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mechanicalCogbill

Listed below are comments made by mechanicalCogbill between Friday, 18th July 2008 and Saturday, 4th July 2009.

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Owen worth Man Utd gamble 12:55pm on 04 Jul 2009 "Owen represents a gamble worth taking and his wages are not prohibitive when lesser talents will be going for just as much this summer" - really? If you are going to make outragoues statements like this then some names please. Are you suggesting that Carlos Tevez is a lesser talent? (As I suspect he has siimilar wage demands). As shown by the lack of interest in Micky "Shins" Owen, I think most premiership managers believe the likes of Saha, Bent, Hesky, Agbonlahor are all considerably better players - and at probably half the wages. Who do you have in mind Phil?

This purchase is a massive gamble that only a few clubs, have the luxury to be able to make. To suggest that Shins is a good value risk is, frankly, outrageous. Indeed, at an age that is generally the peak of most players career he could not hold down a regular starting spot at Newcastle (when fit!). So dire has he been when I saw him last year that I have to wonder he was ever that good in the first place
Azinger fashions US in Europe's image 6:16pm on 22 Sep 2008 I think it is unfair on Faldo to second guess all of the decisions that have to be made in very little time over a hectic weekend. That said for me what was appalling was the lack of prescence we had on the course. Every time an American left the green there was Ray Floyd or someone else there to calm then down or pump them up as the occasion warranted. For our lads - where was the love from our management? There were a few occasions when I was appalled, first, when Garcia was around the turn and started to fret, he needed an arm round him and no-one was there. Exactly the same was needed with Casey and Hanson down the stretch. It felt at times like we were taking them on alone and that was not acceptable.

As for the next skipper then can be only one based on perfomance - and that is Langer. I have no idea why the Ryder Cup captaincy is considerd some sort of honour that is handed around former great (and not so great) players. This is bloody important and we should choose our best man for the job. Langer has clearly demonstrated that he is that man. He was peerless as a leader in Michigan.
Harmison and Anderson shine for KP 10:43pm on 07 Aug 2008 Bayboy - you would do well to listen to Geoffrey some more. He reckons (rightly imo) that due to the quality of the bats, the tracks and the dearth of high class bowlers today, batsmen should average 6 or 8 runs more than they used to. That means a decent test player today should average close to 50 and that would only include KP and Cook from our current side. That's probably about right and makes comparisons with Atherton and Stewart in an era when batsmen averaged less, meaningless.
Harmison and Anderson shine for KP 10:23pm on 07 Aug 2008 Arnie - I started watching after 2005? How dare you after what I've put myself through these last 30 years. In any case, I wasn't equating Collingwood and Vaughan's abilities just pointing out that they are two current players, rightly out of favor I might add, who can and have scored pressure runs. That is the comparison.

Thorpe used to bat down the order and almost all of his centuries came alone. But then he had cojones.
Harmison and Anderson shine for KP 8:44pm on 07 Aug 2008 Nickyboje - Bell certainly has a lot of talent. As a flat track bully I would rate him up there with Graeme Hick. What he also consitently displays is an inability to perform under pressure. This is the reverse of players like Vaughan and Coillingwood who may have less natural ability but are able to play match-winning innings. Whilst he has contributed along the way, I can hardly recall Bell ever having won a match for us in 40 tests - a feat even Tim Ambrose has managed. The innings you refer to was his least pressured innings of the series, hence his highest score - although I agree there was a degree of pressure when he first arrived at the crease. I wish him well tomorrow but my real fear is that we will be carrying this incosistency into the ashes next summer against a team where Bell averages 25 (over 2 series). The reason? Every knock he has had against Australia has been under high pressure.
Harmison and Anderson shine for KP 7:42pm on 07 Aug 2008 A decent surface, no pressure and a demob happy opposition - all the ingredients for a big score from Bell then tomorrow. He may even get there first this time.

Good to see Harmy sending one down at 90+, if only Troy Cooley was still around to ensure that this was a more regular occurrence.
Brilliant Flintoff brings Test back to life 5:07pm on 01 Aug 2008 A hundred only ever looks likely from the Bell(end) if someone else gets there first. This was a pressure knock and, again, he folded. Is it just me and Skiddy who see this?
Brilliant Flintoff brings Test back to life 02:21am on 01 Aug 2008 NoRtHeRnMiDz? - if you have another look you'll see that I am not saying Belly is rubbish, quite the contrary, he clearly is not. However, he is unable to score runs when we really need them - a trait he shares with the likes of Graham Hick. What is fascinating about this is whilst some of us have noticed this weakness (Skid Marks has been on about it for a while) this is a rare case when the stats actually display the mental frailty that would otherwise only be spotted by the more observant fans - which you clearly are not.

For the record, Bell averaged 35 in his second series against the Aussies, with no centuries . Oh dear.

Lets give another top quality county perfomer the lattitude we have given Bell and see if they have the mental strength to dig in when we need runs. Bell has the talent and I hope he overcomes this - but how long must we wait?
Brilliant Flintoff brings Test back to life 10:01pm on 31 Jul 2008 It seems to me that whatever lead SA gets will be too much for our batsmen unless KP or Cook make big scores. Given how appalling the selections have been for the past two tests it is probably time for Dusty and the clowns to consider a few facts. Lets take the batting:

With the current dearth of quality bowlers, flat tracks and betters bats, a quality test player should average close to 50. Only KP and Cook are in that category.

Strauss, I am sad to say, is probably the best we have as another opener. We really miss Trescothick.

Bell is very lucky to be there, he is simply not a quality test batsman as he is mentally fragile. He is the best flat track bully in the game and is priceless in the sunshine at Lords when we have 300 on the board. But he cannot score runs when it matters. Other than Cook he was the only batsmen who got himself set in the last few innings and failed each time as the pressure was on. The fact that he has never scored a ton for England without someone getting there first says it all. Some more evidence? He averages 25 against the Aussies. If we're playing Bangladesh at home in the sun fine, but otherwise no thanks.

Vaughan has a test average of 41 and this is probably about 30 odd in the past year. These are poor numbers but he is a good skipper and unlike Bell, he can score pressure runs and win games for us. Colly and Bell to go before Vaughan but if this run continues the skipper cannot possibly be retained.

Collingwood should never have been picked for this test. Given he has scored 96 first class runs all season it was a worse selection than Pattison. If Harmo had to go back to Durham and relearn things, then so should have Colly. It also smacks of favouritism. I can only justify the selection on the basis that Colly is a centrally contracted player and is mates with Vaughan. No cricketing reason suffices and the likes of Shah and Bopara should rightly feel disgusted with events.

So we have 2 decent batsmen. The problems started when we were announcing that run of unchanged teams earlier this year when the performances were mediocre at best. Some of the tests were against what was effectively a NZ second team and I cannot believe the Aussies would have accepted those performances. Small changes could and should have been made then to re-introduce Shah/Bopora but Miller was asleep at the wheel. The rot was not dealt with and now we are going to need a wholesale clearance and new players will have to start with blood on the walls. The selectors should take the bulk of the responsibility for this. Are you reading Dusty?
Controversy reigns on opening day 8:02pm on 18 Jul 2008 Evilspindoctor,

Last week was one of Bell's better knocks and when he started the pressure was on I agree. However, one wonders what would have happened had KP not raced to a ton and taken the pressure off? I would like to be corrected on this but, to date, he has consistently failed to score runs when it matters. Of course all runs matter, just some runs matter more than others. A gutsy 85 today seeing us to the close is the sort of thing I want to see (and have never seen so far). I am not sure that we have much better in the wings at present so Bell may need to be persevered with but he is fragile under pressure and the Aussie loves that.

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