To be fair we were mostly on the back foot the whole series. Australia were the better side, they clearly wanted it far more than us, felt they had a point to prove and were totally focused. If we want to attain the same level some hard questions need to be asked, and answered and maybe some radical decisions made. First, Joe Root. He’s not a captain, it seems that he got the job on the nod, despite having no experience captaining any cricket side, never mind England. Captaining the England Test team is a huge job, not like football where the England captain is just a ceremonial role, call heads or tails and that is the extent of his duties. Cricket captain is a really high pressure job, and Root is clearly not up to it. So many times this series, in the field, his tactics were clueless. He comes across as wanting to be everybody’s mate, almost apologetic when making bowling changes, usually at the wrong time, when ruthlessness is called for. Also his batting has suffered badly, he used to come out to bat with a grin on his face, now he looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Unfortunately it appears that Morgan has a back problem, but if fit, for me he is the obvious choice to replace Root. A proper, specialist hands on captain, pro-active and, although a one day specialist, on his day a bloody good bat, and disciplined enough to adjust his game for the Test format. I would prefer him coming at No 4 instead of Roy all day long. They could do a lot worse.
Butler and Bairstow need to be rested, Foakes, a proper specialist keeper who has proved he can bat at Test level should be brought in. The Ed Smith experiment with Butler as a Test cricketer has clearly failed. A wonderful limited overs player, one of the best in the world but not a Test batsman. Likewise Roy. If he gets his mojo back Mo Ali needs to be brought back in as soon as possible. On song he adds so much to the side in all departments.
I thought Stuart Broad had a good series, showed he is still a top class strike bowler. Not sure what the future holds for Jimmy Anderson, he is at the age when injuries like his present one sometimes spark the end of a fast bowlers career. Let’s hope not, he deserves to bow out on his terms, a true great.
So just because I haven’t done something before you came to that conclusion, I sincerely hope you’re not in law.
I haven’t said otherwise. I have merely refuted your ludicrous assertion that our batsmen didn’t bat.
The same is true for the Australians, with the exception of Smith. Warner, Bancroft, Khawaja, Harris, Head, Wade, Paine - their averages and high scores will hardly be thrilling any Australian cricket fans.
In an earlier exchange with @Goatboy, you repeatedly denied that Smith was the crucial difference between the two sides. Later, you single out Smith as a key factor. As you do in this post.
Specifically on that last one, are you talking about Ashes cricket or England in general?
You don’t do yourself any favours, do you?
I’ve been saying Smith has been a key factor all along, but there were other nuances obviously ie our failure to bat, Smith doesn’t influence that does he?
English test cricket, we’ve struggled to get over 300 consistently for years.
Is that a question or statement? I can’t assume or presume a position on that until you determine that sentence/question.
It was a rhetorical question.
Why ask it then? I could have deduced that but its poor manners to assume.
That’s simply inaccurate.
I’d say that was a nice try, but I’d be telling a fib.
I think you need to look at our test scores home and away over the last 3/4 years.
I have. Are you looking at all innings (and therefore including scores such as 80/1), or just the first innings in Tests?
I do hope you’re looking, that isn’t rhetorical.
No, I am looking at the vast amounts of mid 200’s, I suggest you have a look, or look again.
Anyway, we need test players for the test team, not pigeon holed one day players in there.
After the last test a bit of a clear out is needed and some direction also.
Vast amounts? Really? And even then how about the context? If we score 279 in the first innings and the opposition score 189, is that 279 a poor score?
Just have a look, now look at others, we don’t make huge scores and it hurts us, go on have another look at others, our away record is particularly poor.
Let’s face it…Australia are just one piece of sandpaper away from being as bad as us. 
Ha! Correct weight sir. Tbf, I didn’t think we would win the series. We have improved lately but I must have underestimated your levels.
That and losing Anderson was a God send! For series a plenty he, along with Broad, have given us the reggies so when you lost Jimmy, I certainly breathed a sigh of relief.
You havent won the series yet at the moment you have retained the Ashes the next match will decide if you win the series