Germany missing vital parts to match well-rounded Argentina

Former Germany international midfielder Didi Hamann with his best bets for the 2022 World Cup.

Didi's diamonds

Argentina to win the World Cup
6-1 Betfred

Serbia to win the World Cup
100-1 each-way general

L Messi top scorer
12-1 Betfair, Hills Paddy Power

A Mitrovic top scorer
66-1 bet365, Hills

D Nunez top scorer
50-1 general

World Cup preview

Call me an old romantic but I think the little man has got one last dance in him and that's why I'm taking Argentina to be crowned world champions on December 18.

Lionel Messi is the man who's done it all and won it all – except the World Cup.

But the way he is playing for his club and the way he inspires those around him when playing for his country, at the grand age of 35 his time is now to finally get to lift that trophy.

Messi is playing as well as he has ever done in a really good PSG team. He's got seven league goals, four in the Champions League and 14 assists in those two competitions.

He's the heartbeat of Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina who have arrived in Qatar in sterling form.

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I rate Spain but I prefer Argentina with Serbia if you're looking for a dark horse.

Lionel Scaloni has got a real tune out of this Argentine group who qualified unbeaten – which is a feat in itself in South America – and won last year's Copa America. That was their first trophy in 28 years and they have been on this extraordinary unbeaten run with Messi at the heart of it.

And he only ever seems to turn it on. In three friendlies over the summer for his country, when most players take it easy, he was scoring nine goals.

We can also get one last tune out of Angel di Maria, clearly Nicolas Otamendi is not as rash these days as he was at Man City while Lautaro Martinez is the ideal man to have alongside Messi, the two of them capable of shining as a duo.

And it's the other Martinez – Villa keeper Emiliano – who also deserves a mention because for once Argentina go into a finals in safe hands in goal.

I think there are question marks over a few of the top sides. France are missing one or two key men, I can't have Belgium at all, or England, and Germany certainly won't win it.

But Argentina win their group, see off Denmark and the Dutch to reach the semis and then they are in their element, even if it is Brazil they are up against. They would revel in that contest, especially Messi.

From the other half of the draw I like Serbia, who are a decent price because they aren't seen as certain qualifiers ahead of Switzerland in Group G.

Yet this could be one tournament too many for the Swiss, but not Serbia who showed their big-match pedigree by winning in Portugal to qualify for the finals by right.

Serbia have got two top-class, big-league goalscorers in Aleksander Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic and players like Dusan Tadic, Filip Kostic and Lazio's star turn Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will give them quality service.

If the Serbs finish runners-up in Group G, it looks like they'll be playing Portugal – again – and a fading Belgium side and they would have nothing to fear from either of those. France in the semis would be a different proposition but if we're talking about a potential semi-final then they've got to be a value each-way proposition at ???.

Mitrovic becomes a big runner at a big price in top scorer betting if the Serbs do go all the way while Messi has to be included.

My other big-priced fancy is Darwin Nunez, who I really like as a frontman and fancy he can get his share of goals in the group stage.

Germany far from the finished article

If you ask me the two most important positions on a football field, I would probably say a defensive midfielder and a centre-forward – and Germany don't have either.

Under Hansi Flick we have definitely improved from the side who failed at last summer's Euros and we went on a decent winning run against largely limited opposition.

But this year has been tougher. I'm not a big fan of the Nations League but it's games against better opponents so it has some merit, but we aren't winning many of them.

So results have picked up but issues still remain, our biggest being that Joshua Kimmich will be in the No.6 role and it's not his best position.

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He's not a defensively-minded midfielder and it's why Bayern Munich are open at times and it's why the national team are open at times as well.

We can get away with it against Japan and Costa Rica but not Spain or Brazil.

And then up front we look light in the No.9 role where Kai Havertz will start in the first game.

Timo Werner is now no longer an option because of an injury and while we have a lot of exciting wingers we are struggling for centre-forwards. Niclas Fullkrug is going well at Werder Bremen but he's an option off the bench for ten or 15 minutes at best.

So are they are a better side than 15 months ago, yes. But can they go all the way? Probably not.

If you look at Flick's likely set-up, it will be Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in midfield behind a trio that should be Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. As it stands there's no place for Thomas Muller in there. And then Havertz at the top.

Is that enough firepower to beat the best teams? I'm not so sure.

Interestingly, while I do like Spain I'm sure their options in attack are the best and also their younger players may well find the rigours of a World Cup hard.

Southgate needs to uncage Three Lions

You only get so many opportunities to win a major tournament and Gareth Southgate has blown two – he won't get a third chance.

Four years ago the World Cup was there for the taking. They had Croatia on their knees and couldn't finish them off.

Fast forward to last year's Euros and playing Italy at home, at Wembley, to win a major competition, and again they blew it.

They paid the price for Gareth Southgate's caution.

Now that wouldn't be a criticism per se. I am a defensive man who likes teams to be well organised and being set up defensively at times.

But the whole point about England is the array of attacking potential they are blessed to possess and the bitter reality is that Southgate doesn't know how best to deploy them or how to get the best out of them.

Croatia in 2018 were terrified of England's pace yet it was England who backed off.

And that – and what happened last summer – will be in the back of their minds, Southgate's and the players.

Southgate has to get at least four of his attackers into his side and stick with that, but his approach won't change.

The fact is only France can can match England for firepower but England give teams a chance when you don't need to because of the way they play and it will be their downfall.

If they win the group they'll get to the quarters but it'll be tough to beat France.

I don't see them as winners and I don't want to put it all down to the manager, but he hasn't helped them in the past and I don't see him doing so now.

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