K-Hod

From a personal POV, it gives me great pride to be associated with the site and to contribute in even the smallest way to keep it going. This really is a very good community in my opinion. We're blessed to have quite so many good contributors who log on and post daily.

Good match, that. Thought Man United probably deserved something from that, but two class goals from Rogers the difference.

I think in terms of skill tbh. For me, Archer’s form has been a plus in this series and I’m glad he’s back. He, Stokes and Root are the ones who emerge with any credit this Ashes, for me.

I do think that Australia absolutely have a much better side than us and the gulf in class between both bowling attacks is massive. But I don’t think we’re 3-0 before Santa comes down the chimney bad.

Obviously things are a bit raw just now, but this comment from Test Match Special was incredibly damning: This is the fourth successive Ashes tour in which England have lost the first three Tests. By the time Australia visit the UK in 2027, it will be 12 years since England's most recent Ashes series win.

Impossible, no way he’d have hit the target.

When it comes to Crawley, one swallow doesn’t make a summer….

In many ways, you can't blame players for prioritising the short form of the games, as it all comes down to money ultimately. We'd likely all be the same in their position. But I do think, until the ECB and players stop prioritising things like The Hundred, The IPL and other short forms of the game over first-class cricket, we'll continue to get poor results like this Ashes series so far.

Think it was Only One Jack Walker making the point ref being on the beach chilling between matches and not doing any fielding practice that nailed it for me. I'm all for players having time off, but at 2-0 down in the series, with the manner of some of our performances, the optics on it weren't great.

Listen, I think there's a lot of credence in what you're saying. I just think, with different coaching, these players are probably capable of playing differently.

I think McCullum and Rob Key need to go. Stokes, I'm not so sure on- I think he's certainly one I'd keep around, but I imagine he'd end here as a test player and just focus on short forms of the game from here. What annoys me is doing the same things over and over again, despite these ways failing time and again. And the complete lack of accountability. They've messed up, regularly, just own it. Arrogant was about right tbh, either that, or the most pig-headed nature you've ever known. What stings the most for me, is that I don't think Australia have even had to hit top gear to beat us comfortably.

Simply not good enough. Lots of changes needed all over the place tbh.

Dropping Khawaja when he was on 5, then him going on to score 82- it's this kind of thing that usually ends up being costly.

Shame I've got to reiterate this, but needs must after the last few pages. It's okay to be passionate and have strong views about whether someone should attend or whether someone should boycott or not. It's not okay to be abusive and insult other fans/posters for having different opinions. This time posts were hidden, next time the ban hammer will be dusted off.

There’s gotta be consequences for repeatedly doing your job poorly though, Chaddy. Crawley has consistently been terrible, but there’s never any punishment. Not a good position for anyone to be in (bar Crawley, I suspect he’s loving it).

Crawley's had more than enough chances and he keeps messing it up. To an extent, I understand he's playing to instruction, but like so much under McCullum & Stokes, it's become the definition of insanity at this point. If this series ends up as a Whitewash, which unfortunately, I can see happening, then McCullum and Stokes and their positions are untenable, just like that of Rob Key IMO.

Arctic Monkeys- Do I wanna know?

If he keeps picking De Neve, we'll continue to struggle on that side, as De Neve is so poor at football. I almost feel bad for De Neve himself tbh, it's not his fault he keeps being selected.

Oh just feck off.

Last I saw, Carter was at Freight Island in Manny last night (judging by his Instagram).

Let’s raise the standard- aye, shall we start in the boardroom? Or people from the club not creating fake twitter accounts calling fans ‘spice heads’? A really sneaky move calling ‘criticism’ ‘abuse’, too. Abuse is out of order, but criticism, is to be expected.

Doesn’t matter what type of midfielder they are, if they’re unfit or shite. Useless to us either way.

We did neither. We've been cost cutting like feck for the last few years, feel like you'd have noticed?

They take so long to do anything, don’t they? Making decisions, announcements, sending faxes. Such a set of dithering dickheads.

Getting beaten in that manner isn’t entertaining to me, nah! For me though, there’s a middle ground to be had between a Geoff Boycott style innings and Bazball. It’s the basics we don't do well that are the most costly in my view- in terms of dropping catches and getting out to shots we should be leaving well alone, anyway.