I've been saying it since the New Zealand tour over xmas/new year that the top order is woefully out of sorts. If/when we win/retain the ashes, we will have done so with our top order being inconsistent and, in some cases, shit.
Whatever the outcome of this ashes series it will have been won/lost with Englands top order batting being very out or sorts. The winter ashes tour will be more dominant should we sort our batting out.