Graham Potter blasted his players for their inability to control games and admitted he faces some big decisions this summer after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by rock-bottom Southampton.
Relegated Saints were still on course to be crowned the worst team in Premier League history after Jarrod Bowen fired the hosts into the lead just after half-time.
But Southampton were not even the worst team at the London Stadium for the majority of the match and got a deserved stoppage-time equaliser through Lesley Ugochukwu.
The Saints fans behind the goal celebrated like they had won the league, probably drowning out the audible groans from Derby after they saw their record-low points tally of 11 from the 2007-08 season matched.
But Potter pulled no punches after his under-performing side failed to close out a match against a side who have lost 26 times this season and were booed off at the end.
“I can’t say we deserved much more, which is a reflection on how disappointed we are,” said Potter, who replaced Julen Lopetegui in January but has a worse points-per-game ratio than the much-maligned Spaniard.
“Credit to Southampton, but we didn’t do enough to win and in the end, we have to look at the reasons why.
“If you have to be the protagonists of the game, which I think West Ham are at home to Southampton we have to be that. We have to be able to control things and be able to attack and be able to be in control of the situation.
“We weren’t able to do that and in the end, that always feeds the opponent, no matter where they are in the league, whatever their points tally is.
“I think we have to look at the situation and recognise that where we are now isn’t where we want to be.
“We have to look at the season as a whole and zoom out and think about what decisions we can make going forward, because where we are now and how we’re playing, we need to improve.”
West Ham forward Niclas Fullkrug was left “very angry” after the team failed to close out for all three points.
“It’s a mindset problem,” Fullkrug said on Sky Sports. “(I am) very angry today – not disappointed, just angry about what we did after the goal.
“It is not the first time that we scored a goal, and the next goal-kick we just shoot the ball long, we don’t try to play football anymore. We just sink. That’s not the way we want to play.”
Fullkrug, who signed for the Irons in the summer from Borussia Dortmund, added: “We have to find a way to have togetherness, to have the idea of where we want to go and what we want to do.
“The coach is very clear about what he wants, but we have to do it all – everyone has to do it.”
It was hardly time to crack out the champagne for Southampton, but interim boss Simon Rusk was nevertheless delighted with a point.
“I think we can be really pleased. I thought that it was the least we deserved,” he said.
“I was disappointed at not getting to half-time ahead. I thought the players showed mental stamina in the second half and didn’t in any way, shape or form feel sorry for ourselves. And we fully deserved our equaliser at the end.
“I’m really pleased to see there that they’ve had a moment with the fans at the end. That was a nice moment to observe. Late goals at the end like that, after what’s been a really difficult season, is a lovely moment.”
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