 Welcome to Toffy TV The World Cup is on in a few days and we're continuing the previews. It is Group D, it is Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria. This has got to be the group of death bars. Group D for death. Do you want to do that? Yeah, look on at those teams. Let's see if they've seen it. Yeah, I mean those teams, very, very tricky. Very tricky group to go. On paper you look at it and go, it should be Argentina and probably Croatia. But Iceland, we've seen at the Euros what they can do and Nigeria. We've just seen them play England recently and quite first half they weren't very good, but second half they had a lot of chances and wasted chances really, wasted good counterattacks. You can make a case for most of the teams. You can because there's not one complete team in this. Argentina, they are unbelievable on one end of the path and the other end of the path, they're absolutely terrible. The goalkeeper got injured, the back four is just, you can't put a proper back four together. They're having to rely on Masgrano. I mean he's experienced and he's... He's experienced as the right word. Well he is, he's 33 or 34 now, so he's experienced and can do the role, but this is the highest level and Otamendi is probably the most recognisable centre back. He's okay, but he's not brilliant. He misses me. You know, they've left, furans mor i ar ôn. Barbecue, see. I think defensively they are very good. Obviously offensively they are, but they're going forward. They've got like Shadimadir, he's a fabulous footballer. And then the attacking areas, they've got Messi and Dabale. So they've got players. Aguero, Cunaguero. That's the thing, the problem that they've struggled for in the last few years, I think is that they never really, because they've had so many good attacking players, they've never really set up to accommodate Messi properly. I don't think, no. But recently they've started to do that. I think people forget as well that the last World Cup, Messi was absolutely fantastic. But because he didn't win it, because he was probably worn out by the final, people sort of associate with him now, he never sort of come to the party, but he really did. I think it's all on his shoulders again, but they've got to let him play. And I think recently you've seen that he is, I think he scored a hat a couple of weeks or so ago, and it was only as Haiti. But I think he's getting more and more chances now, and he's laying out how to be a player who is an all-round good player. Do you know what I mean? He's laying out. You look at Ronaldo, Ronaldo is now becoming a player that doesn't, Ronaldo legero round the pitch. He just uses his experience to be in the right place at the right time, like a proper striker. You see that from Messi as well. He doesn't need to go on. He doesn't even have to pick the ball up 30 yards from goal and take everyone on. He's such a good player, he's got so much experience that now he just knows where to be at the right place at the right time. I know he's always had that in his career, but what I mean is that he'll start doing more and more of that and become a little bit less and less and less, but you'll get probably just as much output. I think that's important for Argentina, that other players contribute, and obviously they've got the likes of Di Maria as well on the wing. The abundance of front is unbelievable. The fact that they could leave out a Cardi is just unbelievable. But they need someone else though, this World Cup, they need someone else because in the last few years too much has been placed on his shoulders. I know the players, how many chances are they going to miss in big games? He is the ultimate choker in big games. The last time was the Cup of America in America, where he had three really good chances and then they ended up getting beaten on pens by Chile, and he needs someone just to take that little bit of weight off him. Because also then, because if someone does take the weight off him, he's going to be marked, doubly marked, so he's going to have a little bit more freedom. If Argentina can get that right, listen they've got to do a hell of a lot because you've seen a couple of months ago when they played Spain, Spain put six past them, that showed how bad they are at the back. They've got to ever been eager as well, who's a very good footballer in the field. But the key for them will be at the back, can they get a unit that can defend, get a bit of organisation. That's really what they need to work on because offensively they are very, very good. A thing messy, one of the ultimate things in football, that was bigger than football, was he refused to play the game against Israel. And we said we are human beings, footballers. Do you think he has to win the World Cup for people to say he's the greatest ever? Not for me. I think he's the greatest ever, I've never seen Pelé, but Pelé was obviously brilliant at that time. I've seen Maradona, Maradona was incredible, and Messi is incredible, so I don't know about you, how you can properly quantify who is the best. I think Maradona will still be able to do it in this day if he was around. I think he will be able to do more in this day because of the pitches, because of the boots, because of the drug testings. But I think for a lot of people he would have to win it before they would say he was at the very peak of his powers. I think he's a fabulous footballer and he's delivered year after year. That's why I think he's the best after year. He's delivered for 10, 11 years now, every single year. Don't forget Pelé and Maradona and other great players, George Best and Dixie Dean. Other great players didn't have Champions League every year to deliver on. Obviously Maradona came to Europe and played obviously for Barcelona and it was fantastic, but Pelé played South America then North America, so he's done it on some people say he's a bigger stage than the Whale Cup. I don't personally I still think the Whale Cup is the ultimate. See I don't, I love the Whale Cup but the reason why I say this and this is mainly the reason is because the Whale Cup gets played at the end of very tough seasons and I feel like for the last three or four Whale Cups we've not seen the best players at their peak because their peak is normally around February and March. Is that also because the playing against the very best players from every nation? No I just think physically I think you have to be your best and I just think a lot of players I think what I'm saying is you do get players being at the best but what I'm saying is you don't have all the best players playing at the best because I think a lot of them are just Well then that'll make Qatar in system Qatar's getting played in December Let's move on to Iceland Obviously Guilfee, main man This is his big chance Iceland they've got tournaments experience from two years ago, they've really well in the Euros, surprised a lot of people First ever Wellcome I think so yeah Energised a lot of people with their performances and their fans and doing the old clap and all that and people will be looking for them to do that again and I hope they can because there'll be nothing worse that I've detained up for this and just get beaten three times I hope they're going and for us I want Guilfee to have a boss he's had that injury he's coming back for me, he should be fresh it's whether he's match fit he played 25 minutes to the 19 of Friendly scored against Norway and I think they'll have another game probably in between and I want him to have a big World Cup I want him to do well, I want him to come back from the World Cup I always think that if a player gets a chance to play for his country I know other people in the World Cup or in a tournament, I know other people like I don't really want that but I've got to think about for them if a player misses out on a tournament or whatever how mentally what state that's going to leave I want him to have a boss World Cup so he comes back and goes you know what because they'll know their expectations they'll know their limitations they can get out of this group which you know what, it could happen and they've all played well and they've all done as well as they can and they've had those little individual moments then he'll come back buzzing as would any player he's the one they're going to look to obviously they've got the government and he's the kid he's had a very good season of playing he's got a good left foot quick so he's another one he might surprise a few maybe and take the pressure off Guilfee a little bit because oppositions will be looking at it but these are a team now they are a team they're a club side playing in a World Cup they're all together it's a small nation really really small nation great fans they've got brilliant fans they've got a good defensive unit I'm not saying that they won't can ship goals I'm just saying what I'm saying that's their strength they've gone on set pieces they've organised them they've beaten England in the last Euro people were surprised by that but they deserved it on the night what's different about Guilfee when he plays and actually this is what I'd like to see him play for Evan he is a proper number 10 when he plays for these he's just off the striker he really is they go you're our best player everything's going to be around you you get up there don't worry about this end of the pitch you just get up there it's a delight to see him play for Evan it's where I've wanted him to play from the start he's peaky now this is going to be his one and only World Cup but it's going to be the World Cup in his peak with that golden generation of Icelandic players so let's hope they go there and have a real go I'm sure they will and like you said you want them to have a good World Cup so that kicks on to his club form Croatia always got good footballers I've got two of the best centre of my fielders in the world you know one at Barcelona one at Real Madrid but they can just never quite put it together when you look at Croatia look at their players they should be an outside they should be centre of an but they should be because look at the players you just mentioned Maltric in Raketic in Perisic he's a wad he's a pacy he's a great left foot he's a bit hit but he's experienced he's played at some big clubs they've got Kalanic who knows where the net is you know what defensively they've got Lovren he's not brilliant but he's alright what's his name he's played for Manchester City he's getting on a bit but he's a good experienced defender I think what he misses when he played against Brazil he was terrific in possession they just lack a bit of pace and they lack a player off you know up front who's a runner that's what they lack they're really good, they're technical but there's no pace you know that really and when you watch Flassage he's like the prototype Croatian player nice, neat, tidy but they just don't produce players with that to say and I think that's the problem they've got players to open the door they just haven't got players to take advantage of that they've always been like that even back to that one he was absolutely brilliant but he had no pace I don't think they've got anyone off front who's anywhere near as good as that see what, on the ball the great but they want, they craft everyone has to be crafted everyone has to be pass, pass, pass to open that door and I think where teams will expose them is that if they nick the ball they'll be able to break on them really, really quickly that's what Brazil tried to do they nick the ball in their field and then broke on them quickly and I think with the lack of pace at the back they might catch them out they might have to shift deep that's the problem isn't it for them but technically and on paper they've got some fantastic football there's good big names if they had one of those centre forwards they'd be amazing they'd be actually they're just laughing that one, that real one and whether it be a centre forward or a real winger he's a winger but he's not lightning winger he's more of a strong runner obviously he's getting older isn't he he was peak in 14 he was brilliant when you look now and you think if they just had one or a midfielder who had a better pace he could break into the box so a third man run it to go with these two in midfielder it's just something lacking technically they're absolutely fantastic as they play that brings us to Nigeria again they're always in well cups and I don't think they're I don't think they're seen as a strong Nigerian team this time out but like you said before watched them against England the other day and first off they were absolutely terrible I mean I mean terrible they were just so poor but second off they come out they got under the skin of England really quickly and started throwing the ball and with the pace and with the strength hustling winning the ball back pressing high they started to get under the skin of England and you know what actually against someone like Argentina they do that at their defence I mean that's that's if they can get the ball but if they can do that to them they can upset the apple cards in games it's just whether they can upset it enough enough times in games to actually make a difference but they've got they've got pace of me they've got victim ousers who does well for them they've got in the atio off front he hasn't done as well as I thought he would and he went to Leicester because he was he was a goalscorer city but you know he's a threat so when you look at that and you watch them you've got obviously the experience of John Owey McHale in midfield Owey was at the good game actually the weekend so there's players there who are dangerous for them and can cause can cause these teams problems and like you say if you know if you're pushing high up against the likes of against the likes of Argentina or even against Croatia because they're worried about their pace at the back Nigeria can cause them problems yeah what I like about this group is they're all different the teams they've all got different styles they've all got real different styles it's a real like Whale Cup it is like an old school Whale Cup group where you did get different ways of playing I mean Nigeria have also got a galop who people all remember from his spell of Wafford when he had the hot streak and 28 goals in the season and remember having a discussion with Robbie from Arsenal fan TV about how you'd rather have ly cach yw o'r galop and he was like definitely a galop he's great but he's pacey and strong and he went to China for the mula didn't he you know that kind of curtailed his career in Europe but he's another he's another out ball for them and another strength which you know him and the Niatria were both paceys teams under pressure just looking at the fixtures and it's just disappeared on me unprofessional Argentina versus Iceland the first match and then Croatia versus Nigeria that night so well Argentina would be looking to get off to a good start one day possibly Iceland would be looking to catch them cold giving the chills yeah no i mean that it's interesting on that because actually what that mean is the first game with Iceland what you've got is you've got a set unit who know each other's games Argentina I think they might be another team a little bit like France who have to play grow you know get trust cos there's nothing worse than playing for a team where you know one end of the pitch is sorted but the other end can unravel it for you and it's almost like you're waiting for that what you want me to do and you're letting goals in what you want me to do that's going to be the trust element and which is that defence going to allow Argentina to play I agree so who do you think out of this I'm just going to go with the basics and see if there's something Iceland are winning this group they're winning this group and Argentina are coming second don't they see I wouldn't the thing is it's the group where you wouldn't rule anyone out Iceland if they're the strongest as they were at the Euro's team concentration levels they could quite well I reckon they'll win one game and draw two and win the group they could do because there is a tight group it's how much teams are prepared to actually go for it early on these two might feel each other out and end up with a 1-1 or a 0-0 whatever I think whatever happens I think Argentina will scrape through whatever happens I think they'll just get out the group not saying that that means they won't have a good well cup or I do think they'll just scrape through they'll probably win on three games just trying to mix it up just trying to mix it up who do you think that is not your thought on this group and who do you think is going to start battle of the tens isn't it in terms of talent there's not much between them and Guilfee I think he's got better here oh you've got better here arguably he might be a number 10 but it's the battle of these number 10s them too no it's a mess it's a mess let us know your thoughts in the comments thanks for watching toffeeTV make sure to check out all the other well cup previews we'll see you later