Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has given reasons why he thinks England may fail to qualify for next summer’s World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
Manager Arsene Wenger has warned that England have become “almost men” at the World Cup, insisting France are “super favorites” to win the title.
Wenger, a former Arsenal manager and now FIFA’s director of world football development, said England had fallen at the final hurdle too many times and now had to prove they could put an end to years of failure.
French coach Wenger is rooting for his country’s side, which boasts a top-notch front line including Kylian Mbappé and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, to win next summer.
Speaking in Washington ahead of the World Cup draw, Wenger said: “England will be one of the favorites to win the World Cup. They are always close to winning the semi-finals, quarter-finals and final. They have to take the next step. They have the quality to do it.”
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“While I try to be as objective as possible, I still believe in the European idea that France are super favorites for the sole reason that France has more world-class strikers than any other country in the world.
“And with four knockout stages, having such a quality bench will make a difference.
“Of course England are in there too. They’re very close. They’re not super favorites. One of the important things in life is to have the belief that you can do it…When you accomplish something, it gives you something special, the belief that you can do it.
“France have reached the last two finals, so we know they can qualify and they have a high quality of players.”
Wenger also vowed that FIFA had learned lessons from last summer’s Club World Cup in the United States.
Although Chelsea won the trophy, captain Reece James criticized the quality of the pitch and said that Wenger had tried to improve the kick-off time schedule to ensure matches were not played in scorching temperatures.
Wenger added: “For two months before last summer’s tournament, there were no matches on the pitch.
“We also learned a lot about how to protect the team better. After the draw, the location and timing of the match will be decided on Saturday.”
“We have considered a number of options to best protect the team from the heat and will take hydration breaks during the match in consideration of player health.
“There is one uncertainty that we cannot overcome and that is the weather, especially in places like Miami and Atlanta where there have been some issues. We will do our best to protect the tournament and the players.”
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