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"Appalling Shameful Horrific England Shambles" - that was how Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper spelt out its view of the performance which has put England all but out of the Ashes series.
Skipper Andrew Flintoff is likely to be the first casualty of the slump, the News of the World added, predicting that Michael Vaughan, under whose leadership England regained the urn last year, would return for next month's one-day series.
"I can't tell you how sombre a place our dressing room is at the moment," England batsman Kevin Pietersen wrote in his column for the same paper.
"I'm feeling pretty low right now."
As well as feeling downhearted about their performance, players had also been hit by the news that spinner Ashley Giles was flying home to be with his wife, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Many newspapers point the finger of blame for England's display at coach Duncan Fletcher. The Sunday Times headlined its double page spread: "High Price For Fletcher Folly".
The Zimbabwean has faced criticism for selections including leaving spinner Monty Panesar, a star performer in the third test in Perth, out of the first two tests in favour of Giles.
This decision was included in a list of "10 ways in which England got it wrong" compiled by the paper.
Fletcher hit back last night saying he had been criticised for seven years and stood by England's on-tour selection policy in which he and Flintoff picked the side.
"I've been doing this for seven years and people forget we've lost one [recent] test series with this system, so it must have proved pretty successful.
"From my point of view it's fine."
- AFP
