A baffling managerial comment after a dramatic Peterborough United victory

The fight they showed in scrambling past Barnsley means they deserve to dream of landing one of the big clubs in Wednesday night’s fourth round draw. Away preferably as you might as well see a great stadium as you’re unlikely to see the biggest stars.

But watching the chaos of a 3-3 contest at the Weston Homes Stadium unfold last night wouldn’t have led sensible people to believe an uptick in League One results is about to happen.

It would be a brave manager to take a 4-4-2 set-up into a competitive third tier match, a formation that invites the overrunning of a midfield. This is far from ideal when Posh have an understrength defence that creaks badly and a goalkeeper with the jitters. Barnsley had 28 shots at the Posh goal last night, 11 of them in the first 20 minutes. That is unsustainable madness from a Posh point of view.

Posh boss Luke Williams knows this. He has said as much when asked questions about playing two up top in the past and yet he did it anyway. Surprisingly in his post-match interview with the club’s media team, he said: “If that’s what everyone wants, two strikers, then the middle of the pitch will be empty and it’s then impossible to control the game, but I’m here to try and give everyone what they want.”

It’s a baffling statement and it’s been picked up by many fans. Maybe it’s come across differently to what the manager intended as he didn’t utter anything similar in his latest, at times curt, BBC Cambs interview (indeed he said he ignores off-field ‘noise), but Williams is an intelligent man not prone to making rash statements. He’s usually extremely guarded with what he says. He talks about passion without displaying any himself which is more a comment on his natural calmness than a lack of care.

Williams lauded the efforts of his players last night, insisting he was proud of their heroism. They certainly played for him and the club. They kept going in a second-half when they were largely outplayed to claim a late leveller.

Seeing Harry Leonard and Danny Ormerod playing together as twin strikers certainly pleased chairman Darragh MacAnthony who said on social media: “Loved seeing a strike partnership again with two up top. Listen we are going to have to outscore opposition with five first team defenders missing currently.”

And it would have pleased many supporters who have become irritated by a slow tempo game and the worst scoring record in League One. Last night was certainly entertaining and the quality shown by two-goal Danny Ormerod and Harley Mills, who played a big part in all three goals, were undoubted highlights, as was the clinical finishing from the penalty spot which saw all seven spot-kicks in a shootout converted.

But I would imagine Doncaster boss Grant McCann travelled the short distance from home to an old stomping ground last night and left with a file full of ideas on how to exploit a team suffering a second successive season of defensive injury woes this coming Saturday.

Outscoring the opposition to win 4-3 and 3-2 is a lovely idea and one that has served Posh well in the past, but they were different times, different players and a different manager who had better defenders at his disposal. Posh are also unlikely to find defenders as accommodating as Barnsley’s again.

Ormerod has probably made himself undroppable which presents Williams with a dilemma. If he plays two strikers again he might have to sacrifice a winger to stiffen up the centre of the pitch. Saturday’s selection will be eagerly anticipated.