Former England manager Graham Taylor told the UEFA Training Ground it would take a brave person to write off Germany ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Taylor, who led Aston Villa FC and Watford FC in a long and distinguished career in club and international management, has analysed the form of teams leading into this year's World Cup. He believes Germany remain a key contender despite not having the obvious depth of quality in their ranks ahead of this year's tournament.

"They may not have the Franz Beckenbauer's nor the Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's these days, but they are always a terrific tournament team full of strong characters who possess great mental strength," Taylor told the UEFA Training Ground.

"There are many nations who produce world class talents but do not necessarily have the mental capacity to survive tournament football. However, Germany have this mental strength in abundance. It almost seems to be in their blood. They simply do not know the meaning of the word defeat. I fully expect them to challenge the top teams in South Africa."