Talking points on Peterborough United's finances, the January transfer window, howlers, bravery and worrying statistics

The PT is no more privy to what’s going on fiscally behind the scenes than anonymous fans who claim to have insider information. There may be problems, but the PT struggles to find public proof that costs are being cut.

A sizeable new management team arrived in February and new players arrived in a summer when Posh didn’t cash in on Ronnie Edwards (something that might now be a course of regret), while new wage offers to key players are on the table. Yes, Sammie Szmodics was sold, but then Blackburn Rovers offered a generous price for a man with little Championship form, and the player’s ambition was taken into account.

The energy and experience of Szmodics has been missed, but Posh have always sold players and replaced them, sometimes well and sometimes not so well, with cheaper options.

That’s life in League One for clubs with modest gates. It doesn’t mean the club are going bust.

If there’s a sudden firesale next month suspicions will increase, but the club’s progress in the current chairman’s 16-year reign – never forget two seasons as a mid-table team in League One was seen as a triumph before Darragh MacAnthony arrived on the scene – demands he be given the benefit of the doubt, no matter what has gone on between his co-owners.

TALKING POINTS FROM POSH 1, BARNSLEY 2….

1) If a multi-milion bid does arrive for Edwards in January I’d take it regardless of financial concerns. He’s a gifted footballer who oozes quality, but Posh are in dire need of a dominant centre-back, one who can get distance on clearing headers, one who can organise (witness the all-round shambles which led to Barnsley’s first goal last night), one who wins 50/50s and one who can cajole/bully more physical effort from others. Posh conceded twice last night to uncontested shots from 20 yards. Where’s the bravery and desire for players to get out and throw themselves into blocks? At times like this I really miss Gaby Zakuani.

2) Of course the winning goal will rightly go down to a goalkeeping howler from Lucas Bergstrom. That’s two games in a row the Chelsea youngster has failed to deal with well-struck low shots which have cost Posh goals. Bergstrom is 19 so dips in form were inevitable, but he can’t be removed from the firing line until the club’s other on-loan number one Harvey Cartwright is ready to play. He’s apparently due back in training next week which should help Bergstrom focus.

3) The last time Posh saw a high defensive line of the kind Barnsley employed was Lincoln’s visit to London Road. Posh won that game 4-0, a final scoreline that could easily have been doubled. Significantly Jack Marriott played in that game, caused havoc with his ability to run in behind and scored twice. Running in behind is not a strength of Jonson Clarke-Harris so Posh were restricted in the first-half to sending balls over the top to right-winger Kwame Poku, with some success. It took Posh too long to realise this was a sound tactic. For 20 minutes they tried to play through a high and aggressive press and constantly lost possession or were forced backwards.

4) But when Barnsley went in front for the second time with 30 minutes to go, they generally sat back, kept their wing-backs deep and challenged Posh to play through them. Marriott, who would probably have been a threat in the first-half, was one of three substitutes introduced, none of whom had a positive impact on the game and Posh failed to test the Tykes ‘keeper or even win a corner. Barnsley also kept two forwards on the pitch, took advantage of weak refereeing and made the Posh defence turn at every opportunity. It was a masterclass in how to protect a lead, certainly compared to the witless efforts of Posh at Exeter last month.

5) Posh’s League One home record has always looked a bit on the flattering side. Before last night the only team from the top eight in the division to visit the Weston Homes Stadium had been Sheffield Wednesday, and they played with 10 men for an hour.

Certainly Barnsley showed very little fear or respect for Posh’s seven wins from nine games at London Road. They tore into Posh from the first minute, took a deserved lead, and although the game evened out in the middle period, once the visitors went back in front they saw out the final half hour ridiculously comfortably.

A lack of concentration at the back and the lack of creativity to unlock teams with strong defensive organisation who sit in are glaring problems which need solving quickly if Posh to even compete for a top six spot, especially if a drop in home form isn’t countered by any improvement on the road.

Posh have now lost nine of their 20 League One games – the same as 21st-placed Morecambe. They only lost 11 of 46 games when they won promotion from this division two seasons ago.

Posh will likely lose their top six spot in the next two days and it could get worse before it gets better. Even Port Vale, who ended leaders’ Plymouth's perfect home record last night, are just two points behind Posh who travel to second-placed Ipswich Town next.