Poll Reaction: Martinez will fail to get Belgium to World Cup 2018

Belgium are set to flop under Roberto Martinez in one of the weakest World Cup qualifying groups, and fail to make it to Russia 2018.

That’s the verdict of today’s Ladbrokes Twitter poll, which asked our football-mad followers whether De Rode Duivels were set to flourish or flop under their new gaffer.

And the majority of you feel the former Everton boss is set to fall short at the Belgium helm, with 62 per cent tipping Eden Hazard and co. to fail to progress from a group containing the likes of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, and Gibraltar.

Bosnia themselves held Belgium to a draw in Sarajevo in Euro 2016 qualifying, and Wales breezed past them in the competition itself, so there’s no doubt that this crop of players are better as individuals than as a team.

Will Roberto Martinez guide Belgium to the World Cup?

— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) September 6, 2016

However, the new boss did get some support in this poll, with 38 per cent of voters tipping the Spaniard to guide his side to the World Cup – and history suggests they will have a place in the competition.

Having made it to the quarter-finals of the last two major tournaments, the Belgians have far more pedigree in reaching the big stage than any of their groupmates – bar Greece. Indeed, Cyprus, Estonia, and Gibraltar have never made it to a major tournament.

Martinez and his side will be looking to prove the doubters wrong, as they begin their campaign in Austria tonight, with 1/4 for a Belgian win.

Meanwhile, it’s currently 2/7 for De Rode Duivels to top the group and make it to a third tournament on the spin.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing