want to put too much pressure on him because it’s – but he can handle it anyway, but if England are going to do well then he has to play well and a lot of the hopes rest on his shoulders.
H: Ok we have another graphic here, this time England’s chances as calculated by Castrol – 10.4% which is right up there with the best of them, I can tell you. Ronald – Wayne Rooney. Have you seen his game develop? How would you put him in terms of world class right now?
B: With the five best attack players in the world, because what he’s showing now in the last few months, a little bit different position in the team, more in the centre of the attack but he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s shooting right, left and in the box very dangerous and he develop himself in a fantastic way, and I agree what Alan said about if England will do something about champions, Rooney has to be in a good shape
H: Ok let’s look at the team everybody is expecting to be in the final at some stage – Brazil. You know their chances are immense, we’ve not even mentioned Kaka – we’ve not even gone through Lucio, and Maicon and Pato and maybe even Ronaldo, there’s talk of Ronaldo being brought back by Dunga, and even Ronaldinho – do we think that they are just as well equipped as Spain?
B: Yes, yes. For me in the big stakes – what the coach is doing is not individual players, he’s looking for the team, and balancing the team, I think that’s very important. That’s maybe all as well the reason that he will not select Ronaldinho because maybe he’s too much individual for the team, but they have so many choices in Brazil, they could put three teams who can win the world champions and Dunga for sure will select the best players for the best team, but he will create with Brazil
H: Alan – Brazil?
A: Yes
H: I mean their chances as calculated, 23.6% which I can tell you is the highest of anyone of the 32 clubs, teams rather out there in South Africa. Do they have- do they have exactly what it takes to carry this away?
A: Absolutely. Which is why they’ll go into the tournament as favourites, because of the players they have, because of their success over the years, because of the way they play, and I believe that whoever is going to win this tournament will have to beat either Brazil or Spain somewhere along the way to win it
H: Ok. Let’s push it – same question to both of you. If it’s England, are England well enough equipped to dismantle Brazil at this present time?
A: Well probably one to eleven England probably aren’t as good as Brazil, but on the day then England are capable of beating anyone. But I – I believe there’s a clutch of teams if you like, 4,5,6 teams that will be there or thereabouts, and it’s the same old suspects – Brazil, Spain, England, Holland, Argentina, Germany, Italy and a surprise will be I think an African team from somewhere, but from whoever’s going to win it will without a doubt come from one of those teams
H: Ronald?
B: Yes I’m agree with that. England in the best day of England can beat Brazil, like Holland can beat Spain one day and that’s difficult
H: Are Netherlands equipped to take on Brazil and win? I mean we’ve seen them play fantastic football throughout their team, throughout the squad there is individual talent. Is it enough to beat Brazil?
B: To beat Brazil you have to play completely fantastic and in defence way, attack way, all the big players has to be in a good shape and a good physical shape, after a big, long season, what they had to play for this club, but that’s possible. In football that’s the nicest to football, everything is possible
H: Well Netherlands chances calculated just behind England’s at 10.1% so everybody’s calculated they’ve got a real chance of doing so. You touched on something Alan – African nation. Ronald which African nation for you looks geared up to make the biggest challenge?
B: For me it’s that Ivory Coast. I think that at this moment the most strongest team in Africa which is strong by in front and looks like more stable and in balance than the rest of the African team
H: is it all about Drogba for Côte d'Ivoire to the Ivory Coast?
A: Probably yes, I think Drogba to Ivory Coast is what Rooney is to England. He’s a great player on his day. Not many defenders will be able to handle him – big, strong, powerful, can score with either foot, can score with his head, so it’s very much like England. If Ivory Coast are going to do something then he has to play well. But they’re in a very tough group
H: They are indeed in a very tough – is there enough depth in that Ivory Coast squad? I mean we know about the two Toures, Kalou and Yaya, we look through Zokoro, we’ve got Drogba, we’ve Kalou, Dindane, Kone – is there, is there enough really at the back and eveyrwhere else if they have a little bit of bad form?
A: Well for them to do well they’re going to need a lot of luck as well, ie. Keeping up their best players fit, because when the players that you’ve just named, if they keep all those players fit, they’ve got a strong team. And not many teams will want to play against them, so if they’re going to progress they’re going to need luck and their best players fit. If they do that then I think they will progress
H: Ronald – what’s the biggest factor in being successful in the world cup? The one single factor?
B: I don’t think so is only one factor
H: Ok
B: First of all everybody has to play on this highest level possible for the team, that’s very important, in good shape and little by little growing up in a tournament which you see sometimes with Germany, they have problems to qualify for the next round but little by little they will have the shape for to win the tournament and that’s – everything has to pull together and you need luck, you need your key palyers in the best shape and you need all that kind of things to be champions
H: Alan outside of maybe an African nation like Ivory Coast, do you see a surprise coming from somewhere else around the world apart from the superpowers?
A: No I don’t. I see – my – I’m the same as Ronald, I think if one team’s going to do that I think it will be Ivory Coast but I think then you’ll see some good play from a lot of teams, but I think when it comes down to the nitty gritty you’ll see the usual suspects there
H: Ok we’ve got a question from one of our live audience - welcome to the show. Warwick Todds says “whose going to win the golden boot?” His money – lucky man, he’s got some, is on Torres. Ronald, who do you think will carry away that golden boot at the end?
B: I will say Villier
H: Ok. Alan?
A: Rooney
H: Unusual, unusual maybe not with Wayne Rooney but with David Villier yes, that’s an interesting shout because you fancy Spain to play that attacking game, you fancy he’s going to sneak in while everyone’s focused maybe on Torres?
B: Yes because it’s a good couple together. They play in a fantastic way together in the team and – but it can be Torres but it can be as well Villier, but he’s really a goal scorer
H: Interesting you talk about a couple. Everybody focuses on an individual striker, but is it more dangerous to defend against a really talented pair? Maybe they complement each other, is that the key to getting more goals?
B: Normally yes it’s more easy to defend one player than a couple of two attack players, that’s for sure
H: Ok you don’t feel maybe Serbia? Or one of the emerging Slovakia out of Europe, maybe not win it but definitely come into the knockout stages?
A: Well I think – yes but when you get down to the last four, last eight then I would be surprised if it wasn’t the usual suspects because I don’t particularly expect Argentina to have a great world cup but an Italy or a Germany, England, Spain, Brazil – don’t think France will have a great World cup either, I think there’s too much goings-on off pitch for the France team than on it so yes, Brazil, Spain, England.
H: Ok, got another question from our audience, this one for Ronald from Harry Arabas – “Ronald tell me, how are you doing your strong free kicks?” Now that could be a vital element in this year’s world cup, free kicks
B: Yes because there are details to win, to break open the match and you have to train a lot
H: But we’ve got a lot of games at altitude – that might just affect the way the ball travels, I mean there’s a certain technique players like Ronaldo from Portugal will use. Do you think that might be an important factor?
B: Can be but as well the corner kicks, the free kicks because you have to do nothing for to score and how many games decide by a corner kick or a free kick, and the team who has that kind of quality in a team is all – has no reason to reach a long way in the world champions
H: Ok got a question for you Alan? “What was your secret?” This one from Ali Price, thank you Ali. “What was your secret when it came to penalties? Do you fancy England’s chances – “ here we go, question I thought might happen – “if we get a shoot-out situation?” Alan, all yours.
A: My secret was shut my eyes and pray because I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to take a penalty in a penalty shoot-out. The pressure on the individual players is immense. I used to practice, practice, practice. I used to pick my spot the night before the game, I used to do my homework on the goalkeeper and the team I was playing against, had I played against the goalkeeper before, if so where had I put it, what will I be doing if I play against him tomorrow? I always – because we had open training sessions the night before a game, I always used to practice 10 penalties and put them into the exact opposite area I was going to put it because I knew there’s be someone in the stand watching from the other team. And I used to pick my spot on the day of the game and stick to it and try and hit it
H: Well Ali, you’ve got inside information there, that’s how it’s down, from the master. Ok chaps, Alan, who will win the world cup in South Africa?
A: As much as I would love to say England will win the world cup, I’m probably going to go for Spain. I was hugely impressed with them, the way they won the European cup last time two year ago and I’m going to go for Spain again
H: Ronald?
B: I like to say Holland
H: But of course
B: But finally I think it will be Spain
H: Well looks like a fiesta is about to descend upon South Africa. Sadly that’s it, that’s all we have for today. It’s thank you to my guests Alan Shearer and Ronald Koeman, so if you want to learn more about the world cup in South Africa and fuel your football knowledge check out castrolfootball.com and don’t forget those ten classic moments from 50 years of the FIFA world cup, that you’ll be able to find at castrolmoments.com. And that’s it from us, from my guests and myself, thank you for joining me, and we look forward to seeing you next time
