Someone sent me this saying Mowbray was on Chilean tv talking about Brereton and explaining tactics, yes tactics. I’m 99.999999% convinced it’s a gag but he said it’s not. Either way if it actually happened enjoy the sheer ludicrousness of that if it’s a gag I still found it funny the thought of moggasurus explaining tactics to anyone.

I felt the same way when I drove past few months ago. Something has been lost over the past decade that I doubt I’ll ever regain. Started by the Venkys, accelerated by Kean, finished off by Mowbray/Swag.

Linked with Leeds and now real Sociedad. It gets stranger and stranger. I find this whole thing totally surreal and frankly hilarious. Everything from how he was selected (champ man), why he was selected, to the fact he’s become a national cult figure in Chile for scoring 1 goal and setting 1 up. Apparently he now has quadruple the social media followers than Rovers have. It’s bizarre. I just don’t get it at all. 7 games out of 10 he’s total dog shit. The other 3 games he’s ok but no more than you’d expect from a professional footballer. Still he’s gone from someone who would be happy just to see his contract run down a la grabbi to a sellable asset. Strange times.

True. But I do think it’s a noteworthy comparison that a smaller club which is very comparable in terms of owner issues, lancashire based, similarly economically depressed area is outperforming rovers. I’d find it totally irrelevant to say Man Utd have sold 50,000 season tickets for example but a club like Blackpool already doubling what we’re likely to sell highlights our seemingly terminal decline.

It’s a barometer to use to show how smaller clubs are outperforming the shambles that is Blackburn rovers football club.

🤣. They were calling him 'gringito' in the commentary!

I still cannot believe that lummox has an international cap let alone a goal but he took it well. Playing centrally. 🤯.

Someone was telling me today that season ticket details will be released tomorrow. 🤷‍♂️. Will no doubt be another rovers botch job whenever they get round to it. Ah on sale now.

So thus far its: Fylde away Saturday 10th July Bradford away Saturday 24th July Noblot away Saturday 31st July

That Doull did make a good point about the pitches. There the blame lies mostly with the ECB rendering the county championship a spring and autumn sport in favour of prime months going to the McCricket. Plus some counties like Somerset actively produce pitches to break up on day 2/3 but little sanctions from the governing body. So it is probably too simplistic to lie the blame solely with Silverwood. With buttler, Curran, bairstow I believe they were initially rested for IPL stuff now being allowed to play t20. Another demonstration of how the ECB have their priorities totally backwards. God forbid what will become of red ball cricket if this 16.4 nonsense takes off as unlikely as I think that is. I’d also put bracey behind Foakes, Buttler, Bairstow and billings so he won’t be around much longer I’m sure. Then as for replacing Silverwood with whom the buck stops like any football manager. I wouldn’t touch Stewart with a barge pole he’s a company man (would make Southgate look a renegade) who would turn England into Surrey on tour. He gave his reasons at the time as family and not wanting to tour which may be nonsense as would have known that’s the deal at the outset. So for me the usual name Kirsten (who they should have appointed over Silverwood initially), stead from this lot.

Still a bit annoyed about today. All the wickets were pathetic. Pope’s on the face of it looked a decent delivery but he has form for standing across his stumps and getting out lbw. Batting on his off stump means he’s a walking wicket. Even this morning Root’s reaction to dropping a simple catch at first slip was telling. He had a laugh with the bowler at the end of the over. I was disgusted at that. I wouldn't care if he was captain - I'd give him both barrels. It's symptomatic of the culture in the dressing room having a laugh and not wanting it enough. Go and play village cricket if you want that sort of atmosphere. Nasser’s rant at the end was spot on. Broad has a test match 150 but he doesn’t try. Either club it or nothing. At the moment it is embarrassing. Silverwood will be gone after the ashes I’m sure but already it’s shaping up to be a debacle.

Respective averages: England - Burns 33, sibley 31, Crawley 31, root 49, Lawrence 29, Pope 32, even the absentees Buttler 34, stokes 37, Bairstow 34. New Zealand - Williamson 53, Conway 111, Taylor 45, Nicholls 43, blundell 38, Mitchell 75. Clearly NZ have some early doors ones which will come down but it’s truly pathetic England can’t produce more than one test quality batsman capable of averaging over 40 or even near 40.

Most ducks England have had in a year and it’s only June with a load of tests to play yet

Bracey has played two more test innings than I have and faced 3 more balls than I have

I wonder if Jimmy will retire from test cricket this summer. Will soon go past kumble as the 3rd highest test wicket taker, already most capped England player the last game of the summer is at OT so could bow out at the ground with an end named after you. He’s still our best bowler by a mile for my money but Australia will be a long old slog for him particularly if still have to do this quarantine stuff.

I agree with Hasta. Personally I think with the data it all comes down to how it’s interpreted. The first port of call should be is the side successful then a distant second is the football enjoyable. With rovers, for example, it was a massively unsuccessful season and boring side ways possession football to boot so if the data then shows why it’s not working and offers ways of improving then great. However, what I’m seeing is people ignoring the only important issue of success or relative success and clinging onto some obscure stat of why things were actually quite good. That said I’ll always be soured on stats because of Steve Kean whenever I hear them I’m reminded of needing to win at Spurs away, not registering a single shot on target then having that prick justify it as decent because of box entries. Fuck box entries what about goals Steve.

Probably did but would have been nice to see us at least try. In a way I understand why we didn’t we have Root who can bat and 5 others that show glimpses of potential but aren’t good enough and to a man won’t average much over 30.

Looks that way. But Southgate will only have 4 games left, the 3 group game and then the defeat. How long has Moggasurus got left. I fear he’s got another 46 games plus the 2 cup defeats. That seems endless.

Agreed but there’s still a paying public to consider. Even if we limped along at 3 an over for 60 overs then all we’d need to do is go at a run a ball for 15 overs to win. If got 4-5 down then shut up shop. We shut up shop as we came out.

Mings must do better for villa because he’s bloody atrocious.

Rubbish.

On this performance not convinced can get out of the group.

I saw a stat about England that there’s only 5 countries that have beaten England more times than England have beaten them. Obvious ones of Germany, Italy and Brazil. Then a random one in Uruguay and very bizarrely also Romania (bloody Neville). Can at least put that right this evening and put it back to 4 countries.

England haven't batted in the spirit that the declaration was made. New Zealand wanted to win and risked the draw. England want the draw. That’s not to say England should bat recklessly but surely can muster a run rate of at least above 2.

Be careful what you wish for Tonebola. I’m convinced a combination of his fragile ego and no fans inside the ground is a reason he’s still here. Without fans he’s able to just carry on in his own little world moving the goalposts as he goes.