 Welcome to Toffy TV. The Whale Cup is on. It starts very soon, Baz. So we know what we thought. We sit here all day talking about everything. Let's get stuck into the Whale Cup. Let's start previewing the Whale Cup. Cos I get dead excited for the Whale Cup. I love it. You look infused by the Whale Cup. No, I do. I love the Whale Cup. I do, honestly. The games aren't through the night. I love it, like a late game. I do love that, but... Have you seen the first sati? Four games, innit? Set some misses. Make some plans on that sati. Cos you ain't seeing me yet. I'm not moving. Four games. I know what you mean by that. It's... Bit nocturnal, myself. It is nice to have those games. I'd rather have the games later at night than in the day. But that's the way it is. That's what it is. It's a bit late to change it now. They wanted reasons to it not be in Russia. That wouldn't have been one. It was a few other ones. But there you go. Group A is where we start. Russia vs Saudi Arabia is the first game. June the 14th. On a Thursday. It sounds like a game for the ages. But I love what the world cup is. It's like anything else. You put a game on it. It could be Saudi Arabia vs Russia. Let's just say. It ends up being a box watch. That's the world cup. You'll watch anything. People you've never heard of have become absolute worldies. Household names. Even if it's for a couple of weeks. It's great. It's great. It's just a shift away from the club focus. Just watch football. I think. For the likes of us. You still link back to when you were a kid. Because you didn't see those players. Now. You can see players in the Champions League. You still get surprises. This could be a group that creates some of the surprises. Russia. Saudi Arabia. Egypt. Not necessarily a great group on paper. For all four teams. What a group to be in. I would say all four teams could get out of this group. If things fall their way. Russia. The hosts obviously. A lot of pressure. A lot of political pressure at the moment. They want this world cup to run as smoothly as possible. A lot of people talk about things like hooliganism. I don't think there's going to be any problems. I don't think it'll be allowed. I think the main man will make sure. I think he'll make sure. It's a showcase for Russia. Do you know what? With everything that's going on in the world. We should have a fantastic opportunity to say this is what we're all about. I think he'll make sure that it runs smoothly. I've seen different ways that he might be making it run smoothly. Like he did in the Olympics a couple of years ago. He made sure that runs smoothly. I think he'll make it run smoothly. Russia themselves. They're not blessed with household names this time. I think what is it? What was it? 21 of the 23 players playing Russia. Now I know in the last few years we've come the finances have gone up a little bit. But you would expect any decent team in the World Cup to have players scattered about and in a few big teams. But Russia don't have it. Someone could say an answer in Google. Name English players. Who play somewhere else. I understand what you're saying. There's not as many household names now. Obviously Alan I think he said his name. He's been linked with it a couple of times. He was there. He was a very exciting young player for CSK. This should have been Billy's moment. But just because you don't know who you are and who you are just because you know they're not household names doesn't mean they're not going to be a good side. The host nation we saw it with South Korea getting to the semifinals when they were hosting it. That host nation can be carried forward. We've seen France obviously got to the compared in Russia with France but I mean that thing the momentum England in 96 we got to the semifinals. Actually my galvanising is the fact that at home I've been able to take it all in excitement as it approaches and really take that on board and with this You know each other's games a little bit better because they're playing the same league See each other regularly and stuff like that and no big egos and with this group as well you know youraguai would be the one that you would expect to win the group but for me that second place since something happened in the Champions League that might have blown it a little wide open Do you think? With that With the injury? At the end of the day Saudi Arabia they've got three players who play in Spain and all the rest of them in Saudi Arabia so therefore They're the weakest On paper they are the weakest because their league is the weakest but again it's almost like the Russian thing This might be a group of players that have played together for a while to know each other's games That might help them but when they go against harder teams I think they're going to struggle especially with the standard of the league but as I said Egypt for me two weeks ago everyone was like oh these could be like a dark horse for the semi finals because I think they are the strongest team in Africa and with Salah they are an ex factor player they are a player who was you know absolutely just smashing it no matter what you say about Salah he has had an absolutely phenomenal season but they came down to that Champions League and all going to a halt he's been free of injury all season pretty much he's been absolutely flying but it looked that trajectory was perfect for the World Cup absolutely perfect for the World Cup and that's what led a lot of people to think we don't want it Egypt we don't want to get him because he's got such an ex factor that on any given day he's so good that he could he could hurt us but obviously with the injury he's going to the World Cup he's been named in the squad so he might miss the first game I don't think he's arriving with the rest of the group so they play on the Friday don't they so he misses that game against Yorogwai I suppose if you wanted them to miss one game that might be the game you want them to miss I understand because obviously Yorogwai would expect to win that game because obviously Yorogwai would expect to win that game Yorogwai would expect to win that game Yorogwai would expect to win it and therefore Egypt are more capable of getting four points at least than the other two you're not capable of getting the draw off Russia if Salah's fifth, people are beating Salah Dishaw but I think he'll play I think he'll play even if it's an interaction it's a shot on the spray no it's not no, I know it hasn't been dislocated but what I'm saying is that he's such a fast player that he uses his arms and that was clearly why he couldn't carry on in the game you know, he obviously there might have been like muscle fibres that have been pulled haven't he if he's in a lot of pain like a serious lot of pain well he's not going to be pissed is he but if it's like that he could have some injections and I'm not I don't want to cast any inspirations on the Yorogwaians but they've been known to be quite clever over the years in the way they go about football matches and playing them and the different tricks they will take well maybe Egypt might leave them out for that one and I imagine if there's any nation that might just target that arm it might be Yorogwai because they're just very clever they like to win but they've got some good players anyway Egypt you know it's only when you say to them that you forget about it and go well you know they've got Hexie, Hexie, he was at West Brom a big tall centre half they've got El Neni he was at Arsenal with Deacons Tresigai who haven't been linked with Dwinga it's very good Sobby who's moving from Stoke to they've got about six or seven English-based players playing the Premier League playing the Premier League or El Neni playing it at Hull they've got a lot of English-based players therefore they've got players who who are just up to the English game which because I can't I mean I know it's it's 2018 but I still think we think a lot of these countries are soft touches whereas I bet if you'd watched Egypt they played in some of those group games and especially that last game when the Salah scored the penalty in the last minute these are tough lads these are tough lads and playing in England will have helped the development of the football so I think Egypt I think Egypt will be interested in this group I mean you're right of course they've got Swahle's up front this is going to be do you think this will be peak Swahle's because he's 30 now this is his moment isn't he this is his moment to shine might even be 31 actually so this is probably going to be his last well cup depended on if he keeps himself his last well cup his last well cup how that ended and the well cup before Gannett and born the ball on the line last well cup centre off he's got an opportunity in this well cup to just show what he's all about because when he just plays his football he's a fantastic sense you're acquired an amazing country you're acquired an absolutely amazing country I think they've got a population smaller than London they've got one major city one major city and the players they produce I mean Swahle's Cavani Jimenez Goldwyn one of the best defenders in the world by a mile just I mean it's this full place that would grace a lot of sides and that's coming from a country but it does feel like this is almost like the last the last of the golden generation before they had four lands in the last four four lands gone now he was in wasn't he in the team of the tournament two in Africa he was amazing south of Africa you're right they've come into the end of that cycle it would be Cavani's last one as well he stayed his last well cup you would think the last well cup when maybe he's had his peak of his powers so you look at them and you think they should get through last time they beat England didn't they, Swahle's good they beat England 2-1 and got out of the group with Italy so they're a tough nation they've always been a tough nation they're a tough nation with ability at the top and they're a pitching Swahle's good I think in the last couple of years there was no weight of expectation on them and I think in this group they're clearly the favourites to go through so that'll be interesting whether that weighs on them at all as well they've got Gomez, they've got Tadera as well who's faced the Sam Dory who's linked with everything over a week so they've got good footballers they know the way around that pitching 12 out of 1 tough as well, good defenders so there'll be a very interesting team cos as you just said, Cavani a Swahle, two of the best strikers in the world both like really good seasons they've got a lot of goals between them Cavani arguably might have had a better season in Swahle yeah he probably has Swahle's tried up a little bit this season he's the last 20 outgoals oh yeah I mean he's battled I mean that's different cos it's playing in PSG but yeah I mean it's the last big one but this represents a chance for them to I don't know because this World Cup I can't put a favourite on it Germany that's interesting and I understand why you say that but at the same time I understand why it's a favourite but I wouldn't go they'll they'll absolutely win there's Germany, Brazil because it's Brazil because it's Brazil but without Neymar I don't think they're anything special they're not familiar, they're brilliant they're brilliant it's a stacking it's a good result but it's whether they... we're not talking about Brazil anyway no I'm just saying I'm saying to Germany, Brazil you can't rule Spain out and actually they won that no one is looking at it really everyone's like yeah but Belgium have got well yeah so you don't know but you're a guy could definitely get a quarterfinal when you've got Swahle's and Cavani or Front yeah so who do you think is going to get off the group? I think you're a guy who will win the group I do and then I think it's between Russia and Egypt and it's really tough because I think Russia with it because they're the host nation if they say they were to just draw with Saudi Arabia, massive pressure on them to get out of it I think Salah's key for Egypt because he's the one that's the ball in the back of the net basically like you said it's really good he's the one to look out for Sobby, it's a bit hit and miss or he certainly was but they've got players I would I'm going to say you're a guy in Egypt I think you're a guy in Egypt and I think what will happen is I think you're a guy will I think they'll get two wins in a draw I think Egypt will get out the group because I think even without Salah I think they've got a good side I think they've got players who know how to get results and I think Salah will come in the last couple of games or maybe a game in an half even and just they'll do enough I think Russia they'll bomb I think they'll I think they'll be really I think the pressure might just be too much for them they've got big coats I think because they're going to Siberia I think they I can see Egypt getting four maybe five points I think it's all on that first game for Egypt for Russia for that whole tournament for that group I think of Russia I think if Russia don't pick up three points in that first game they're in trouble because they've got to get they've got to get off to a good start to get the belief of the people behind them and the momentum do you subscribe to the fact that the house is nice enough to have a good welcome for it to be a good welcome no, no that only applies if you are the home nation do you know what I mean with the eyes of someone you'll go, was that a good welcome what did we do I mean for the crowds the crowds are terrible and if they don't he'll bust them in the crowd tick at the run of these old tick at the run of these old you need a big lanyad or the big thing on your face and everything does no mess with this welcome but he's got it boxed off no matter what anyone thinks of that man I mean he'll get it right this time more than any other time he's got to find a way he's got to find a way to get away find a way to get away this time more than any other I think he'll get it right he's got to do it right yeah do you know what that is that is group hey I mean so we're going for e-tip it wasn't up the stats heavy for the teams but we don't want that this is a laid back conversation amongst friends of what's going to happen in the world cup let us know your thoughts in the comments tell us something we don't know about these teams if you are from any of these countries which you know what you might be because you might have just seen this video I'm going over these idiots let us know your thoughts and we're going to be doing this for the entire world cup by the way we're going to do previews for every group and we're going to be doing reactions not every single game obviously but we'll be doing them every day we'll be doing a world cup daily every day every day every day it's not an issue mate it's not an issue it's what we do now we're here ready to do it ready to go do some live stuff as well when the games are on some watch alongs for the games as well because I'm on holiday so yeah give us your thoughts in the comments if you haven't already subscribed please do don't just have to be an everton fan you can be a lover of football because we are lovers of football good job I added the football yes especially for Russian viewers there you have it thanks for watching we'll see you later