Flintoff denies losing faith in coach
England captain Andrew Flintoff has denied his team has lost any faith in the ways of coach Duncan Fletcher even as he conceded the tourists are going nowhere under the current regime.
Fletcher's blueprint for the tour of Australia has been charred beyond recognition through a succession of demoralising defeats, none more so than the near laughable capitulation on Australia Day at Adelaide Oval.
His current tenure expires at the conclusion of the 2007 World Cup, but England's horrid 5-0 Ashes reverse and continued failure to compete at limited overs level has led to whispers he may be gone sooner than that.
Friday's hiding has already been described as "England's worst day of the tour" in the UK press and there is a decided air of disorganisation and confusion about the squad.
Flintoff admitted embarrassment at the latest disaster, but refused to direct any of his frustrations towards the coach.
"In the dressing room the lads are bitterly disappointed for a few reasons, one we're far better players than what we're showing," he said.
"We've competed with Australia in the past and beaten them in games, but at the moment we've just been nowhere.
"We think about a big crowd here today who would want to see a spectacle, and they haven't, and you think about the people at home who stay up through the night watching us on tv, they get up in the morning to hopefully hear of an England victory and we've let them down today as well."
Questioned directly on whether Fletcher had the team's full support, Flintoff said: "Of course he does.
"Duncan's been fantastic, he's taken the side forward over the past few years, he's been someone who every lad in the dressing room has got something from him and has improved by working with him, now is the time to repay him and put some performances up.
"The coaching staff give us all the tools, they work with us they help us, and also it makes up to the lads who go out on the field - when you're in the middle, it's down to you."
Former Australian opening batsman Michael Slater, himself no stranger to dark nights of the soul, said he could sense paralysis by analysis.
"I think they're overcomplicating it, I can't imagine how many meetings they're having, they need to somehow clear their minds and just play, and have fun," he said on Channel Nine.
"They look confused as to how to play and once you get nervous about getting out you're always playing with hesitation."
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said that planning, however well-founded, was irrelevant if the team on the field could not measure up to it.
"You can have as many plans as you like and if you can't execute them exactly how you want to they just all go out the window, I've been there before myself as captain," he said.
"I think at the moment they probably are well planned, but I don't think they're executing anywhere near the way you'd like to."
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