den

😀 He had no idea he’d been bowled. Awful shot.

This is where the CEO comes into his own and advises the owners as to what needs doing and when. He’s got to point out to them the consequences of doing nothing - to both results and their investment. Anyone at all on this site believe that’s happening?

6 overs in, on day one and the top surface is already breaking up. The toss, won by India is massive. If they get a big score in their first innings it’s going to be very difficult for England. Very early prediction from me - India to level series here.

Gutted. Defensively we were pathetic, soft as sh1t. Preston weren’t great and could have had four at least. Up front we had nothing - could have put crosses in all night with no one capable or good enough to trouble their defenders. Plan B is to change players and keep doing the same thing. Tactically this squad gives us no options.

Keep saying it, we need a centre forward

Check to see if there’s one behind the other goal? Ball boy is my guess.

Rotation @47er. Something like 17 test matches this year and lots of t20/one dayers.

No Jimmy then. .@englandcricket have announced a twelve-man squad for the second Test against India. Out go Dom Bess, Jimmy Anderson, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer. In come Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes.

Yep, it was superb. I just wish there had been English fans present to give the lads the ovation and a bit of atmosphere they deserved at the final wicket. Also, channel4 did a great job, but apart from the live coverage I saw very little of the game anywhere. We’re there highlights broadcast anywhere?

We haven’t got a real one J*B

Makes no sense in any way. we are a side that can only play the one way, - a team that tries to play out from the back and on the floor. Obviously that demands a good playing surface. Training on it when it’s in such a poor condition to start with, is far more hindrance to results than any dubious extra risk there is from training indoors. No logic to this at all in my view. If we had a Shefki Kuqi to throw on and revert to a lumping forwards game, then at least there’s a back up plan. There isn’t even that though. “let’s churn the pitch up even more than it already is, then try to out pass the opposition” is a strange approach.

I don’t know, but the talk was of resting Jimmy for this one.

The great Stanley Baxter. It’s funny😀

Archer out of 2nd test through elbow injury. ☹️

What I want here, is a win for a friend of mine and mad keen Rovers fan Graham Swarbrick from Leyland, who died of Covid this week only two weeks after diagnosis. Rovers.... make this one for Graham. Edit... This is Graham. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/19080547.tributes-paid-blackburn-rovers-season-ticket-holder-graham-swarbrick-died-coronavirus/

Oh god Mercer. 🤨

Only one thing matters. WIN.

It’s true that it looks like England just haven’t been positive enough. It isn’t what we would expect from a side so far ahead in the game. I do understand why they’re doing what they’re doing though. If England had gone more guns ho in their approach, they could quite easily have got all out with a lead of under 400 and still a heck of a lot of overs remaining. England know India are quite capable of getting big scores quickly. Let’s be honest, if England lose this test, their chances of winning a 4 test series in India against this particular team would be close to zero. Time will tell.

Genius. So what do we do with our slowest player - put him up against their quickest? Is that how football tactics work? That really is wired thinking. I have an idea. If the only way you team can score goals is to give it to Armstrong and let him shoot every time he gets the ball, then at least play him where he can reach the goals.

I know we’ve moved on, but Don Martin finished up playing centre half didn’t he? Very underrated player IMO. Got better with age. Excellent technique for a front man, but as others said more of a foil for others, than a goal scorer himself.

Good news indeed. Not showing on TV listings yet.

Is Pickering a Premier League standard player? If he’s not then have we given up on promotion, and if he is what use is it having PL class players on loan in league one? Trying to work this one out.

We had a full back called Pickering once before. He was converted to centre forward, turned out to be as good as Shearer (according to Bryan Douglas who played with him) and left for a British record transfer fee. Can Harry play centre forward?

8th 3 points behind 6th.