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Paul Watson

๐Ÿ‘ค Speaker
419 total appearances

Appearances Over Time

Podcast Appearances

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

A hundred percent of that's true, but it kind of says a lot about how few striking options there are on this team and how little excitement there is to be had from Tunisia.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

So yeah, I would probably be a lot milder than Wilson, but I do feel like this is not a team you feel particularly excited to watch.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

Yeah, I mean, it's nice to sort of see them finally not being called a golden generation, isn't it, Belgium?

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

This is very much not, but it still has that traces of it.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

It's funny, everyone's worried about them going forward.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

I'm actually a bit worried about them at the back.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

I'm not like massively worried, like I don't go to bed worrying about Belgium generally.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

But their 5-2 friendly win against the USA kind of showed that they were a bit of a mess, really, defensively.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

And I know it's just a friendly, but...

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

I just feel like there was this period where they had the so-called golden generation and you had people like Vincent Kompany and, you know, Vertonghen at the back.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

This new back line doesn't impress me as much.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

You've got a lot of potentially good young defenders.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

I like Arte Tiat.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

I like Brandon Michele.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

Zena de Bas is a good player, but...

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

It doesn't feel like defensively they've got the same authority.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

That said, it is great that Thibaut Courtois has come back in.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

He had that feud with the previous boss, Domenico Tedesco, and they were basically not playing one of the best goalkeepers in world football for a while, which is brilliantly self-sabotaging, which I think in a way is perfectly Belgium to self-sabotage in that way.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

But yeah, my worry is actually that they could concede a few soft goals at this tournament, and I think that will let them down.

Football Weekly
World Cup 2026 preview: Groups E-H โ€“ Football Weekly

What about New Zealand's chances, Paul?