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magic_mira

Listed below are comments made by magic_mira between Thursday, 28th August 2008 and Tuesday, 5th May 2009.

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Ashes preparation starts here 09:06am on 05 May 2009 "like dropping top-order batsmen on a low score en route to a big century", Funny, I was expecting a fact there, if you can't back up your point why make it. I thought Prior kept pretty well in the Windies, and that this issue had been more or less put to bed, its a million miles away from being the key problem in the England team now. I would say that Ambrose is probably ahead of Foster in the test pecking order anyway.

As for more from a journalist about Flintoff, change the record, I think its probably in everyones interests for Flintoff to retire from one form of cricket to prolong his career a bit and give him longer rest periods. Logically, since he is largely incapable of substantial innings and the combination that he shouldn't really be bowling long spells but is mainly a very good tight stock bowler, means that I would say we should probably move forward without Flintoff in test cricket
Flower it is - but a cloak of secrecy remains 3:57pm on 15 Apr 2009 I agree, good luck to Andy Flower, but I still think this is an amazing decision even if not surprising. Basically he's got the job on a hunch that he'll be a good coach, and because he's an easy going guy who won't upset the various cliques in the squad, particularly the one led by Flintoff. I can't help thinking the likelyhood of this being looked back on as a key moment for English cricket is very slim.
Why Calzaghe deserves his place among the greats 12:17pm on 06 Feb 2009 Calzaghe, like Lewis before him, is not everyones cup of tea because he concentrated on his alround fighting skills and fought in a measured way to win, not just chasing knockouts and trying to knock peoples heads off which makes fighters a lot more popular with the public. People harp on about him being a 'slapper' and other things, but how would his detractors mastermind an opponents tactics to beat him? What style of fighter couldnt he deal with? Good luck sorting that out.

Everyone knows that top quality and dangerous European and British fighters won't get fights in the states in their prime. American promoters are not stupid, they hold all the aces in terms of numbers of audience and money in boxing, they don't risk titles and big fights leaving their shores and happening outside of American prime time, and also have to satisfy the desire of the American public for home grown champions. Really good British fighters will only ever get big fights in the states when there is more to be gained than lost for their opponent, and that is when they are getting old and are more vulnerable, or their opponent is looking to either rehabilitate their reputation or launch their reputation by taking someone with a good record.

I feel sorry for the people who are so one eyed they couldn't enjoy Calzaghes fights. The performance against Lacy, one of the hottest fighters around when he fought him and favourite to win the fight, was absoloutely majestic. No doubt he has taken some wrong turns in his career, but who hasn't? He himself would admit in the years prior to the Lacy fight he was getting bitterly frustrated at not being able to get bigger names in the ring with him, but I'm far from convinced the reasons behind that were just down to him. Forget his record if you like, just watch his fights. Top fighter.
England seek Caribbean cure 12:21pm on 04 Feb 2009 The balance of this England team has been wrong since the 5th test of the ashes in 2005, a game we barely salvaged a draw in after playing superb cricket for the 3 tests before it. At the time it seemed like a temporary team selection but we've picked almost the same team for the next 4 years and they have not competed well. I fear they are going to have to take us a bit lower and lose to the windies and a very average aussie team before we see any change.

If you look at the players available to England I just cannot believe our top 5 is not Strauss, Cook, Key, Pieterson, Shah, followed in then by Flintoff and Prior. I think that line up would make us a lot more competitive. I've heard comments from Rob Keys Aussie colleagues that he is fuming at the way he has been handled by England and I can't blame him, he's the only natural number 3 in England.
Riquelme - one of a dying breed 1:21pm on 06 Oct 2008 I agree with #20, Its constantly rammed down our throats here in England how good the quality of the premiership is now but from my vantage point I think the English top flight has never been so turgid. Virtually every team plays the same way, one up and pack the midfield with players who all have the primary responsibility to defend. No team in the premiership shows any imagination away from home, in a lot of games the teams look like they are going through the motions because results have become so predictable.

Its all well and good having this business orientated win at all costs attitude, but people who really love the game go to watch it because they want to see real skill, pieces of magic, things they couldn't see or do in the park on a sunday morning, the things that should elevate players to being professionals. Players like Riquelme provide that and they are definitely disappearing.
The most divisive and tasteless selection in cricket history 2:17pm on 10 Sep 2008 In reply to the class is permanent line about Vaughan, and that he has shown the ability to score important tons in the past, that is undeniably true, and so clearly then the reason for his decline has been application.

The situation with his technical flaw began before the last ashes at home, where he already was starting to fail to push the bat through straight and consequently inexplicably missing straight balls. Even in the big innings he made during that series he was clean bowled, but fortunately on a no bowl. What he has failed to do most notably since is contribute during his struggles, and with no top order stroke maker to feed off following the demise of Banger, we've seen him generally struggle until eventually falling foul of his weakness and missing a straight one or giving his wicket away out of frustration.

As has been pointed out by others, it is noticeable that these days his bat does not have the tell tale marks it used to have which he himself used to say was due to hours spent on the practise machine working on his techinque. How and Why is that old application going to come back now? It may in time without the captaincy, but this winter should logically be spent by him getting his game in order away from the test team and then see where he is during next summer. That time, as with anyone proving themselves, shouldn't be spent under central contract
The most divisive and tasteless selection in cricket history 12:56pm on 10 Sep 2008 I am absoloutely amazed to see Vaughan get a central contract, and the 2 keepers. I know he doesn't have a great county cricket record, and that begs the question how on earth is he going to get back into the team? His inability to play the straight ball satisfactorily in the last couple of years have certainly made him look like a man about to leave the game. Without a significant amount of runs you can't just bring him back for England. This reeks of contracts being given out for the benefit of the players, rather than the team or the system.

As everyone has always said, due to the intense inefficiencies in the way the game is run in this country, the more money that comes in to it from things like Stanfords nonsense, the more that will go straight back out in player wages, and the more obese and uncompetitive everything will become
Ashley leaves Newcastle in chaos 1:45pm on 03 Sep 2008 The amount of nonsense in this article and the following comments is hard to believe.

The truth is no-one knows what is going on unless McNulty has been sitting talking to Ashley or Keegan this morning which he hasn't, ultimately not even Llambas will have the final say over these issues, forget information from so called contacts. Keegan is clearly unhappy about certain things, the club are obviously not in a position to say Keegan definitely won't quit over it because it is impossible to categorically know that given that they are discussing something like the structure of the club, so it can't be cleared up in public yet.

Hopefully later on today they'll sort everything out one way or another, release the information, and then people can come on here and slate newcastle and everyone associated with running the club when they know the facts.
Ashley leaves Newcastle in chaos 1:32pm on 03 Sep 2008 Keegan is not taking training because he is in a meeting with the owner McNulty, what are you on about? The squad are not even preparing for a game today so it is a good time to sort out/discuss/argue about problems.

Why on earth would wise take training? Keegan has 2 assistants, one of them would take it, not the person responsible for signing youth team players
Transfer window not working in the Football League? 11:04am on 28 Aug 2008 The much earlier comments about Andy Coles transfer to man utd from newcastle are also historically totally inaccurate. Ignore.

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