Exactly....despite the abject failure of Roy, Bairstow and Buttler we keep the same squad !!!!!
They really do think they are better than they actually are !!!!
If ever there was a time for an overhaul.....perhaps it will happen after the test series post mortem.
I would also add Buttler to the list as well, regardless of how many he gets in this match.
We need a complete re-think and overall of the test squad/team.
IMO we have tried to accommodate too many of the one day team and keep them 'happy'.
We are not as good as they think they are.
Well, thats this test gone !!!!
Aussies 356-5
Smith 168 no - Paine 50 no
The question now is will Smith get to a double ton?
and with his figures from all of the Ashes matches he already has to be nailed on as man of the series.
Current odds at Corals are -
England 16/1 - Draw 10/11 - Australia 1/1
Evens for the Aussies looks too big to me.
and still there with a partnership of 106
Labuschange on 61 and Smith on 47 !!!!
They have not really looked in trouble. Mind, I don’t think we have bowled particularly well to trouble them either.
Unless we break this pair we are already getting close to the point where the game will go away from us.
We can all bemoan the 'goal' that wasn't given which would have rescued a valuable point but the reality is we were not too good against what i consider to be a mediocre Palace team.
Palace are one of the teams who will be in the bottom half and one the teams we really need to be picking up points from.
It is going to be a tough old slog to get to the points tally we need to stay up. Our home form is going to be critical in helping to achieve this.
This may have been said before but in my opinion this VAR bull shit needs a complete overhaul.
Ditch the checking of every goal, ditch the referee checking whatever and just give the two teams 2 or 3 appeals per match. As they do in cricket.
Simple as that.
Leave the silly mistakes on the training ground and i can see us building from the Everton game with another solid performance.
The team will get better with every passing game.
I will be very disappointed if we don't get anything from this game and preferably that being a win.