Group offers hope

The City kit boss and former Latics star writes every week for Chron Sport

I THINK England’s World Cup finals group draw is a good one, despite what a lot of people may think.

It could have been tougher, it could have been easier, but I think we’ve got a really good chance of getting through it and into the last 16.

The conditions will be tricky for the first game with Italy — it’s going to be hot and stuffy there and that’s not good news.

But Roy Hodgson will be planning the best possible preparation programme so I’m not overly worried.

On top of that it’s not necessarily a big disaster if you lose the first game.

There’s definitely chances to pick up points against Uruguay and then Costa Rica.

Overall the England squad ought to have enough quality to get out of the group, but then after that it's anyone's guess really.

I’ve never been to South America. I’ve played and worked almost all over the world with my football, but there and Australia are two places I’ve missed out on so far.

I’m told the conditions are tricky in South America, but again I fancy us to make the knock-out stages at the very least.

I arrived with City in Munich yesterday and I’m really looking forward to the Champions League game against champions Bayern.

Thankfully we’re already through to the last 16 so there’s not that same pressure on the lads, so I’m hoping we might get a good result.

We’ve nothing to lose, the home fans will be expecting their star-studded team to win, so we should be free to just go for it.

We’ve had a terrific welcome from the German people. As ever the whole journey was as efficient as you’d expect. We checked in in good time, the flight was fine, and we were driven to the hotel without any bother.