If I see Gallagher on the right wing one more time I'll scream

Stoke beat this lot easily in their last match

Rubbish defending

Gallagher has to play down the middle and not stuck out on the right wing. Is this Brereton's last game for a while?

The old Riverside looks more impressive than the new one. In the days when they used to allow such things, along with alot of other kids I used to sit on wooden benches in front of the wall on the Riverside. I was right behind Andy McEvoy when he rifled in the winning goal into the corner of the net against Charlton in the 1966-67 season (IIRC) and throwing the ball to Keith Newton for him to take a throw-in. Memories from 50 years so vivid yet events last year can't remember a thing

England players seems unable to adapt their game to the longer form of the game. Derek Pringle said during the last Test tongue in cheek that England need a "patience coach" - which just about sums it up. England's idea of batting is to attack almost every ball instead of being selective in their shots. They seem to want to dominate the bowlers and if they aren't, they go on the attack and get out. And very few have any idea about where their off stump is - I lost count of the number of times England batsmen got out caught behind to balls they could have left alone. Then there's the likes of Hameed who go into their shells and concentrate so much on defence they become strokeless and don't score. There has to be a happy medium of sound defence (which many of our lot don't have), knowing when to leave a delivery and knowing when to attack. My number one rule when I was playing and which I kept telling myself all the time when I was at the crease was "play the ball under your nose", which meant in effect you were watching the ball all the way on to the bat and playing the ball late. If you watch many of the England dismissals in this series they were pushing forward at the ball away from their body, which makes you vulnerable to swing and seam and sooner or later results in you getting an edge. These are all basics and easily taught and understood, or in my case learnt from just playing the game. You do despair watching England's players. Is Geoff Boycott still around to teach the likes of Crawley and Pope how to bat properly? Now there's a man who was born for Test cricket

Yet central contracts were seen as a good thing that made the England team stronger. Part of the problem maybe that the players don't play enough cricket - even if it's in a weak competition. Good old Fred Trueman (bless him) always said modern bowlers for instance were bowling less than half the number of overs he did when he was a player.

Gallagher's 26 now, a mature player, and he still can't get the basics right on getting his body between the man and the ball. If he hasn't mastered it now, he never will.

The County championship is a weak competition that is failing to produce Test quality players. That fact flawed batsmen such as Sibley, Hameed, Burns and Crawley score heavily in it is an illustration how poor it is. Silverwood is a product of that system, we don't need another one.

Chaddy given out lbw without offering a shot trying to compare Crawley with Strauss and Cook, two of the best England players of recent years with exemplary techniques and above all the right temperament for Test cricket. Crawley has neither The love affair with Stewart is mystifying too ... is it because he talks a good game on the radio? Shows how people are easily misled. Nothing Stewart says strikes me as him having a high cricket intelligence or being an original thinker. I'd employ him to carry the bags but that's about it. Former Glamorgan batsman Steve James writes an excellent column in The Times and Atherton is The Times chief cricket writer. Always worth reading, James particularly on batting, but that doesn't make them good candidates. Come to think it, ex-journalists are the last people you want in charge. Boris Johnson used to be a journalist (sacked twice for lying). Enough said

Stoke won easily. No excuse for Rovers not winning on Wednesday and putting in a much better performance than of late. I hope Mowbray was watching and learning

Good win for Stoke today. I hope Mowbray was watching

Suggestions of Pope at 3 is utterly delusional. He's only in the team because of the lack of alternatives. That would end in the same way as Ali at 3 - failure. Crawley is no solution as an opener either unless he changes his technique and mindset. The cupboard is bare English cricket is rotten to the core and needs a complete revamp. For that to happen it needs people from outside the closed English circle to come in and shake it up Chaddy clutching at straws with that list of names. Thorpe was his big hope before but he's made no difference whatsoever, and neither would the likes of Stewart. Atherton's a very highly paid journalist The ECB's pledges on 4-day cricket will amount to little because the 100 and 20-20 are their cash cows and bring in the money which is their main concern It's all so depressing yet was all so predictable. The biggest disappointment is the apparent lack of pride and fight. Their big fat contracts in the IPL etc are all this lot are bothered about

There used to be an offence called "obstruction". You never see it applied these days

68-0 to 124 all out Goodbye Silverwood, goodbye captain Root and it should be goodbye to the rest of the English cricket hierarchy Clearout needed throughout the game The game is too insular and is in dire need of reform. Bring in foreign coaches and organisers with some outsider perspective of the big changes that are needed

Root out and who'd give a prayer for one-day player Pope? Could be all over before stumps. It's pathetic.

Mowbray's 3-5-2 has worked well but managers have seen it and are adjusting. The better teams will know how to combat it and hurt us and the lower teams like Cardiff will make it difficult. We were lucky yesterday and were second best for alot of the match. That's unsustainable. Mowbray needs a plan B which is equally effective

50-0 when you wake up, 90-4 by the time you're finished breakfast and ready for the day England know how to leave a bad taste in the mouth

Good old Charlie Austin gives QPR a 1-0 win. They're 5 points behind us with a game in hand Big game against them at Ewood coming up

Fulham 3-2

Half glass empty, good lad

5-goal difference with B'mouth ...... but for that 7-0 home defeat by Fulham we would be .....

Great result, never mind the performance Onwards and uppards!!

Yep, but where's the quality?

We don't look like a promotion team at all.....