Steven Schumacher admitted his side must do better in front of goal after missing the chance to hold onto their top-six spot, writes Pete Oliver.
Wanderers all but pummelled Rotherham into submission with 70 per cent possession and 36 shots in a slick performance in search of a third straight win. But the Whites failed to reply to the Millers’ early goal to end up with a 1-0 defeat that saw them drop out of the play-off places with five games to go.
“I think I probably have to be careful with my words and kind of think about what I say because I don't want to become the type of coach that everyone who's watching this or listening to it says, ‘oh he says the same thing every week’. But that's how I feel, I feel like a bit of a broken record,” said Schumacher.
“I've lost five games now in the league since I've been a manager here and I don't think we deserved to lose any of them. But that's a pattern. You can't play well as often as we do, we can't create chances, we can't create game plans and ideas to get the better of the opposition and do that in all those five games and not come out with any points. It just can't happen and we have to obviously address that reason of why that does happen.
“Probably in my whole coaching career that’s one of the most one-sided games I've been involved in. I can't remember too many times having 28 shots on the goal and someone just told me the analyst just said we put 58 crosses in the box. That's just mad. I was saying after Blackpool we put 32 crosses in the box and we haven't scored from one of them, so we have to look at the detail.
“I can’t remember a more one-sided game but the moment that matters is a mistake from us. We should win a tackle on the halfway line and we don't and their lad, who’s obviously a good player, shows a bit of quality and despatches it. Our goalie's not made a save all night so we couldn't do much more, but we have to score. There's no excuse, we've got to score.”
A fourth defeat in six games means Wanderers must now close a two-point gap on Reading in the closing weeks of the season if they are to keep their promotion hopes alive. Schumacher’s men go to Barnsley on Saturday and the Whites’ head coach insists they will look to respond and keep fighting all the way.
“We missed an opportunity, that's what we've done,” Schumacher added. “It was our game in hand and if we'd have won that game tonight then it gives us a right good chance. Reading won as well, so we still would have had to win the next game.
“That’s still the case, but now it's advantage Reading because we've messed up, so we have to respond from that. As I've said all along from this group, they're a really good group and they give us everything they've got.
“They’re trying. I don't think they'll give up and we certainly won't give up. We'll go to Barnsley and try and find a way to beat them. But we've got to find a way, it's just not good enough to be so dominant and not win. It's just mad. I've never seen anything quite like it, but there you go.
“It’s still there to play for and they've got to keep believing and also demand a little bit from themselves and look at how they can they show a little bit more composure at times, especially the players with the quality. Can they show a little bit more care and put themselves in good positions as often as possible?
“That's what it's going to take, but we will need a bit of luck as well here and there. So yes, we've just got to find a way and, as I say, we won't give up, we keep trying.”
Watch the full post-match interview with the head coach on Wanderers TV