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neilrealworld

Listed below are comments made by neilrealworld between Friday, 17th July 2009 and Friday, 21st August 2009.

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England batsmen fail again 10:28pm on 21 Aug 2009 It is interesting to read the various comments across 2 days.

England need to produce a stable side, and stick with it, which I assume was what the idea of central contracts was about. That is ok if you pick the right guys in the first place!

It would appear, on this wicket, England were extremely fortunate to win the toss! However every team needs to adjust to the conditions.

There appear to be many on both sides that have not managed to perform consistently up to scratch. Is that because of their inability? the varying conditions and wickets, or the pressure of the media.

I think Strauss will be a fantastic captain as time goes on, every time he has been appointed his performance with the bat has rarely dwindled, in fact it has improved.

Let us stick with our 'up-coming' superstars. Strauss, Bopara, Bell, Prior, Broad, Anderson. Let us put some effort into other possibles, Pietersen, Cooke, Collingwood, etc, who are extremely capable but have 'brittle', personalities. Let us also 'pump-up' all our team.

All these players need to become convinced of their own worth. The strong Australian sides of the past 'believed completely' in themselves.

We live in a world which is 'over infected by hype', and I mean infected!!

Top sportsmen/women, etc are so, apparently dependent, on image and status, both for their ego and their income, that this I am sure must psychologically affect their sporting performances.

Bell, Collingwood, Pieterson, Bopara etc must recognise what their priorities as top level English sportsmen are.

Very simple, Perform! Ignore the media and soundbites, concentrate on your skills and performance, ignore the media! Do your job! That is what you are paid for.

There is a disease affecting all international sport, it is called, Money!
Aussies collapse to revitalised England 10:39pm on 17 Jul 2009 How wonderful to see application from our bowlers, ok the conditions helped them. Perhaps our batsmen can learn something from this!
I am pleased Freddie is resigning/retiring from test cricket. Anderson & Broad will have to complete their development, they are both more than capable, but are only just gaining the confidence necessary. Thank god Broad came back from a pretty desultory first opening spell, where he leaked runs. He is extremely good but still lacks that ultimate confidence and arrogance required of a top allrounder. Not the blind arrogance of Peterson, but the thinking arrogance of Botham.

England please 'grind their noses in it', they have done it to us too many times. We love the Ausies, but we also hate them, it is a true 'love hate' relationship.

Let us stop being 'Mr nice guy', let us assume the mantle previously held by Australia as the 'killers' of world cricket.

The difference between us and others is focus, application, concentration, adjusting our style to the conditions, occasion and competitors.

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