Thats true, we lost and Sri Lanka were by far the better team. As long as we can learn from this loss and try not to repeat our mistakes there may be some positives to be gained after all.

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Mark.

Yes - I think England need some luck like Flintoff getting over his injuries, that would IMO inspire Steve Harmison to be more conistent, they bowled better as a team.

The selectors have to look at the squad, and also look at who's done what in the counties consistently over the last two years - I don't believe that I am being short sighted in wanting England to pick a squad to beat Australia in 2009, the players are there IMO.

Also I don't think this will happen, but I think the reactionary Moores should go - he will go even if it's later, rather than sooner.

England need to get their bowlers back in the groove, by the England season I hope to see Flintoff back refreshed, and at least patched up for a year or so.

Harmison,
Hoggard,
Flintoff,
Sidebottom,
Swann.

With luck these would be first choice bowlers, Sidebottom could go depending on the form of Tremlet, Plunkett, Mahmood, or even Anderson - 2008 is a new year so they all start from scratch.
The batting has to revolve round Vaughan (if he is stil interested), Cook, Strauss and Pietersen - with Collingwood and Flintoff in the middle lower middle order spots.

In any squad with 2009 in mind, England CAN'T IMO ignore Ramp's any longer after his outstanding form over a prolonged two years, as a batsman his age is NOT against him.

Lets face it he can't do any worse that what happened in Australia and Sri Lanka 2006 and 2007.

The thorny question of who keeps won't go away, Matt Prior has a big heart but is not in the same class as Read - I believe net runs will be gained by playing a proper keeper.

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Ern

Well, I've already stated my preferred attack of Hoggard, Harmison, Sidebottom, Panesar and Swann. I hope that you're not excluding Panesar from your bowling attack because of one ordinary series.

Regarding the 'keeper, it seems that all the front-runners (Prior, Mustard, Ambrose) are all good enough batsmen to go in at 6, so I don't think England will lose out at all by playing a five-man bowling attack with Swann (or Flintoff) at 7. And I agree that Flintoff should play if available, but I wouldn't bank on it too heavily- apart from the constant threat of injury, it seems to me that England tends to make false talismen of their players if they've performed heroics in the past. In 2005, Vaughan's previous Ashes series (and his victory in that one) was so firm in everyone's mind that no one really noticed that he had an ordianry series as a batsman. I can easily see the same thing happening with Flintoff.