DonaldC

The Posh... My dad's from around there. Things are looking good as well, I say Premiership in 5 years

Its better to replace him with the money we get for him, he has been a total disaster just like every other player we bought from Hibs in the past few years exellent midfielder Thomson had a very good season last year. It'd be a big blow to lose him.

Did anyone watch the Premiership when Kazim Richards was playing? He was crap! Certainly no better than McCulloch was in the Prem, whom so many of you deride relentlessly.

What a stupid question. Lafferty's not even played a game yet. Rediculous

I'm not overly worried about next season. The squad we currently have came incredibly close to winning the title, thus wholesale changes are not needed. We only need a centre half and maybe a winger/creative midfielder. I was struggling to make sense of the amount of strikers we're signing, but with a bit of thought, it's starting to make sense... The strikers we currently have: Boyd, Darcheville, Cousin, Miller, Lafferty, Naismith, Novo, Velicka. That's 8. But Naismith is out for a year, so that brings us down to 7. Cousin is likely to leave, thus 6. Novo plays as more of a winger, that's 5. Darche is on his last legs and won't play more than half our games. Thus we need good cover. Lafferty is also <21, therefore he can replace one of the token youngsters like McMillan, Lennon etc. that are never going to play. I'm not Boy'd biggest fan, but I hope he stays for at least one more season in the hope that he can evolve into more of a rounded player.

Must be paper talk, surely. Everyone knows Lee Wilkie is a ig donkey...

It's more Hayden's atitude to evey other world cricket side. The stuff he and McGrath come out with in the build up to an Ashes verges on insulting and disrespectful in my opinion. One of the worst things I've ever heard was Alan Stanford answer to the question: What do you think of test cricket? His reply: 'In all honesty, I find it boring." Unfortunately, it's a view that's getting increasingly popular throughout the cricket world. We are fortunate in Britain to have a team who still holds tests as the pinacle of cricket. I do worry for it's future, however...

I was doing the same... great game! Back to the cricket - England won by 9 wickets. NZ were 123-9 off their 20. Wickets shared between Broad, Anderson, Swann (all got 2 each). Bell hit 60 of 40-odd balls and eased home. Luke Wright the only man out for a quick-fire 20 odd. I was hoping for more of a challenge from the black caps in the ODs - they deserve some success. I like Vettori et al - they've always seemed genuninely nice guys. Better than those arrogant convicts, especially that tosser Matty Hayden. Absolute wazzock.

Didn't see the game as I don't have SkySports. Comprehensive, though it's a shame Bopara never got a chance. Maybe England will actually perform well in the ODIs this season.

I'm not sure about Tremlett. I thought he was going to be brilliant a couple of years ago, but injury's fucked him. Hopefully Simon Jones can remain injury free and force himself back into the side.

The Grange is in Edinburgh, but it doesn't really make a difference to the weather I suppose. Chester-le-street is too much of a pain in the arse to get to if you don't drive, I've tried sorting it out last minute a couple of times and then bailed due to difficulties in travel. I'm not really going to watch Scotland, I'm more going because it's my first chance to see an England game live.

The fact you won't acknowledge the 50000 Southern Irishmen who volunteered to fight Germany alongside Britain shows that you are no man of honour. The men of WW2 would be ashamed of people like yourself....you represent the opposite of what those brave men represented. You are just a bigot and a racist and a man with nothing to offer but hate. same goes for your pal...he calls himself a Protestant and a man of the church???....you couldn't make it up! I'm done with the bigot brothers. are you for real or out to cause trouble. To be fair, some of what he says is true. If you refuse to acknowledge 50 000 (southern) Irishman that fought for Britain in WW2, then how can you be anything other than racist?

Given this is the first Cricket thread I've seen on RM, I'll post this question here... Anyone going to Scotland v England at the Grange in August? Got tickets, but they're bloody expensive ~£40!! Can't wait till I have a regular income and get down to some Tests. Back to the England team, hopefully Bopara will shine in the ODIs so he can replace Collingwood. Colly's well suited for ODIs, but not sure he has enough batting talent to hold a place in the test side.

My relationship with England is pretty weird. My dad's English, and thus you'd think I have some sort of affinity for them. I hate the anti-English brigade who support every one of England's opponents - most Scots. But when England didn't qualify, I found it quite amusing, and was pretty relieved after we missed out having had a far better campaign. Generally I want to England to do well, but sometimes the jealousy gets the better of me. In cricket, however, I'm very much an England man. More so than a Scotland football fan.

Not unless he has an £8m release clause in his old contract (if rumours are to be believed).