Colin Hendry’s Expert Predictions: World Cup Preview and Scottish Football Review

Going Into the Brazil Game What Result is Enough?

You go into the game on Wednesday night, try to win the game, obviously you do. But the players will be thinking a draw is good enough, which a draw should be good enough. A draw is going to be good enough, I would think. But even a 1-0 defeat could be good enough.

Nico Raskin Rumoured to Be Leaving

I don’t know how they take into consideration Scottish football when it comes to transfers, etc. I wouldn’t actually know how they come about and place a value on a player such as Raskin. But he did look pretty comfortable for Belgium last night, and that’s on the biggest stage.

The higher-regarded players that you do see playing, some of them haven’t maybe brought their game to the party. But he did. And if it’s something that’s possible, then every player has his price. I couldn’t say what’s right and what’s wrong. But if you can keep hold of him, I think it would be a great help.

Lewis Ferguson as Raskin Replacement

I think that would be a massive plus for Rangers if they want to get hold of somebody like that. He’s brought himself even more really good experience playing in Italy, which is regarded as a better league than the SPL, and that’s not my opinion, but it’s as it is. So if you could obtain somebody like that, and of course, he’ll understand as well, with Derek taking on over the reins, how important it is to add a little bit of Scottishness back into the club and the team. It’s a wait-and-see sort of thing, but it’s a merry-go-round, and some things have got to happen before some other things can be put into place.

Elijah Just Transfer Target

Just was the one that stuck out for Motherwell, and he played with my son Callum, and I said to Callum, and he said, yeah, Dad, he’s going places. And you can see that because, again, on the biggest stage in the world, he’s providing, he’s showing up, and he’s bringing his stuff to the table.

So I would think, if Celtic are really, really, really interested, I would be making a move. But they may even have opened the negotiations. You don’t know these things. But I’d be surprised if he didn’t go up the levels, as he’s improved, and he’s doing what he’s doing ever so well for New Zealand.

Stephen Welsh at Motherwell

Welsh was very, very good for Motherwell. Now he’s gone to Swansea; I would think there would have been a lot of teams interested in trying to get hold of him. It was even maybe Aberdeen that was possibly showing interest. But he was a big, big player for Motherwell last season. I did enjoy watching him, and he’s got a bright future.

Hearts Signings and Tony Bloom’s Plans

They’ve got a coach to appoint, haven’t they? I’ve got a lot of friends who are Hearts fans, and they took a hit. They’ve taken a proper, proper hit, you know, the whole thing, losing the league on the last day, and then losing Lawrence Shankland, and then the manager going as well.

That fits in with how the football club runs with Tony Bloom and how he does things. So the coach will come in and utilise the players he’s got, and it is a sign of where Hearts want to be with signings like Guendouz, and that’s just how they recover and dust themselves down and go again for the next season. Because it was a very, very difficult end to the season for everybody connected with them.