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Ferguson calls for a United front against Portsmouth
DARREN Ferguson is demanding total support for the entire Peterborough United team in Saturday’s Championship fixture with Portsmouth at London Road (3pm).
Forward Lee Tomlin’s unseemly spat with some of the club’s fans on social network site Twitter and calls for goalkeeper Joe Lewis to be dropped have made it a tough week for the Posh boss.
He accepts that supporters have their favourites as well as players they don’t rate, but he insists a unified front on and off the pitch is crucial if Posh are to make progress in the Championship.
Lewis, who was at fault for both goals in last Saturday’s defeat by Brighton, will definitely start tomorrow. Tomlin, who has been banned by the club from Twitter, is also in the squad.
Ferguson said: “No matter who plays they need the support of all the fans. In the past 12 months the players have delivered entertaining football, plenty of goals and a promotion.
“We don’t owe the fans anything, but we are all grateful for the support they’ve given which has helped deliver the success.
“We’ve had issues this week with Lee in particular, but he will now concentrate totally on his football. He’s lucky to be a professional footballer and he now needs to act like one.
“Of course supporters are entitled to opinions about anything and anyone, but it’s important that whoever I pick is backed by the fans.
“I want London Road to become a place that no team likes to visit and that will only happen if we stick together on and off the field.
“Joe will play in goal tomorrow. If I started dropping players after every mistake I’d have no-one left to pick on a Saturday.
“I was angry after the last game, but the players have responded superbly. They have been excellent in training this week.”
Posh skipper Grant McCann is likely to start tomorrow for the first time in six weeks. Fellow midfielder Lee Frecklington also returns to the squad after a spell on the sidelines, while George Boyd is back after missing last Saturday’s defeat because of a blood infection.
Ferguson has dismissed suggestions that off-field problems will affect the Portsmouth performance.
“Things like they are going through often brings players together,” Ferguson added. “They have good players, many with Premier League experience, so they present us with another tough test.
“But it’s all about us tomorrow. If we get back to playing like we can we can win.”
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 25 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
DaleStewart
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 01:27 PMfergie got what he wanted . a united front. everyone was bad
henryjames
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 06:44 PMOh and warnock is a shocking manager
henryjames
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 06:44 PMOh and warnock is a shocking manager
GNAT
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 11:38 AM#19 Quail. For the record. Neil Warnock has been a manager for 26 years. He has achieved 7 promotions in that time. Three by automatic , four by playoffs. Fergie has been a manager for four years. Three promotions. Two by automatic . One by playoffs. Hmmmmm. I can see why you would fancy warnock . Up the Posh .
It'sPOSHupNorth
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 11:21 AMQUAIL, mate, please. Stub it out now. It's illegal smking that stuff & in time it'll mess with your mind.....OOOPS, too late, it has.
GNAT
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 10:59 AM#19 Quail. Yet again you seem to think we are man utd not peterboruogh united. Like your post the other day asking for better strikers ( but then failing to actually name any that we can afford ) do you seriously think that Warnock would come to us for the money we would pay. Secondly Fergie has got us three promotions in four years, has got us half way up a very decent league with very little money, on the lowest gates in the division, and half a team of rookies. Do you seriously think anyone else could have done better. If we dont give young managers their chance how are they ever meant to progress. Fergie will not stay with us forever, because we are never likely to get much better than we are now. These are fantastic times for this club, largely down to Fergie, and his stubborness in not listening to every moaning expert on these pages (including me ). He deserves all our support and respect. he will, and has, made mistakes, but overall we are lucky to have him. Three points today please. Keep the faith . Up the Posh .
QUAIL
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 06:37 AMi actually think fergie has taken us as far as he can with his limited experience .If boro want to progess any further snap up neil warnock before some other lucky club in our division does ,boot out Fry and the few players with the wrong attitude and i do actually then think we can move on and up .Otherwise i'll just take 4th from bottom.
This is a rubbish website
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 10:18 PMBooing players is disgraceful and does no good at all. However, everybody has a right to an opinion no matter who it is. Dmac is the biggest hypocrite. He spends everyday moaning how rubbish Liverpool are and how they need to buy more players but throws a tantrum when someone criticises the POSH. Truth is it's frustrating watching the same old players making the same old mistakes so nature tells us that some need to be dropped. Nevermind - Come on the POSH whoever plays. UTP
BlueWhiteArmy
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 07:38 PMI don't like how Posh fans believe that they have all the right in the world to abuse players just because they pay an entrance fee to the games. When I turn up to games I expect players to make mistakes or play badly occasionally, I'm paying so that I can watch the lads play. And if they play badly, so be it, they don't do it on purpose. We're in an excellent league, so I don't expect us to win each game by playing incredible football.
gilroy
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 06:41 PM#GNAT Sums up what my thoughts are,NO BOOING .just support ALL the lads
GNAT
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 05:15 PMIf the players had been excellent in training, and converted it to being excellent on the pitch as many times as Fergie says it we would be top of the league . That said, come on Joe, play like u did at leicester, and especially like at Forest, and people will soon forget. Tomlin just play ,and keep your mouth shut. You are a decent player but people are losing patience. Please, please, please, do not boo either player tomorrow, what good will that do. Get behind the lads they are doing us proud. I for one for have settled for this at the start of the season. Turn up again in numbers, and keep us in this division. Portsmouth are a decent team, but they have worse problems than us. Hopefully we can make that worse for them tomorrow. There will be plenty to moan about if we have to watch league one teams again . Keep the faith. Up the Posh .
forwhatitsworth
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 05:07 PMfor my money lewis is the better of the two keepers although yes at fault in the last game.some short memories on here (or perhaps some people do not attend)but how many goals have we conceeded due to jones poor kicking?not having a go at jones but all players make mistakes and for me this season joe has made far less amd it would appear fergie is of a similar opinion and remember he watches them all week in training.Tomlin been a numpty in the last game but again for me he can be one of our better players and we have to remember where he has come from and be patient.come on posh
overtheyardarm
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 04:57 PM@11 agree with you 100% Meany my old mate and there's nothing wrong with constructive criticism but what's your point?
feduppete
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 04:51 PMIf Fergie knows Lewis is such a liability why does he keep selecting him. Not for the transfer window, as that is all but closed and we haven't had a single enquiry to my knowledge. Surely, he does not think Jones a poorer goalkeeper than him. I for one, can't get my head round this one.
Gwendoline Horseradish
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 04:25 PM@5 - I'll always support Posh through thick and thin, but as fans we have a right to criticise and give opinion. It's a cliche, but we pay their wages. That's doesn't mean the management have to listen to what we say, but it does mean they have to accept criticism when things go wrong. After all, they receive plenty of praise when things go right, remember Old Trafford v Huddersfield and the two recent promotions. Lewis is a liability, we all know it, even Fergie knows it. Sinclair is a League Two hoofer, we all know that too. I hope Sinclair scores a hat-trick Saturday and Lewis plays a blinder, but, somehow, I doubt either of those things will happen. I also hope Lee Tomin has a grapefruit for breakfast and starts reading Shakespeare, but I somehow don't think that will happen either.
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