Two defeats deserve scrutiny. They also deserve perspective.

There is no obligation to be philosophical on the way home from a defeat. You have spent the money, given up the day and watched your team lose. Being told to keep things in perspective can sound suspiciously like being told to stop caring.

Wednesday’s successive defeats at Notts County and Doncaster warrant criticism. Two away games without a goal leave the next performance under greater scrutiny. There is little point dressing that up.

But criticism becomes more useful when it names the problem. Are the forwards isolated? Is the midfield leaving too much ground to cover? Are changes solving one difficulty while creating another? Those are arguments that can be examined. Describing everyone as useless mostly ends the conversation.

A heavy win can encourage the opposite mistake. Suddenly every selection looks inspired and each combination seems ready to last the season. A few days later, much the same group can be treated as beyond repair. The speed of that reversal should make us suspicious of our certainty.

Patience needs conditions. Asking for another few games means little unless we can say what we expect to see: better chances created, fewer unchallenged entries into dangerous areas, a clearer response when the first plan fails. Improvement should be something a supporter can recognise, even on a day when a shot hits the post.

The manager’s decisions deserve the same standard. Explanations about fatigue or availability may be reasonable, but they need to connect to what happens on the pitch. Equally, a team sheet that looks cautious can produce an effective performance. We should be prepared to revise an opinion when the evidence moves.

Cambridge gives Wednesday the chance to answer on the pitch. A win would relieve the immediate pressure; a performance built on fewer early mistakes would offer something more durable. The frustration after Doncaster is justified. So is the expectation that this team can do better.