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gracook

Listed below are comments made by gracook between Monday, 1st September 2008 and Tuesday, 16th June 2009.

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Lions guessing game nearly over 00:07am on 16 Jun 2009 I would just like to point out that Tom Croft also did not make the original squad and is now bang on for a place in the test side, yet all we hear about is james hook - are you a welshman in disguise lol?
Seriously i cannot wait for saturday and think we have a very good chance of putting one over the boks and casting the disastrous new zealand tour into a distant memory. Geechs more simplistic 'old school' methods have worked a treat compared to the ridiculous entourage Woodward took along!
England World Twenty20 player ratings 00:00am on 16 Jun 2009 Agree with most of it to be fair, i said before the tournament that i didn't think Collingwood even deserved a place in th team never mind be captain and i think i was proved right. Great fielder but offered absolutely nothing else. I wud have loved to have seen the ECB go out on a limb and given key the chance to captain, great experience albeit at county level and probaly has more twenty twenty experience than the rest of them put together.
I would have liked to have seen Key open and give the innings the stability it sadly lacked on numerous occasions, allowing the person at the other end to smack at around i.e. bopora and pietersen. Wright did ok against the lesser teams but frankly wasn't good enough against the big teams.
I thought all the bowlers played their part and your ratings are very fair - i thought andersons second over where he got smacked for successive boundaries was what turned the tide in the final game against the Windies.
A much better showing than last time round and as the team is relatively young can only bode well for the future :)
Scolari fails to step out of Jose's shadow 2:50pm on 11 Feb 2009 The biggest loss for Chelsea has been Steve Clarke. He was the link between the manager and the players, the one all the players respected - in short Mr Chelsea. I think its no coincidence that Chelseas downturn and West Hams upturn coincided wiht him leaving chelsea for west ham.
Moores set to lose Pietersen battle 9:57pm on 06 Jan 2009 whilst i agree Moores should go its also a dangerous precident to set. KP seems to be getting way too big for his boots to me, a great player there is no doubt but as a Captain the jury is very much out. KP needs to be wheeled in and reminded there is no i in team!! Englands poor test frm of late isn't just down to Moores - we have seen a number of changs in the coaching staff and i for one dont think Otis Gibson is upto scratch a bowling coach as we have been pretty woeful in that department wth the odd exception i.e. flintoff, broad. I amunsure as to how Vaughan not being selected is an issue as his form has been non exisitent and hd he been selected would completely send out the signal that Team England is a closed circle - one that many think is the case already anyway. The likes of Rob Key, Owis Shah but wonder what on earth they have to do to get a chance when our batting line up is so weak.
England have big big problems at he moment and as the old saying goes - it's going to get worse before it gets better :(
Capello may regret Owen exclusion 11:45pm on 01 Sep 2008 When will England fans realise we are not the best team in the world, not by a long shot, neither have we the right to beat teams like andorra or croatia.
For the first time in ages we are really struggling for certain postions in the team - goalkeeper and strikers being the obvious to highlight. We no longer possess a goalkeeper wiht the quality of shilton, clemence or seaman to occupy the void between the sticks. Up front we know longer have a lineker or a shearer (or an owen it would seem) to provide us with a natural goal threat.
Capello can only work with what he has got and unfortunately that appears to be not much. Whilst our club teams produce outstanding performances in europe and the league the england team continues to dissappoint.
I know its a well worn discussion but i firmly believe the foreign influx has damaged the production or quality england players and whilst i am sure many of you will now harp on about gerrard, cole, lampard etc but perhaps its not so much them being outstanding talents but the foreigners intheir team making them look better than they are?
When these so called 'top' players play for england they find themselves surrounded by players of lesser quality than at club level and as is there for all to see, struggle.
Personally i would rather see players desperate to play for their country, chomping at the bit than thee top stars who seem to think automatic selection is thier divine right. England need to install a better work and team ethic if we are ever going to get anywhere and if that means upsetting the so called 'big' players then so be it. How many poeple can honestly say Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham on current (and recent in an england shirt) form actually deserve a berth in the england team? Lets forget about these fancy foreign influenced systems and get back to what england do best, 442 big man small man up front, two wingers, one holding and one attacking midfielder, its how we have had success inthe past and is how we will have it again inthe future.

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