GARY NEWBON

APERFECT start for England in the World Cup with two wins against Group G’s two weakest opponents, Tunisia and a woeful Panama. England have done the business and Thursday should bring their sternest test so far against the joint leaders Belgium. But will it?

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has said in so many words that he will make several changes for Thursday’s final group match against England in Kaliningrad, citing minor injuries to key names.

England may make the odd change to give squad players some match time.

Both teams have qualified for the last 16 and their opponents will come from the eventual top two of Group H. You would fancy that to be either Japan or the winners of Senegal or Colombia. The final round of both Groups G and H are this Thursday.

The real interest is who they will be meeting in the quarter-finals? Assuming they win their last-16 tie both Belgium and England would be in different halves of the path to the final but the likely opponents from Groups E and F are difficult to place at this stage.

This is because Brazil and Germany have been disappointing. Switzerland and Serbia will challenge Brazil while Germany will surely beat South Korea and leaders Mexico should overcome Sweden.

This World Cup has not completely gone to form and it’s getting difficult to predict the order of the top two in each group.

I hope this is not too confusing but results like Mexico beating the holders Germany and Croatia’s 3-0 win over Lionel Messi’s Argentina have added to the drama of fancied teams scraping last-minute winners including Brazil, Germany and England!

I am enjoying this World Cup and I suspect, judging by the TV viewing figures, so are most people.

The talk at the start of the tournament was that it might be better to be runners-up for the two Group G qualifiers but I do not believe that is the case now.

I want to see England continue to win and believe that they can overcome whichever teams they are drawn against in the next two rounds. Belgium have some very good players but England have played more like a team in both matches. England’s preparations have been backed up by the growing confidence of results and Harry Kane’s five goals.

The big tests of course lie ahead and the nation’s expectations will grow but Gareth Southgate will manage those. The squad is happy, together with no prima donnas as with previous campaigns.

My big concern was finishing and England should have had at least six goals against Tunisia which would have overshadowed Belgium’s 5-2 win. The latter did not score against Panama until the second half. But Sunday’s first half eased those worries!

Southgate was quick to comment he was not happy with the start and finish of the Panama game. He is right to say so because against better teams we will need to be 100 per cent on the ball.

Meanwhile, VAR is settling down. I have always campaigned for it. But I still have to argue about it with certain football people who still do not want it and use the odd incident to back up their view!

What I am sick of is the continual grappling in the penalty area. A year ago our domestic referees decided to penalise it. The brave Mike Riley was the first but he was castigated for it by the ‘victims.’

Then it all faded out. How can it be a foul anywhere else on the pitch but not in the penalty area?

Kane was wrestled to the ground in the penalty area several times in the Tunisia match but the Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan did nothing about it. However the Panama team, rough with their fouls, tried it and twice the Egyptian referee Gehad Grisha gave a penalty— and both times Kane scored.

I did not hear anyone on the television coverage give the ref any credit this time!

So to Thursday. There are lots of big-screen events in the West Midlands. I am hosting the Eventmasters late luncheon at the city Holiday Inn in Birmingham with England’s most capped player Peter Shilton. Some tickets are left, call 0121 233 6500 or visit their website.

This column’s sponsors Utilita are certainly backing our local clubs. Having already done a sponsorship deal with Aston Villa they have now become official power suppliers to Birmingham City with a deal including sponsoring the front of all the junior shirts for the next two seasons. Utilita will also be the main sponsors of the Blues Academy and the Ladies Regional talent club.