Betfair World Cup Interview: Terry Butcher

England / Maxliu / 25 June 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Terry Butcher in action for England in 1990

England played with passion in their victory over Slovenia and they'll need to show even more if they're to beat Germany in Sunday's second round match. So who better to talk to than the man who captained the side last time they played Germany at the World Cup? Here's what Terry Butcher had to say....

"I have no doubt that England can beat Germany and I predict a 2-0 England win."

Hi Terry. Are you enjoying the World Cup?

Yes, after a slow start, it's just starting to warm up. There have been some good games over the last few days as some big teams have gone out. The quality of football will only get better as the knockout stages progress.

What's your assessment of England's performance so far?

They were disappointing in the first two games, especially against Algeria, but against Slovenia they raised their game to level you need to play at in the knockout stages. So they've started to play knockout football a game early. It was important that they responded against Slovenia and they certainly did. I never had any doubt that they would - they are a team full of top class players who know what it takes to win big games. Afterwards, I couldn't believe it when the USA scored their late goal against Algeria but playing Germany next isn't too bad and I believe that the England players have it all before them now.

England [2.8] are slight favourites to beat Germany [2.96] on Sunday. Do you believe they can win?

I have no doubt that England can beat Germany and I predict a 2-0 win. Many of these England players have been here before, they are older, more streetwise than Germany and they can beat them. There are certain similarties between how this tournament is unfolding and how our campaign progressed in 1990. Remember, we didn't play too well, certainly not in the group games, but also in the knockout stages. Our best performance was against Germany in the semi-final and, while I expect a different result this time, it proves that England teams can raise their game.

In Italy, you took on the captaincy during the tournament. Steven Gerrard seems to be thriving in the role so did you find the extra-responsibility galvanising?

Taking on the captaincy didn't alter my approach to the games. I got it after Bryan Robson was injured and Peter Shilton was reluctant to take it on. I captained my country seven times in all and it was a fantastic honour, an incredible experience, but it's actually something you feel most proud of when you look back on your career.

Everybody remembers you dancing with Chris Waddle after the second round win over Belgium - was that a highlight of your international career?

What, dancing with Chris Waddle..?! It was a great result. Belgium actually played better than us on the night but David Platt scored that fantastic goal in extra-time. It was a great feeling and that game shows what a fine line it is between success and failure.

Should Fabio Capello stick with the same side for the Germany game?

I would if I was him, to maintain the continuity and keep the player's confidence high. England showed a lot of character against Slovenia and I thought Matthew Upson was excellent. He scored the winning goal in Berlin last time we played Germany so he knows what it takes to beat them. That is important.

What's do you think of Capello's management at this tournament?

I think he's done well. He offered the players an olive branch the night before the last game by letting them have a beer and perhaps he'll do that on Saturday night. His reaction to winning, the emotion he showed coming onto the pitch to embrace the players, was great. It showed a more human side to him. You would never have seen Sven doing that.

Finally, how far can England go at this tournament?

It's difficult to know. Obviously, I'd like to say they can go on and win it. The route to the final we have lined up in front of us is not what we would have liked. But we must take each match as it comes. That's what we did in 1990 and we enjoyed it - it's very important that the players do that. At present, the Betfair moodometer says We Believe so if the players believe half as much as the country does then we have a chance.

Tags: England World Cup betting, Fabio Capello, football betting, Matthew Upson, Steven Gerrard, Terry Butcher, World Cup betting