He’s a liability. Legs have gone. Play far too deep with him in the side. Shouldn’t be near our starting xi in any system. Can’t understand why he’d want to come back or why we’d want him back. Strange do

2 crap sides. Our season went off on a stretcher vs Wigan. Yawn. On to the summer and a plethora of excuses as to why we can’t strengthen the defence. 

They are well drilled but really poor. We don’t look drilled at all and very poor. 

Amazing win. I’d given that up after day one then going into the last session 5 more wickets seemed a tough ask. Our first win in Cape Town since 1957 and only the second team to beat them at Newlands since they were allowed back in 91. Hand down best cricket venue I’ve been to. Would highly recommend it. Love coming back here. 

It is however a class ground.

Plus seen a few rovers fans and this:

Pretty bloody poor from England AGAIN. 

Other than perhaps the defiant pope. But this is Joe Roots England and only positivity allowed. Not in the same league but I do gag a bit after his post match conferences it’s all very Kean can’t you see what we’re trying to build here. 

Burns injured his ankle playing football and archer out by the sounds of it. Burns is a concern which itself shows how shit we are. Archer has probably solved them a problem as by all accounts they were looking to drop a seamer in favour of Bess. 

Don’t fancy Crawley and Sibley opening much. 

County championship has been totally betrayed by the ECB hopefully few more results like this it’ll be rectified. Re captaincy Id be inclined to tell stokes to step up whether he wants it or not. But given the choice between root and a marrow I’d pick the marrow. 

Luton, Charlton, Huddersfield, Wigan and Birmingham - 11 points dropped at home. Can’t even think of the shite we’ve lost to away

64/7 and 39/7 in two innings. We’re worse than the mid 90’s for a collapse. 60 all out against the Windies, 50 against Ireland, 60 against the cons at Leeds then more collapses in NZ and this test. They just can’t fucking bat.

Sibley isn’t good enough, Burns is fine but gave it away. Denley they have to keep due to lack of options, Root is a shit captain and it needs taking off him. Stokes is arguably one place too high at 5. Bairstow needs dropping forever, Buttler doesn’t score enough big runs and doesn’t play in the manner he got selected to play in the first place.

Not watched the interviews yet, but if Root says we are a work in progress and there are positives to take and that the group won’t think about it too long I think I might explode. 

Full and straight does for Bairstow. As ever.

Philander will have this lad for breakfast I’d have thought. Just stick on the fifth stump outside off.

Good start. Shite from Elgar 

Just now, Mattyblue said:

They probably do and I think it’s really sad, especially as you see how strong Yorkshire identity still is, which is no surprise as when their county was split up in the 70s, the new ‘counties’ were known as North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire etc, whilst we got lumbered with ‘Greater Manchester’ and the like.

Quite right had greater Manchester been renamed south Lancashire and Merseyside south west Lancs or something the identity might still be there. I wonder how many mancs and scousers under 40 even know they were/are Lancastrian. Sad.

That said my pal from Oldham is fervent Lancastrian if he gets post with greater Manchester on he returns it to sender crossing out Manchester and putting in Lancashire. 

The fact a rovers team as poor as this is in 8th is testament to how crap the championship is. If rovers had the 2001 squad that got promoted. Dunn, flitcroft, duff, Hughes, Jansen, bent, berg, berkovic, tiny Taylor, friedel, short, etc. We’d be top of this particular division by about 10 points already. 

Yes there was a few kamikaze back passes. Not what you want to see when the keeper is nicknamed calamity. To be fair he adequately dealt with them and had a decent game generally but on other day that’s suicidal football. 

Just now, only2garners said:

If you believe that Roverite then you must also accept that Blackburn is not in Lancashire either. It's been a unitary authority since 1998. It's not part of Lancashire County Council.

Nor is Blackpool. To me this is and will always be Lancashire. The good, the bad and the ugly (scousers providing the latter 2). 

12 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Williams is a solid defender in an emergency but his passing is awful.  He just doesn't fit the style TM wants to play. 

Very interesting window coming up now.

Without exaggeration on the basis Tosin and Cunningham aren’t long term solutions I think we need an entire back 5 a proper striker to replace graham and now Dack. Impossible job I feel

Just now, neophox said:

We seem to be poor when we meet teams lower in the table, Luton, Charlton, Hudds and Wigan.

2 points out of that lot. 

Brutal watch. 

Williams must have given it away 20 times. In the words of Mowbray fuck off Derrick 

He’s a dirty bastard that Morsy

If could make 11 substitutions would be hard to make a case to keep any of them one. 

Wigan have been much the better side.