On Wednesday, Australia released its 15-man squad for the first Test in Perth, and it hasn't taken the Poms long to have their say.
From labelling Australia's squad as "Dad's Army", to Jofra Archer metaphorically "licking his lips", all signs you would think point towards an emphatic English victory on our shores this summer.
But, when The West Australian threw in their own two cents while welcoming Ben Stokes and his side to our shores, the old enemy were far less pleased.
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'DAD'S ARMY': AUSSIES WHACKED OVER DEMOGRAPHIC, 'TAKING A DART' ON NEW OPENER
There were plenty of winners and losers once Australia's Ashes squad dropped on Wednesday, but judging by the English media's reaction to their squad, they're the true winners.
England legend Mike Atherton was far tamer with his words than other outlets, but when writing for The Times overnight, he was simply amazed at Australia's excellence -- but also age demographic.
"On Boxing Day, almost a year ago, Australia put a remarkable team on the field. Remarkable in the sense of its age profile as well as its excellence: there were ten players over 30 and one teenager, Sam Konstas," Atherton began.
"It happened again in the next Test in Sydney. I stand to be corrected, but to my knowledge that had not happened before in the history of Test cricket.
"There have been uniformly old teams before ... New Zealand put a team of entirely 30-odd year olds on the park three times between December 2022 and February 2023, as did England in the 1921 Ashes, but none where a lone teenager has been surrounded by greybeards. Konstas's youthful exuberance and naivete stood out in Melbourne, just as his absence does now."
Australia's uncertainty around who will partner Usman Khawaja up top this Ashes series is no secret. In fact, it's by far the biggest qualm within their team structure, being dictated by a player in there side who doesn't even open -- Cameorn Green.
It will certainly either be Marnus Labuschagne or the uncapped Jake Weatherald who opens in Perth, regardless of Green's fitness. But as Atherton writes, the conundrum up top detracts from an issue brewing quickly in the exact same role.
Usman Khawaja.
"All the speculation has rather detracted from the uncertainty over Khawaja's position, too," Atherton continued.
"At 38 -- he turns 39 during the third Test in Adelaide -- Khawaja has looked short of his best at the highest level for some time, especially against bowlers with an extra yard of pace, as England's attack is likely to have if Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are fit.
"Since Warner's departure, Khawaja has averaged 31, a number inflated by one massive double hundred against Sri Lanka, in that time."
Uncertainty surrounding the likes of the left-hander Queenslander has thrown fuel over the fire of Australia's squad make-up, leading to a "Dad's army" narrative; a cheeky dig at just how old Australia's starting XI will be this series.
It's a phrase that was only mentioned in passing by The Telegraph, but English cricket journalists Will Macpherson and Nick Hoult believe that, alongside the left-handed nature of Khawaja and Weatherald will leave Jofra Archer "licking their lips".
"It is as if the Australia selectors picked their squad with a plan to please Jofra Archer by ignoring his potency against left-handers," Macpherson and Hoult began.
"It throws an untested opening partnership into the mix. It also pairs two left-handers against the new ball and that means Archer when he is at his freshest.
"Pitches in Australia have changed dramatically in recent years and the extra plastic stitching on the Kookaburra ball has given it more life too.
"This has been to the benefit of Australia's fast-bowling greats Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, but it has undermined their batsmen, which is why their selectors are taking a dart on Weatherald, who averages 37.6 in first-class cricket."
To say the Australian selectors are "taking a dart" on Weatherald opens the door to claims of hypocrisy considering England's own selection policy. Zak Crawley, their longstanding opener with 59 Tests next to his name -- averages 32.2 at first-class level with one less hundred to his name than his Tasmanian counterpart.
FOUL PLAY OR FAIR PLAY? WEST AUSTRALIAN'S BRUTAL STOKES SLEDGE DIVIDES
It wouldn't be an Ashes summer without sensationalist headlines, whether they be in Australia or the UK.
England captain Ben Stokes was 'welcomed' by the West Australian less than 24 hours after he and teammates touched down in Perth, with the front page of the publication reading 'Baz Bawl', accompanied with a photo of him at the airport.
Its subtext read: "England's cocky captain complainer, still smarting from 'crease-gate', lands in Perth early thinking dopey 'BazBall' can take the Ashes."
As expected, it caused an outcry across the UK media landscape -- but not all feedback was negative.
Former England captain Michael Atherton didn't mind the jabs at all, speaking to Sky Sports News.
"That was a stone-cold classic of a headline from the Western Australian," Atherton said.
"I love the fact that it started with 'New Zealand-born Ben Stokes and all the classic attack lines were in that piece. It's knockabout stuff. Every England team or captain gets it when you get over there, but there is something about Bazball that seems to get under the Australian skin.
"Stuart Broad bore the brunt of it in the Brisbane Courier Mail when they refused to put his image on the pages of the newspaper.
"So it's all par for the course and good fun. England will just have to prove themselves."
Former England star Stuart Broad opted for a more tongue-in-cheek approach on his podcast Love Of Cricket, hosted alongside long-time teammate Jos Buttler.
"Engalnd's cocky captain complainer... I mean, they're 50% right with that, because he's England's captain!" Broad said.
"I've actually seen a message from him with 18-20 laughing faces underneath that headline, which feels like he's quite relaxed at the minute."