Switzerland / Dave Farrar / 19 May 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Ottmar Hitzfeld is the man in charge of Switzerland this summer. He has had monumental success at German clubs throughout his career and getting Switzerland out of the group stages with such a poor team would rank amongst his highest achievements...

"Their watchword is solidity, and I suppose that Hitzfeld can only do his best with the players at his disposal, but the fact is that they qualified from a pretty poor group and are lucky to have made the final 32."

Any team which is coached by the brilliant Ottmar Hitzefeld has to be worthy of a bit of respect, but it's hard to see Switzerland making too much of an impact this summer. I don't want to sound too disparaging, but I really hate watching teams like this.

Their watchword is solidity, and I suppose that Hitzfeld can only do his best with the players at his disposal, but the fact is that they qualified from a pretty poor group and are lucky to have made the final 32. They'll be hard running, and have a pedigree finisher in Alexander Frei, but how many times has he been talked up before a major tournament only to find himself chanceless and isolated?

His time has gone anyway, and there's a chance that he may not even start, with the youngster Bunjaku and the fellow veteran Blaise N'Kufo snapping at his heels. Elsehwere in the team there's hard work and not much else. And to be frank, the Swiss don't even fit the stereotype of being solid at the back. The two centre halves Phillippe Senderos and Stephane Grichting are OK but not much better, although the keeper Diego Benaglio is at least talented. I don't think that we'll enjoy them, and we'll also be waving goodbye to them very early on.

Coach

Ottmar Hitzfeld

Prior to this summer, only Ernst Happel and Hitzfeld had guided two different teams to a European Cup win, and the man who has won SEVEN German titles demands a great deal of respect. He has always wanted to coach Switzerland, as he was born near the border, and finally gets his wish. It's probably a good job for him as he comes towards the end of his career, but not even a manager as good as him will be able to get the Swiss out of this group. In fact, I fear that they may finish bottom.

Key Players

Albert Bunjaku

Nurnberg have really struggled this Bundesliga season, and goalscoring has been one of their problems, but Bunjaku managed 12 of their 32 goals, and that is a hugely impressive effort from the Albanian born striker. He is a new international, but could be set to explode on the big stage. He'll be worth a look to finish as Switzerland's top goalscorer.

Gokhan Inler

A couple of years ago , the Udinese man looked set for real stardom and he was being looked at by plenty of Premier League clubs. He's kept his place in his club's midfield, but his form has undoubtedly dropped this season, and he can appear lazy. He hasn't managed a League goal this season, which is surprising, and he needs to find some energy and will to win in an international shirt. Because on his day, he is excellent, and one of the few Swiss players who could get into some of the bigger teams at the tournament.

Ludovic Magnin

My final choice as one of Switzerland's key men is a little left field, and a personal conceit. Magnin is a solid left back, but every time that I see him play I always think that he has a goal in him, even though he hasn't scored in four years. He takes a lot of free kicks, and has power in his left foot. This is a bit of a flier, but the lack of goals on his record means that he'll be a huge price in the "To Score" markets, and one to keep an eye on.

Recommended Bet:

Lay Switzerland to Qualify @ [2.7]

Tags: Ottmar Hitzfield, Phillippe Senderos, swiss footballers, Swiss world Cup squad, Switzerland team