The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
