Ian Healy's Ashes predictions

[SquidAU]

In (sort-of) defence of Healy and on reflection, he's been around long enough to have seen a couple of 'false dawns' in English test cricket - and it could just be his own way of sticking two fingers up at our own ridiculous press who went over the top in a similar hyperbolic fashion after the first win in South Africa (that was going to be a whitewash too).

Didn't the press do the same thing in the 1997 Ashes? I think there were headlines of "The Ashes are coming home!" after the English won the 3 ODI's and the First Test......

 

[howardj]

This is the first England "team" - in the true sense of the word - that Australia have confronted in a very long while. The Poms now have an unconditional togetherness and determination. Having said that....4-1 Australia!!

 

[masterblaster]

3-1 to Australia with one draw thanks to the unpredictable English weather. McGrath and Warne to be excellent (as always). Ponting should make a ton of runs, Katich to make most of his extensive county playing experience and he should shine (if selected). Clarke will continue to be inconsistent and might score the odd century here or there.

For England, lets hope Andrew Strauss doesn't fall over like so many English openers have against McGrath, Gillespie and Warne. Strauss to make a few runs, there's something special about him. Lets hope Kevin Pietersen plays too, it'll be interesting to see how he sticks it to the Australian's.

But overall, it should be 3-1 to Australia. The Ashes are staying down under.

 

[Link]

After a quick recop over this thread i found it hard to find any sort of backing from the english.
So i will step up.

If Trescothick plays anything like he said he would or similar to what he did in the champions trophy, if Strauss plays anything like he has been playing, if Thopre plays like has been, If Harmison comes back to form, If Hoggard bowls like he did last season, If Jones bowls like he did today, If Flintoff is 100% fit, If Vaughan plays half as good as he did in the last ashes tour f the champions trophy match, If Gilo turns up and by god if Pietersen is in the team.
Trouble.
If England get walked over, and i mean 5-0, 4-0, 4-1, or even 3-1 i will eat anything on request.

 

[Pratters]

I have abstained from commenting on this thread mainly because I said some thing the English an didnt think could happen versus South Africa. I had my reasons and it did turn out a close series no matter what.

The Enlish fans are very temperamental much like Indian fans. They believe one moment they will smash a team and then get smashed by another the next.

 

[luckyeddie]

I have abstained from commenting on this thread mainly because I said some thing the English an didnt think could happen versus South Africa. I had my reasons and it did turn out a close series no matter what.

The Enlish fans are very temperamental much like Indian fans. They believe one moment they will smash a team and then get smashed by another the next.

You did say it would be close in SA, but then again I thought everyone did. The only English person I heard talking in terms of walkovers was Geoff Boycott - and he's as big a nutter as Ian Healy.

So no, I must disagree with your last point. We tend to err or the side of caution. You've heard of the famous 'English reserve'?

<quack> Who's that? Joe Cole?

 

[kendall]

England always win atleast one game and they are much stronger thist time around so it wont be a whitewash im sure

 

[aussie]

The ashes is going to stay down under, has i have posted soem many times all the hype over this series is too much i reckon, this ashes has come a bit soon for england they have a better chance down under in 2006. Overall 3-1 to australia.

Hopefully the test England win will be right up here at Old-trafford

 

[social]

You did say it would be close in SA, but then again I thought everyone did. The only English person I heard talking in terms of walkovers was Geoff Boycott - and he's as big a nutter as Ian Healy.

So no, I must disagree with your last point. We tend to err or the side of caution. You've heard of the famous 'English reserve'?

<quack> Who's that? Joe Cole?

I havent seen Ian Healy's article but generally respect his opinion as he is not one to make rash statements. 5-0 seems to be over the top though.

As for English reserve, you've got to be kidding. Take your football team as an example. Anyone reading the English press would assume, depending on the timing, that the English team was either the world's best or worst. There is no middle ground.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I havent seen Ian Healy's article but generally respect his opinion as he is not one to make rash statements. 5-0 seems to be over the top though.

As for English reserve, you've got to be kidding. Take your football team as an example. Anyone reading the English press would assume, depending on the timing, that the English team was either the world's best or worst. There is no middle ground.

Journalists are generally idiots.

 

[psxpro]

Punter's captaincy will be one of their downfalls, the other (apart from Warne) will be their rather past it bowling attack.

What the hell are you on, mgrath is bowling beter than ever.
Gillpespie is due for a big series and kasper is a brilliant bowler too

 

[luckyeddie]

I havent seen Ian Healy's article but generally respect his opinion as he is not one to make rash statements. 5-0 seems to be over the top though.

As for English reserve, you've got to be kidding. Take your football team as an example. Anyone reading the English press would assume, depending on the timing, that the English team was either the world's best or worst. There is no middle ground.

If you read all my postings in this thread...

<quack> give him a break - he's an Aussie

...meaning?

<quack> take social's third sentence... it should have read "any Aussie having a product of the English press read to him would assume..."

DD, you'll get me into trouble - AGAIN. Social, the English press are an embarrassment. Your typical non-Barmy Army cricket fan (i.e. one who has been following the game for more than 18 months and can remember beyond the last pint) has seen it all before - remember, just 6 years ago (?) we were officially the worst side in test cricket.

 

[marc71178]

If England get walked over, and i mean 5-0, 4-0, 4-1, or even 3-1 i will eat anything on request.

3-1 is not a walkover!

 

[marc71178]

I have abstained from commenting on this thread mainly because I said some thing the English an didnt think could happen versus South Africa. I had my reasons and it did turn out a close series no matter what.

If that's your definition of close I dread to think what you think is a comfortable victory!

The Enlish fans are very temperamental much like Indian fans. They believe one moment they will smash a team and then get smashed by another the next.

Hmm, and where do you get that theory from?

 

[Son Of Coco]

Exactly my point, for everybody out there...I am predicting England will not roll over and die this summer.

Punter's captaincy will be one of their downfalls, the other (apart from Warne) will be their rather past it bowling attack.

hahahahaha, yes McGrath etc are washed up.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Not at all - all I'm saying is that I have heard the same tired ridiculous 5-0 predictions churned out over and over again by people who really ought to have more sense.

Remember how you were supposed to roll Bangladesh over in a day?

Australia whitewash sides because at the moment they are head and shoulders above anybode else - but they have this propensity for quitting - having one foot on the plane, so to speak, at the end of tours.

The list of Aussies making stupid predictions in the past is endless - and invariably they end up with egg over their faces (not that the final result - an Aussie series win - is ever really in doubt).

It's the quite pathetic arrogance from certain pundits which winds me up. Just because a bonehead makes a ridiculous prediction doesn't make it true, no matter how much he believes it. Just shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Unless it ends up 5-0 of course, which then makes them right!

 

[The Argonaut]

My tip is a 3-2 or 3-1 Australia series win. The key is the 1st test. Australia like to build momentum early. if the English can stop that then the series will be close. If the Aussies win the 1st test easily then the press will sink England for the rest of the series.

I would love to see a close series. This is the best England side that Australia has played for many years (nearly 20). I'm interested to see if the new young guns can stand up against great opposition. Strauss and Pietersen can set up great careers by having good series here. Harmison can get to show that he has matured since he toured Australia.

For Australia, there are some problems with their batting. Hayden and Langer need to start making big partnerships again. Clarke has been hot and cold. Katich is not settled yet. I just pray that Lee does not play. The attack is unbalanced with him there. You need to have an into the wind bowler and Kasprowicz fits the bill. Lee also has not played a FC game in ages. Who knows what he will do if required to bowl more than 10 overs in an afternoon.

 

[Son Of Coco]

It's interesting to note that (in reading the article on the Baggy Green website) Healy didn't actually say 'Australia will beat England 5-0' he said he couldn't see them winning a test - so I presume allowing for weather he thinks it could either be 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 2-0, 4-0, or 5-0. If the newspaper reported it as 'Ian Healy says it will be 5-0' then they've misinterpreted what he said and everyone who has posted presuming that to be true has over-reacted - either that or the starter of the thread ignored what was said to get a reaction from people in here. I haven't seen the news article so I don't know what was said in that instance.

 

[Zinzan]

Healy's prediction certainly isn't beyond the realms of possibility....I mean even if some of the matches are relatively close - I don't think a 5-0 result to Australia is all that unlikely.

Sure England are a better team than they have been for last 10 years of so, but people quickly forget this Australian's side is arguably one of the best of all time.

I'm not saying it will definately be a whitewash....I personally think 4-0 due to whether. And i'm not dismissing the possiblity that England may win a test either.

I am just suprised Healy's prediction has received such outrageous reaction. I think with the way Australia have played test cricket in the last 12 months or so, Healy has ever right to make that prediction.

The way some of you guys are reacting to it, who'd think the guy has just predicted that New Zealand would beat Brazil in a soccer match.

Surely its not that "unrealistic a prediction" !!!

 

[luckyeddie]

Unless it ends up 5-0 of course, which then makes them right!

Of course - and I will eat the duck

<quack> Fat chance

Fat duck