TheTinMan

Managed to keep a clean sheet midweek with little attacking threat so obviously the extra man in defence makes sense

RE Warne. I think you have to give him the start of the season if we get promoted. I'm not a fan, I think he's fine at this level of being competitive but not a long-term solution. But it would be a big call to replace him and not one I see Clowes making. If we don't get promoted he's had 2 bites at the cherry, close but no cigar this time. Again I don't see Clowes replacing him but I think Warne's position becomes very tricky next season if we mess this up, there is a good chunk of the crowd not with him now and I think that turns to an overwhelming majority next season if we're still in League 1. We could do without that atmosphere if nothing else.

Rosenior's been given a kings ransom at Hull to be fair. They are probably underachieving a bit. Don't get me wrong I'm glad he got a nice job but he's been very well backed.

The bottom line as plenty have said is we win these three games we probably get promoted. We don't and we won't. If we can't having got into this position that doesn't come down to ability and not being good enough. You don't get to 90 odd points through not being good enough. That comes down to the mentality of being able to win routine games at this stage of the season and a little bit of luck but to be honest luck hasn't really deserted us lately, particularly in the Reading win. This is all on us .

I've always thought psychologically the pressure is more on when you have something to lose. Some people saw yesterday as a point gained, not a theory I subscribe to myself. If we were in Bolton or Posh's position with that game yesterday then a draw is a disaster, you go in with the mindset beforehand that every game is a must win. Even the games at the weekend for both of them which are tricky, if they get a point that probably is going to end up 2 dropped not 1 gained. I just don't see a scenario where that point yesterday gets us promoted unless we pip Posh on GD. We'd have been no worse off for the loss and significantly better off for going for the win. We need this must win mindset from now on. There's a psychological thing about losing being the worst scenario but mathematically unless you are playing a 6 pointer then losing is marginally worse than a draw, both are significantly worse than a win.

This weekend is massive. If Bolton and Peterborough can both muster up wins from tricky games even if we win we're in deep bother. I said a few weeks ago re that Bolton/Peterborough final game its likely a draw will be no good to either side so that almost certainly won't happen as an outcome.

The other thing with Sibley is he's not a LB. But what happened to the LB Warne put all his hopes and dreams into? I'm not talking about Fozzy here either we shouldn't be relying on Fozzy at his age in this system at LB. Callum bloody Elder was another bad signing in my book along with Wash and Bradley etc

FFS they've just had 7 days off.

Weren't good enough or didn't have the bottle? Because we were good enough against Bolton and Pompey. We got ourselves into a very healthy position. Time after time this season when they have the weight of expectation on them against a (respectfully) lesser side like Northampton or Wycombe they fold.

I don't think Bolton are the dangers now or won't be unless they beat Pompey. But we've let Peterborough in and they have got their tails up big time following their day at Wembley. Their fixtures prior to that last game you'd be surprised if they were dropping any points which means we're going to the last day one way or another.

Its almost like even though none of that mob remain bar Fozzy, that the spirit of those bottled playoff finals somehow lives on in the club, even under new ownership. This is what Mel Morris actually meant about the 'Derby way'

Its not a point gained in my eyes its just cancelling out the point I didn't expect at Portsmouth.

Peterborough let right back into the mix after tonight too. They've got a very favourable run of games before that final one against Bolton. One positive is I believe Pompey will be mathematically promoted if they beat Bolton at the weekend so does give them some incentive to go for the 3 points.

Posh might have nothing to play for on that last day but even then you'd take a last day against Carlisle at home over a last day away at Posh every day of the week wouldn't you? Just have to hope we're still in front by then. There is of course a scenario where a draw is no good to Posh or Bolton on that last game anyway to catch us which probably increases the chances of a Bolton win slightly also? Realistically Peterborough should be going into that last game with at least the possibility of overhauling Bolton into 3rd to play for and that alone should be some incentive given the playoff game against the 6th team is likely to be a bit easier than playing Barnsley presumably.

It is very much in our hands now. Before the Bolton game I'd have said our hardest ones left were them, Blackpool and Pompey and we've come through those with 7pts. Trouble is for every game like those we throw in a Northampton so who knows. I said on one of the other topics given Bolton's fixtures, if they do get promoted it'll mean two things have happened. One would be they've gone on a storming run of form probably including beating Pompey and/or Peterborough but even doing that can only be enough if we drop points from a very favourable run of games. Wycombe is tricky but they've got nothing to play for. Leyton Orient nothing to play for. Cambridge might actually be the one with something riding on it for them but they could/should be safe by then. Carlisle will be relegated by the last day. Sometimes these nothing to play for games go the other way and teams come out swinging with no pressure. Who knows but I'll be bitterly disappointed if we blow it now having done most of the hard work.

If Bolton can manage to get promoted from the position they are in still needing to play Pompey and Peterborough then it means two things, one is we've bottled it and another is they'll have deserved it. Both need to happen.

I'm not sure its that unfair to judge Warne on his Rotherham exploits in the Championship, its a relevant concern. Ignoring it is a bit of wanting your cake and eating it for starters because he was judged on his ability to get Rotherham out of this league in the first instance. If you don't think one is relevant then nor is the other. Matt Taylor came in early doors last season after Warne came here and he kept them up which Warne hadn't managed to achieve. Would Warne have kept them up? We'll never know. Reality is the current side we have here considering we know Max Bird is gone for starters and others could follow given the contract situation, there could be significant turnover of the squad. Its going to be a very difficult season and we're being very naïve to think otherwise. Obviously we need to get promoted first which last night and the weekend have left us in a very good position to achieve.

Just got in from work and caught the highlights. Very good point, would have taken before kickoff. Could be the vital point come the end of 46 games. Unfortunately Wildsmith is and has been for a while now a liability coming for balls he shouldn't be etc, cracking hit from Moxon but I think Wildsmith should have done better.

On point 2) about desensitising the players. Literally the only positive I can find in us signing Dads Army players is they are experienced and some of them experienced at a far higher level than this, point 2 shouldn't apply. We cannot be blaming the opposition with limited resources compared to us, they'll do whatever they need to do and we need to adapt or stay in this league for the foreseeable. Only got ourselves to blame for missing a golden opportunity on Saturday to extend the gap and put the pressure on others. We were bloody awful in what should have been one of our lesser remaining games.

This is what depresses me the most. I could take a few seasons in League 1 if I could see a future, players being bought through or signings who were improving or had some potential. Even if we get promoted its the same over the hill mob on last pay cheques, most of them probably not arsed about the club. No direction at all, much as I despise Warne a lot of that comes from higher up.

He's been a very poor signing if we're being kind

I think we've partly ended up in this position because the January window was not great. Stuck all the eggs in the CBT basket and now even with no players Warne won't play him. Who wanted to sign him because it doesn't look like Warne did?

Did we forget how early Hughes was playing regular first team football for us? I think he'll be finishing at the top level far earlier than we think, he's not your typical player who got eased in until he was early 20s. I've no idea what he'd do in the Championship but he looks like hes not good enough for the prem when I've seen bits of Palace

Released by Rotherham probably. Good lad though.

Is that typical though? Except TJJ they are all old men, bound to get injuries, naive to think otherwise. This isn't hindsight, you sign these sorts of players in league 1 its because they have no better options and they are broken and risky to sign.