S-Clarke

Didn't similar happen last year? I'm pretty sure it did, although not sure it was a knee injury.

SDR was equally as useless.

If we give Reading that much space we're in for a hiding.

Morgans knee injury is a ''bad, bad one''

I don't think we bottled it at all, that's a bit of a silly thing to say. I think we were shocked by how much they came at us, I don't think we expected it and tactically with Halford in midfield they cut out alot of our threat. We had much more of the game, albeit little end product. Overall a draw was a fair result, but it feels like a sickener. Losing Morgan is a loss though, although I thought Cork gave everything today. He wanted it.

As I said, their game plan was spot on and tactically they got it right. When they had the ball they used it intelligently and well, whereas we seemed rushed and panicked when we had it and there was very little pattern to anything we did. Very frustrating, but Derby's are always like this. Just disapointed we couldn't hold out as 3 points today would have been massive, we're now seriously looking over our shoulders at third when I thought we were almost out of sight.

First and foremost it was a terrific Derby, played at a high tempo with both teams going for it. Portsmouth were well up for it, from the first minute and I don't think we expected them to play with the intensity that they did. The defending for both goals was, IMO, shocking. 2 great strikes, but it was way way too easy for either of them to strike it. Which dumbass was supposed to be marking Norris? Inexcusable lack of concentration there. Football is a funny game. You can feel as high as a kite, then a minute later you feel like you've had your heart kicked out of you. I feel like we've lost that, and after being in front twice we kind of have. It should have been over when we got that 2nd but we switched off. We now need to beat Palace on Monday otherwise it will swing around and it'll no longer be in our hands as much as it is, although it's kind of slipping away as it is anyway. This game was never going to be played like a top of the table team vs a relegation team, Derby's bring out a level playing field and that's what we had. We didn't play well though, but I think Portsmouth's game plan was spot on - and it's exactly the same game plan that Bristol City, Blackpool and Leicester have played against us this year. And Lambert has clearly been rushed back, didn't look anywhere near match fitness to me. Well off the pace.

That's a silly way of looking at it really. And there is no logic really in what you say. We'll drop points in the run in, whether it's tomorrow or not remains to be seen - but even if we do, we're still in a great position with it all in our hands.

A nice post from a Norwich fan, lifted from another forum: Originally Posted by canary10 About this time last year we were in a strong position to go up. We went to Swansea, a match live on tv and got beaten 3-0. Southampton did the same thing last week at Blackpool. In the next game or maybe the one after actually we destroyed our local rivals 5-1 and never looked back after that game. I have a feeling it might be a similar sort of thing in this one. 4-1 Saints.

This time on Monday night, we could be sitting pretty. But even if we aren't...people need to remember that it's not the end of it.

Apline has now, unsurprisingly, gone silent.

You know it won't be that easy though Exciting times though.

Probably a couple of Cortese worshiping area's, just as you'd like.

ah ok, didn't think the table had updated. Not as bad as it could have been based on that Barnsley showing!

Nope...tomorrow is as big as the game against Reading next week, therefore tomorrow we should play our strongest available team. None of this resting crap. Every game is now massive.

But it still doesn't mean that result turned our season, or will have any bearing on how it finishes - because it won't. We won plenty of games after that as I said, Bristol City were just a bit of a boggy side for us this year for some reason. And it would have been naive to think we'd win at home all season, it wasn't going to happen and when it did happen it would have been bloody frustrating - which it was. We're in an amazing position and it's a position I never expected us to be in, I thought we'd be in and around the top 10 - with a chance of the playoffs. This season has excelled expectations and we have to trust the guys to take us over the line, because they've been terrific for the last 3 years. They will not let us down, or themselves down.

This is almost as mental as your post last year suggesting we should rest our players and aim for the playoffs, even though we were sitting 2nd at that point. Play the best avaliable players for every game, that's what we've got to do. None of this resting ******** anymore.

No one thinks it'll be a cakewalk, no has said that. I think most people have been reasoned in their predictions that you'd expect us to win, but it won't be a thrashing - which is a fair view. You will come alive if we drop points tomorrow, you'll be in your prime. So let's hope we don't.

That is the biggest load of codswallop I have ever read in my life. How on earth is a result mid-season in December a turning point for the entire campaign? (and our first defeat at home in 27 odd games) We won plenty of games after that. If that result was a turning point, it would have equalled the spirial down the table. But it didn't. We got over it, and I think it's time you did as well.

Sorry, but you're the one whining. Just stop coming alive at the slightest sniff of a negative, you're so depressingly predictable.

26/27 to our 34. Not much in it anymore.

Their GK is a flaming joke.

The big thing is that they have a load of young loanies who probably couldn't give 2 hoots about the rivalry, they will go back to their parent clubs in a few weeks and will forget about Portsmouth. They will be like startled rabbits from the 1st minute tomorrow as they will not be able to match our intensity. The players I'd have been half worried about would have been Lawrence, Husseklep, Henderson their Gk.....but oh, they've not got any of those anymore. Anything but a comfortable win tomorrow will be criminal!

Always the way when results don't go our away, it always deflates you slightly. We could never effect the results though, it was always a case of hoping for miracles at the start of play. Tomorrow will be immense by the way.

Yeah he was, on loan from spurs. He looks to have come from the Tommy Forecast school of goalkeeping. Tottenham half produce some duffs don't they?