Ashes 2013/14

[PaulWinch again]

Well that ended up as a nightmare. Once again we've completely let them off the hook. I expect I'll get up tomorrow and Australia will have scored 500+ and we're about 100-4/5. This really has been a dismal tour and I can't wait for it to end. There needs to be a real overhaul of this side, we've become soft and weak.

[eastie]

Well that ended up as a nightmare. Once again we've completely let them off the hook. I expect I'll get up tomorrow and Australia will have scored 500+ and we're about 100-4/5. This really has been a dismal tour and I can't wait for it to end. There needs to be a real overhaul of this side, we've become soft and weak.

At least I can have a late night on Xmas day now, no need to get some sleep in order to get up early to catch the 4th test.

[eastie]

This Aussie   bowling coach of England  sounds about as inspiring as a piece of burnt toast 

Virtually admitted they have got the bowling selection wrong .

[PaulWinch again]

Anderson and Swann in particular have been a massive let down. In Swann's case he was gifted two wickets and other than that he was really poor. We do need an overhaul and get some youth and hunger back into this side.

[eastie]

@MichaelVaughan: Fear the worst ... #Ashesgone.

[PaulWinch again]

"We assess selection all the time. We make mistakes, and we might have made a mistake in this game. We picked a side that we thought would get 20 wickets and that still could happen."

Bloody hell Saker, how many bloody mistakes in a row though. This entire tour has been one giant mistake thus far.

[PaulWinch again]

I definitely would have played Rankin in this game, his form in the ODIs last summer showed he could shake the Aussies up. I know I selected Bresnan for this game, but I thought he might at least control an end but he's been hopeless.

[eastie]

I definitely would have played Rankin in this game, his form in the ODIs last summer showed he could shake the Aussies up. I know I selected Bresnan for this game, but I thought he might at least control an end but he's been hopeless.

I forgive you

[Proposition Joe]

Once again, Sir Geoffrey's end of play analysis will be the only highlight of the day.

[eastie]

Once again, Sir Geoffrey's end of play analysis will be the only highlight of the day.

Did he say say his gran could have played this England bowling attack with a stick of rhubarb ?

[Colhint]

If only we had taken some tall fast bowlers on tour

[PaulWinch again]

It's not just tall fast bowlers though, we could have got away with it if any of our bowlers had actually bowled well and they didn't. They only one who bowled consistently decently was Stokes and he's a rookie. Our senior players have badly let us down in all facets of the game and like I said it's time for a change.

This series is a culmination of what's been coming for a while, for a long period of time we've failed to get scores of over 400 and recently our bowlers have struggled to rip teams apart as much as they used to. We've lost our hunger, focus and quality and we need fresh ideas and young, hungry players.

[PaulWinch again]

It's sad to say that the Australian's are showing a lot more character, desire and heart than us.

[aj2k77]

There is no killer instinct in the side, everyone has had it too comfortable for too long. If we had been 150-5 the probability is we'd be all out for 200, they are looking at 400+. That's the difference.

[PaulWinch again]

There is no killer instinct in the side, everyone has had it too comfortable for too long. If we had been 150-5 the probability is we'd be all out for 200, they are looking at 400+. That's the difference.

Yep one of our many problems. Basically a successful cricket team needs to have the right balance so that the players are secure enough in their position that they aren't worried that one bad display will result in being dropped, but at the same time you can't have players consistently performing poorly and having no threat of losing their place.

At the moment our team has the wrong mix completely. You have the majority of positions that seem completely secure regardless of performance, eg Anderson, Swann, Pietersen. Then you have two positions, number 6 and the 3rd seamer who seem to be one bad display away from the chop. For example Finn is in and out of the team all the time and isn't afforded any security and I'm certain that's been a factor in his loss of confidence and rhythm. The whole set up is incosistent, and the results of this are showing on the pitch.