Posted by dustbowls on (July 19, 2013, 18:02 GMT)

This aussie team can't bowl, bat or field..... I see England winning either 4-0 or 5-0.....

Posted by kensohatter on (July 19, 2013, 0:57 GMT)

After years of heartache being destroyed by the aussies Flintoff finally gets a chance to stick the boot in to a weaker australian side. Shame the day after this goes public england again collapse and show just how fragile they can be

Posted by   on (July 18, 2013, 21:45 GMT)

Tend to agree under Clarke's small man, jabbering poor leadership, will be hard for oz to win a test.

Posted by glen1 on (July 18, 2013, 19:16 GMT)

These days, tourists put out their best performance in the first test. If they win, they can carry their momentum forward. If they lose, they will be staring at 0-4, or trying to avoid a total whitewash. There is undeniably a psychological effect on touring teams. Hopefully, I am proved wrong here. One-day cricket, however, seems to take less psychological toll on visiting teams.

Posted by   on (July 18, 2013, 17:04 GMT)

Excellent analysis by Freddie, a true Ashes legend. Like most, I too fail to see Australia win a single test match. While I agree with the Aussies that this England team is not as good as the Aus team of 10 years ago which dominated the English, the current Aus team is much worse than the Eng team of 10 years ago that lost to the Aussies. The gulf between the teams is too wide. It took a 30% performance by England and a freak 10th wicket partnership and two bad decisions (Agar stumping cost them about 130 runs) for Aus to get close (yet lose). Unlikely that this combination will ever happen again.

Posted by   on (July 18, 2013, 14:58 GMT)

I think Australia are over confident on Watson and Clarke and they should give youngsters freedom to play

Posted by   on (July 18, 2013, 11:06 GMT)

I think there's a bit of gamesmanship here.

It's a great performance by Flintoff. Very arrogant - makes me angry as an Aussie. But that's what it is all about.

Posted by poms_have_short_memories on (July 18, 2013, 11:04 GMT)

I wonder if that was Freddys attitude at the start of the series against NZ? If they are such a great team, why are they struggling to win convincingly against apparently mediocre opposition? Is it because they(England) aren't as good as Englishmen think, or because Australia and NZ are better than they are given credit for? Food for thought.

Posted by DustyBin on (July 18, 2013, 10:22 GMT)

England are way below the standard of the great Australian team that won the Ashes 5-0 in 2007. & yet there is a chance-& I think that's all Flintoff is saying-that Aus. will lose this Ashes 5-0-to an average England side; AND having lost 4-0 in India recently, how bad must Australia be right now for all this to be true? & don't blame the Saffer (ex) coach, rather like the West Indies from about 2001 (or at least since Lara finished), their cupboard is bare. I'm sure only Aussies believe this "ah look, we know our batters are cr*p, but we've got some good bowlers yeah?" nonsense. These same bowlers didn't look any better in India than their predecessors did on the 2011 Ashes.

Posted by   on (July 18, 2013, 10:06 GMT)

we came 14 runs close.. how can you not see us winning a test match.