Ashes: Frailty of usual destroyers Swann and Cook represents the crux of England’s woeful form.

Mentality is everything in sport. Without the will to win, there is no win. The English cricket side have arrived in Australia thinking that they are facing the same Australian team who they comprehensively outplayed 3-0 in the last Ashes series in England. However, this is not the case, the Australian team have been re-energised, revamped and have taken to the pitch more confident than ever thanks largely to the impact of Coach Darren Lehmann. Lehmann, affectionately known as ‘Boof,’ took over from the controversially ousted Mickey Arthur and has injected a level of Australian fight and spirit into the dressing room. Australia’s displays in Adelaide and at the Gabba have been characterised by the exact elements which saw them careen down the world rankings under the guidance of Arthur. Grit, passion, determination and team work have all been on show, hidden of course amongst the heroics of individual milestones such as Mitchell Johnson’s wonderful showings of fast bowling and the ability of Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin to steady the ship and grind their way to magnificent centuries.

Whilst things have been all smiles in the Aussie camp, the Englishmen simply don’t know what has hit them, and one could forgive them for asking if this is the same Australian side they came up against in England. The English thought that they would retain the Ashes without breaking a sweat, some were even predicting a 5-0 whitewash in favour of the visitors, but it was in fact this innate level of cockiness and sense of dominance which has cost the English in the opening two tests. When Australia came out and found themselves at 5/100 on the opening day of the series, fans were beginning to think “here we go again,” and England were licking their lips in thought of the same sentiment. However it was certainly not what the English batsmen expected out in the middle as they were humbled by a graceful display of fast bowling from the likes of Ryan Harris and Johnson on their way to a dismal total of 136. This was a rather rude awakening for the Poms, which has continued into the Second test in Adelaide, with England reaching 200 for the first time in the series in their fourth innings.

In fact, it has been England’s most experienced and previously reliable players who have been in the worst veins of form. Captain Alastair Cook has been simply woeful at the crease, other than his solid 65 in the 2^nd innings at the Gabba, and his dismissal in the second innings in Adelaide was symbolic of what an absolute shambles this England side have become. Cook strides out to the middle aware of the fact England must survive two full days of batting to save this test match, and what does he do? He attempts to hook a short pitched ball straight to one of two fieldsmen placed in the fine leg region for that exact shot, shocking captaincy which represents the frailty of England’s mindset, a man who will play his 100^th test next week at the WACA fell for the sucker ball. If England are to get back into this series which, let’s face it, is unlikely then Cook must find some form, and more importantly, gain some self-confidence which will allow him to negotiate the bowling of Mitchell Johnson. In the bowling department, Stuart Broad has been rather handy, as much as it pains me to say it, but the ‘world’s best spinner’ Graeme Swann has been absolutely slaughtered in some shocking displays of bowling which have showcased the fact that he simply cannot adjust to Australian conditions. Swann was the leading wicket taker in the previous Ashes series, this series he is simply England’s leading run getter, with batsman notching up 317 runs off him in two tests, with a return of just 4 wickets.

At the conclusion of the Adelaide test, Michael Clarke iterated Australia’s ambitions in world cricket, stating that

"There's a lot of work for us to do to get back to being the number one team in the world and that's our goal."

Australia are brimming with confidence and England must surely be down in the dumps after two consecutive losses by huge margins, but it is paramount that the English show some fight back in the third test if they are to avoid a genuine crisis. If England are to win the third test and stay in the series then they must achieve the following things:

1. Learn how to face Mitchell Johnson
2. Discover what their ideal batting order looks like
3. Have someone make a century
4. Get David Warner out early

If the Poms can gain victory in Perth then this series will be well and truly alive, but this cannot happen unless they resurrect their mentality and stop taking success as a given.

Liverpool turn back the clock with stunningly average loss against inferior Hull City

The Reds’ display at the KC Stadium would have felt all too familiar for Liverpool fans who have become all too familiarised with their side being ludicrously inconsistent and would be in no way surprised to see them lose to a distinctly inferior side. It certainly felt like the Liverpool of old who managed to dominate possession and large stretches of the match against Hull City but simply failed to convert what few chances they created and then proceeded to leak goals and in turn three points. If it weren’t for Steven Gerrard’s magnificent free kick, the score line would have been even more embarrassing for Liverpool, who had previously never lost to Hull City in any competitive fixture.

Liverpool were of course without the prolific Daniel Sturridge, something they will have to get used to, as it was confirmed the striker will miss up to 8 weeks with ankle ligament damage. The next month or so is crucial for Liverpool as they face the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, if they play like they did against Hull, they could find themselves on the end of a shellacking similar to what City inflicted upon Tottenham just a week ago. If Liverpool are to achieve Champions League football for next season, consistency is key. They simply cannot afford to lose games at inferior opponents.

From the outset, Liverpool had looked a shadow of the team that they have been for the opening 12 fixtures. Possession was sloppy, chances were few and far between and the likes of Victor Moses and Glen Johnson were made to look simply inept by Hull City players. A performance like this should serve as a wakeup call to Brendan Rodgers and his side. Liverpool were mediocre at best, and multiple players simply failed to contribute to the cause in any way. If Liverpool are to return to the summit of English and world football, they must build a squad with depth. It seems as though without Daniel Sturridge and Jose Enrique it could collapse all too easily.

Hull City's David Meyler uses his arms to measure his excitement at his first Premier League goal.

The formation employed by Rodgers at Hull was certainly not the problem, it was rather the players who failed to fulfil their roles. Victor Moses was simply useless, he provided not one chance going forward and practically gifted Hull their opener with sloppy dribbling out of the back, albeit the goal came from a deflection, but nonetheless the ball should have been cleared by Moses rather than fluffing around in his own half. Moses should not be playing against Norwich in midweek, the only adequate, yet harsh, word to describe his performance is ‘useless.’

The midfield was not exactly the problem, with Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Lucas patrolling the centre admirably and controlling possession for large stretches of the game. However, as a team, Liverpool were unbelievably sloppy in possession, something you cannot afford to be in the Premier League, if you lose the ball, teams will punish you, it is that simple. Words never rang more true yesterday as Liverpool conceded three goals after failing to secure possession and not clearing their lines. 

The defence was an absolute shambles, Glen Johnson seemed as though he was going on a Sunday Morning walk every time he gained possession, simply wandering in field and being disposed a huge number of times. Jon Flanagan was better in possession but his passing was wayward and he played in to the feet of Moses repeatedly despite the fact that the Nigerian was being closely marked, the equivalent of simply handing over possession, for Premier League quality fullbacks, that is like taking candy from a baby. Kolo Toure did not look assured, he took too long on the ball and whilst his centre back partner Martin Skrtel may have been an imposing presence neither did enough to stop any of the soft goals Liverpool conceded.

In conclusion, yesterday’s match showed Liverpool the danger of underestimating an opponent, they cannot afford to lose their consistency now, and they Rodgers must figure out how to get his side winning without Daniel Sturridge or it could be a long 8 weeks for Reds fans. Further, defence is a big problem for the Reds and January must see the purchase of a first team quality left back, one or possibly two wingers, and a creative midfielder if they are to gain some consistency in the New Year.

That’s the Rosey Wrap on Liverpool vs. Hull City,

Thanks for reading,

By Jake Rosengarten