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Listed below are comments made by listentocommonsense between Monday, 10th August 2009 and Wednesday, 14th October 2009.

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England cannot replace Rooney 08:47am on 14 Oct 2009 Rooney is important, but he's still only one of a TEAM, and i believe England can play just as well without him.
Anyone with half a brain knows that partnerships are important is football so Heskey should go to SA, as will his obvious replacement Carlton Cole, who on his day, is just as much a handfull as Heskey and to suggest Cole is not upto the job is shortsighted.

Crouch offers something different and will also go, while Owen MUST NOT GO to SA, and there is no chance he'll be picked anyway, so get over it, McNulty! To mention him is laughable. He's a washed-up has-been who offers very little, because he doesn't link up, has lost a lot of pace, and is injury prone - need i say more?

Defoe will of course go and Agbonlahor may also go, but that depends on form and what Capello sees, hence Gabi will play a part in this game. If anyone drops out then Bent could be a long shot to go to SA.
Can James answer England call? 11:04am on 08 Oct 2009 Kirkland would probably be making England squads ahead of Robinson if he'd had more call-ups before now. Foster looks poor (i've never been a fan) and Kirkland would be ahead of him, but his lack of international experience will go against him in the picking of all future squads.

James to go to SA next year but not as the Number 1. Green deserves the chance, and the fact that England could well be playing Upson will strengthen his case. Green is the right age, makes about the same amount of errors as James (less in big games, perhaps?), but will be more agile than a 39 year-old (remember how old men Shilton and Seaman got caught out late in their international careers?).

Green will also be more hungry for success and has a better focus than the more posey/dippy James. The third keeper spot is always a waste of a squad place, but i suppose you'd take Hart along, as i feel he will be England's number 1 in 2-3 years time, and then for a considerable time (barring injury).
Adebayor madness mars Man City win 12:48pm on 14 Sep 2009 The FA really should throw the book at him for this. Players are getting way too big-headed and think they're above everything. A several match ban won't really be enough, but at least Man City get punished (by not having him play) for not instilling discipline in their players.
Capello can plot World Cup glory 6:12pm on 10 Sep 2009 I agree that the vast majority of the praise (so far) has to go to capello. He knows his football and still remember the single most accomplished performance in a champs league final by his AC Milan side - simply awesome. He's aware that at international level there isn't that much between teams, but the right tactics and most importantly the right ATTITUDE is what wins matches. Regarding selection, i'm not concerned who plays, because i trust Capello to pick the right players based on what he sees. It's team game afterall.
That said, it will be interesting who he takes to SA, as there are some big calls to make and a long time between now and the time for squads to be announced. Capello we be keeping close tabs on Carlton Cole and will watch those injured players coming back (not Downing though, please!). I have a feeling capello will spring one or two slight suprises with the squad and maybe starting line-up. He appears to go with players he thinks provide him with enough ability matched with attitude to win him games. What he'll need to do is get to know players better to predict how they'll cope with the MENTAL PRESSURE of a world cup.
Injuries won't be as key as people make out, although more than one or two would cause problems, because of lack of time to fit them into the system that capello likes to play. Unlike the sven & mcC days i could say (with maybe the exception of the left-sided players) who would play in each position should there be an injury, mainly because you can see the role they are supposed to play in the team, and what type of player Capello likes. I actually think Ashley Cole would be a disaster to lose to injury, more so than Rooney or Gerrard.
Benitez and O'Neill on the offensive 1:13pm on 25 Aug 2009 Man Utd, like liverpool, don't seem to start seasons very well, and drop points. Liverpool were terrible at the start of last season but got lucky against the likes of Boro and Wigan, and didn't start winning all their home games until after xmas. While Utd have a good squad with enough depth and a good mix of youth and experience, Liverpool's looks wafer thin, with no options to freshen it up and relieve those looking sluggish and tired from the weight of expectation. To rely of Gerrard & Torres to the extent he does Benitez is he own worst enemy. These two players are quality, but to expect them to perform heroics every game is asking for the impossible.
If liverpool had kept some of their better players in recent year, your crouch, keane, alonso's, etc, then they might have a chance of being title contenders. I suspect that the best the liverpool fans can hope for is to go far in the champions league where the players can raise themselves for those cup tie style matches. I actually think liverpool will struggle to stay in the top 4 with man city and tottenham having much better squads than liverpool.
Liverpool need a new manager in my opinion. Benitez hasn't made the most of money or built a solid squad that can beat teams at a canter. The team doesn't play good passing football very often and huffs & puffs too much due to it's reliance on key players. 2 or 3 seasons ago they had the makings of a good squad but now they look poor compared with several other teams.
Ramps for The Oval? 12:59pm on 13 Aug 2009 This isn't a cup final, it's the last test in what has been a poor series of cricket. Neither team deserves to win the ashes, and a draw would probably be fair, as both teams have only proven capable of average cricket, with real quality coming only in very small flashes.

Ramprakash? Mr. Bottler himself? At his age i doubt he could even see a 93 mph delivery. Key is also over the hill.
On the one hand you, and many others, are saying be ruthless, chop out the out of form, less gutsy players, which is right, as England will not improve unless they do this, but then you ruin that with a bizarre short term view which means picking 3 players who should never (for differing reasons) come near an England dressing room again.
Harmison over Onions or Sidebottom? Have you been watching Harmison bowl over the last 3 years? Or in the last test, where he was an embarressment? Panesar? Do you not remember Cardiff?
If i were Trott and Carberry, Onions/Sidebottom i'd feel cheated out of a place in the team if the useless selectors went for old codgers whose time has been and gone. It's long overdue that England found some real competitors for such cricketing duels such as this. A "sporting romantic"? What exactly is that? I doubt Australia have heard of it - they, like England need to, is believe in hard cricket and getting in their faces. The only things Ramprakash, Key and Harmison could get stuck into is TV Dancing, Pies and International Retirement.
Ponting left laughing as England get the script wrong 2:02pm on 10 Aug 2009 The selection for this coming test needs to address the problems of past selections. Therefore players who have failed before, have retired from international cricket, or are 40 years old have no place. England's closed shop policy has resulted in there being no progression with selections to make it competitive between new guys, and those established but stuggling regulars. You have to have cover for injury also, so for pete's sake selectors, identify those players who are capable of (a) contributing positively in the coming match and (b) have the potential to provide competition for places going forward.
Ponting left laughing as England get the script wrong 1:32pm on 10 Aug 2009 VERY intelligent comments stagger1 but moving onto England's selection choices, to refresh what has been an unsuccessful batting line-up...
Just 3 changes will be required to enable England a fighting chance of winning, against the odds, on a batsmen friendly wicket.
I think England COULD still win the last test, although a draw looks likely, or England going for broke and coming up just short could also happen.
I suspect the series will end as a draw.
Ponting left laughing as England get the script wrong 12:54pm on 10 Aug 2009 Yes i would play Carberry and Trott for Bell and Bopara ahead of anyone else. All the old guys have been tried and they failed. Saying it's too much pressure is a cop out. If you can't play against the best (and let's face it, Australia are, but not in the same league as the McGrath/Warne days), then why bother? If we only debut players against the likes of West Indies and New Zealand, or play old codgers then we'll be in the same predicament every time we play Australia - our so called 'great talents' (the likes of Bell, Bopara) won't do any good, despite them being talked up because they scored runs against second rate test nations, or indeed 2nd division county sides.
You stick in the players that have a good mix of athlectisism, ability and mental strength, that's what the selectors are paid to do!
Rashid wouldn't contribute much towards taking 20 wickets. His time will come, but England don't need him now.
Ponting left laughing as England get the script wrong 11:49am on 10 Aug 2009 Ramprakash? You are joking? He's ancient, not a good test player, and not a viable option. Don't say 'he's scored loads of runs in C.C', because he's playing in league 2, where the best bowlers are j.lewis and kirby!
Play Trott, who's scored runs against half decent attacks in division 1, and also Hildreth or Carberry, who have also scored runs in that division. Bring in those for Bell & Bopara, who have proven that they don't have the stomach for the battle.
If even one of those debutants succeed at the oval then England will have a decent batsmen going forward. No Key, Ramprakash or Trescothick thanks. Look to the future England selectors!!! 3 changes (including Flintoff back for the useless Harmison) is not pushing the panic button, it's seeing things for what they are. England need to give viable alternatives a chance with the bat, and what better chance for someone to make a name for themselves than at the Oval.
I think i'd play;
Strauss
Carberry
Cook
Collingwood
Trott
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Onions

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