A World Cup like no other with customary build-up missing

It is probably fair to say that there has never been a World Cup quite like the one that kicks off in Qatar tomorrow if only for its timing, being played in November and December rather than the regular June and July.

It is also the first time it is being held in a country which does not have a deeply ingrained football culture. Human rights issues also won’t go away.

Another difference is that it is being held in the middle of the season for many countries which means we have not experienced the customary month-long build-up.

The World Cup usually gets under way several weeks after the main leagues in Europe have finished.

It gives players a breathing space to overcome injury niggles and it also allows the respective national coaches a chance to fine tune their squads.

But this time we have a situation in which players who were in action in Europe only last weekend, including the Premier League, find themselves performing in the World Cup this week.

At the latest count, 124 Premier League players have been selected for action in Qatar.

At least this quick transition has spared us much of the ridiculous hype that we are normally subjected to.

Of course in Thailand we have experienced the unnecessary farce of will we or won’t we be able to see it live on television.

But football fans here finally will be able to watch all 64 matches live, starting with tomorrow’s opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador.

As usual there was some debate as to who should be in the England squad. Gareth Southgate has always been a bit on the conservative side so there were no huge surprises and his late selection of Leicester City’s James Maddison was welcomed by most fans.

Many will consider Harry Maguire fortunate to hold his place considering he can’t get in the Manchester United team.

On the other hand, England are not exactly blessed with central defenders, an area in which they are definitely vulnerable.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney was unlucky not to get in the side although the ongoing betting charges against him may have played a part in Southgate’s decision.

However, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said Toney, who scored both goals in his team’s 2-1 win against Manchester City in the Premier League last week, was not selected for the World Cup squad on “footballing grounds.”

Newcastle’s Callum Wilson has earned his place, playing a major part in the Magpies’ revival.

But with his unfortunate history of injuries, his selection is still bit of a risk as a back-up to Harry Kane.

It is also a worry that players who are legitimate stars for their clubs often don’t look the part when they put on an England shirt.

It all comes down to confidence of course and a win in their opener against Iran on Monday would be a real boost. However, a poor showing would really pile on the pressure for Southgate.

Wales should be congratulated just for being there in what is their first appearance in the World Cup finals since 1958.

Under manager Robert Page, the Dragons have looked a well-organised squad, beating Ukraine to take the last available spot and joining England, Iran and USA in Group B.

It will be tough for Wales to get through the group but if Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey hit top form you never know.

So, who’s going to be champions? According to the bookmakers, and they usually have a pretty good idea, Brazil are narrow favourites although the five-time world champions have not won the tournament since 2002.

They are closely followed by defending champions France and Argentina.

France’s cause has not been helped by injuries ruling out midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.

England are fourth favourites which is surprising considering their miserable recent showing in the Nations League.

They are followed by Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium.

It is foolish to make predictions but that has never stopped us before.

So here are the teams that Nobby believes ought to make it through the group stage.

Hopefully there will be a few surprises:

Group A: Netherlands, Senegal; B: England, USA; C: Argentina, Mexico; D: France, Denmark; E: Spain, Germany; F: Belgium, Croatia; G: Brazil, Switzerland; H: Portugal, Uruguay.

Let’s just hope it’s an entertaining tournament and that it will be remembered for the right reasons.