Tamworthram

And been criticised for it. Doesn’t mean CBT should be criticised as well. I’m sure he’d be the first to admit he should have done better but let’s not hang him out to dry for it. As for Washington, I thought the cross was decent (of course, they can always be better) and I wouldn't be pinning much at all of the “blame” on the missed chance on him.

I don't think the pass was "abysmal". If it was that bad CBT wouldn't have got anywhere near to it. Maybe Washington could have done a little better but he had to get it between the keeper and defender and in front of CBT at a height that CBT could strike it. In that respect, Washington did pretty much as well as he could.

So I repeat the question. Did you actually watch the games and, if so do you genuinely think the first half against Wycombe was “amazing”? There were a few corners that created challenges for their keeper but they were hardly “killer corners”. Amazing for me would have been to play good football and actually convert a chance or two (or at least force a save). I reckon, if you took a poll of every Derby fan that watched the game last night, the total that would describe our performance in the first half as amazing would amount to one. We weren’t awful against Pompey after our second goal from my recollection.

I'm not worried about players reactions to comments on social media (other than some of the stuff total muppets post which you don't generally see on this forum) - I'm sure they're well used to being criticised in such places especially after a poor performance. Maybe a few folk go a little over the top but by and large the criticisms on this site after games like last night are justified. What is important is that we keep supporting them at the games and try not to get on their backs during the actual matches even if things aren't going quite so well. I'd much rather folk let off steam (even though I often don't agree with it) on this forum than when actually at the game. So I would say, praise but only when it's due, and criticise but keep it sensible. The best policy is probably to imagine you're saying it to their face. In which case you'd probably still be saying to CBT - "you missed a sitter there and should have done better" (I'm convinced he'd agree) but you'd probably not say to Washington "it looks like you won a competition to play football" (as someone has said).

I guess a neutral, just looking at the remaining games, would expect us to win our last three whilst it's not unreasonable to think Bolton may drop a couple of points either Saturday or away at Posh. We're perhaps a little less optimistic (having suffered some dreadful performances recently).

Did you actually watch both games? If so, are you seriously suggesting we played better against Wycombe than we did against Portsmouth? You seem to be obsessed with statistics and ignoring the fact that 1) Portsmouth were a much tougher proposition than Wycombe and 2) our good chances against Wycombe came quite early on but for most of the game we were pretty awful. Against Pompey, we may not have created as many chances (but then you wouldn't really expect us to away at the team sitting top of the table) but we played better than we did against Wycombe. The first half against Wycombe certainly wasn't "amazing".

Fair enough, looking at that still he may have been able to control it with his left then side foot it with his right but I don’t think a still picture proves anything. At full speed it doesn’t look quite as simple as you are suggesting. I’m not disagreeing that it was a bad miss but I don’t think he could or should have taken a touch first and then side footed it in. I reckon 99% of professional footballers would have done the same - tried to slide the ball into an empty net rather than risk taking a touch first.

Well we’ll have to agree to disagree. In my opinion he really didn’t. Regardless of where the keeper was, if he’d tried to take a touch and then side foot it in, it would have narrowed his angle. He would probably have had to control it with his left foot and then side footed it in with his left foot. I don’t think that would have been easy and, IMO, he made the right decision (as I believe pretty much every other player would have) to try and direct it into the goal with his first touch. He got it wrong though.

He had enough time to strike the ball better but not take a touch and then side foot it in.

Here’s a drinking game that will help soften the trauma of the next few weeks. Every time someone says “bottled it” you have a drink. There, you can have that one on me.🍻

Just watched the incident again. He should have done better but there is no way that he had time to take a touch and then side foot it in.

Is “bottled it” the phrase of the moment now we’re nearing the end of the season? He neither bottled it nor fizzed it at 90mph. His final touch before he crossed it was poor which meant it got stuck under his feet a little and his cross therefore wasn’t as clean as it could have been.

Wildsmith made a good save low down to his left but we’d all have been very disappointed if he hadn’t made it. A good save but not a worldie. I don’t think either side really looked like they were going to score last night. Wycombe were OK but didn’t create many particularly good chances. We were awful but were presented with some great chances that we couldn’t even force a save from.

I don’t think many of us were “stunned” especially with the result. I reckon most people thought it would be an ugly (actually Wycombe played better football than I expected) and difficult game that we’d probably have enough to win but the result wasn’t a shock. We’re (well me anyway) not stunned, just bitterly disappointed at such an inept and disjointed performance. Yes we had some great chances early on but these were largely down to breakaways aided by some poor defending. Once those opportunities had gone I don’t recall many occasions when we really looked liked scoring or putting together any sort of prolonged passage of play. It was all too frantic which I put down to tactics, formation and players individual performances. I don’t think either Bolton or Posh will win all of their remaining games but the question is, can we? I see Orient being a difficult game that’ll well probably just scrape over the line in. No game is easy but we probably couldn’t have asked for a much easier final game. Based on our performances against Wycombe and Northampton, the Cambridge game worries me a lot.

I really don’t get this “they deserve to go up” mullarky. Whoever goes up will deserve to simply because they have accumulated more points than at least 22 other teams in the league (or have a better goal difference). That might be because they ended the season well, started the season well or were consistent throughout.

Didn't we show "bottle" against Bolton and Pompey? Stating the obvious, if we fail to go up it will simply because sometimes (rarely) we were good enough and showed bottle (whatever that means) but not often enough.

I think at times there was too much urgency and tempo. There was a distinct lack of control and composure. I agree with your second and third paragraphs. It's not all down to the manager though as some seem to be constantly suggesting. Very much shared responsibility as far as I'm concerned.

Trying to look on the bright side, even if Bolton manage a draw on Saturday and we win, it will be back in our hands again.

If we will our last three games and they both draw one of their games goal difference won't come into it.

If Bolton win their last 6 then I think we should complain to the EFL as they should only have 4 games less. 😀 Seriously though, if they win all of their remaining game then of course they will deserve to go up. Same as if they only draw v Pompey and we win our last 3 games (not looking likely based on tonight's performance) then we'll deserve to go up.

I don't think there any real lack of effort. Just a lack of control, composure, playing any decent football and getting some of the basics right. The consolation is my predictor only had us down for a draw. We really need a win on Saturday and for Pompey to get something at Bolton. ☹️

Obviously we could do with a win but there would (literally) be a point in getting a draw. It could come down to single point. There just doesn’t seem to be any control or composure.

It’s not unique to teams that have come off the back of an extra cup game.

I hope failing to make the most of these good opportunities Wycombe keep presenting us with doesn’t come back to bite us.

I won’t be deflated, just relieved we won our two games.