Thursday December 30

ASHES VICTORY

In The Independent England wicketkeeper Matt Prior says the side do not want to draw the series. We have played too much good cricket and worked too hard to be content with retaining the Ashes. That's not the way the team thinks. James Lawton believes that in all sport the greatest of goals is the perfect performance and rarely has a team got so close to it. Peter Roebuck thinks Ricky Ponting may survive but the Australia coach and selectors should pay the price of defeat. In The Guardian Duncan Fletcher says England's bowling unit has been outstanding right through this series, but there is a recurring fragility about their batting. In the next few years England will need to beat better teams than Australia. Michael Knox believes Australia need to learn a few things from England but first they must learn the lesson of humility. In The Sun England bowler Graeme Swann says he will ignore advice to keep his feet on the ground and, instead, float 15ft in the air for the next day or two. In The Daily Telegraph Jonathan Trott claims he has no interest in finding out what his batting average is. For the record it’s 111.25. Shane Warne believes patience and planning is the key to an Australian revival. Michael Holding compares the Aussies to the West Indies team that followed their greatest side. They can’t find the players to live up to their world class predecessors. The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel says England no longer buy into the myth of the baggy green cap and are determined to make their own mark on history instead. Nasser Hussain thinks this is just the beginning for England but they must go on to win the Sydney Test and wrap up a series victory. Michael Henderson laments the fact that BBC TV did not cover the series. To ignore the cricket from Australia was an act of surrender. The Daily Telegraph’s Jim White says what a day it was for the Barmy Army, the ragtag collective who have followed the England cricket team for the past 20 years – more in hope than expectation. It was the day they finally saw their heroes win the one that matters. In The Daily Express Henry Blofeld thinks Australian cricket is in a mess and they have no one to blame but themselves. In The Times Matthew Syed thinks Roger Federer’s mindset has been co-opted by the England cricket team and has led them to an historic retention of the Ashes. The Swiss understands the meaning of the pecking order and revels in the knowledge that while he is No1, nobody else can be. Gideon Haigh says England have looked more like the home side.

CHELSEA CRISIS

The Guardian’s Paul Hayward points out that history says great teams tend not to die in a two-month spiral. Decline is more gradual. Bad teams look over the edge and fall. Good ones peek and then pull back. Instinct and desperation tend to save them. In The Daily Express Mick Dennis believes Roman Abramovich will keep Carlo Ancelotti in charge and that the Russian billionaire will invest heavily in the January transfer window.

BOLTON CHEER

 In The Times Patrick Barclay says defeat for Bolton’s Owen Coyle— only a fifth loss in 20 league matches — is hardly a season-breaker. Nor does it contradict the suspicion that British managers are staging a revival.

LIVERPOOL STRIFE

In The Times Tony Evans thinks it is time for Liverpool to turn again to Kenny Dalglish. Roy Hodgson is alienating players, staff members talk disparagingly about his methods and attitude and now the supporters have crossed a line that not long ago would have been unimaginable.

QUOTE

‘I have to hope the fans will become supporters because we need support. We are not deliberately losing games.’ Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson.