ALAN SWANN’S Posh talking points; ‘Hammering Fergie is waste of effort, diamond dismay, set-piece woes and why this dreadful run must not be allowed to get any worse’

Let’s hope that’s true as the man in charge of the team in fifth place in League One, level on points with the team in fourth, came under heavy fire from Posh fans after yesterday’s 2-0 League One defeat at Portsmouth (December 5). Some of those supporters might be inside the Weston Homes Stadium next weekend ready to vent their frustration in person.

It’s true of course that the most noise on social media eminates from the disaffected. Twitter is hardly a reliable guide to what the majority believe and there’s a handful of Posh fans who will always be quiet when their team is winning before emerging loudly when things turn sour - and they always have one man in their sights, although, laughably, there was a suggestion that the club would be better off without Darragh MacAnthony after this fifth defeat in six competitive matches. This is undeniably true as long as Sheikh Loadsamoney was his replacement and he brought Jurgen Klopp with him.

Unless I’m badly misjudging the room (and it wouldn’t be the first time) Ferguson’s job is the safest in the lower divisions so angry breath should be saved and keyboards shouldn’t be placed at risk from heavy-handed warriors.

But judging by the first few seconds of his post-match debrief with the BBC yesterday, Ferguson might well be feeling the pressure, and he’s probably not looking forward to his face-to-face meetings with MacAnthony this month. That might explain his rather snippy reponse to a routine question from a man with Posh in his heart.

OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM FRATTON PARK

1) I did suggest, after Posh switched formations for the final quarter in the previous game at AFC Wimbledon, that the midfield diamond wouldn’t work with these players. It was therefore a surprise, not that I expect a triple promotion-winning Posh boss to take advice from a reporter without any sort of promotion in the last 30 years, to see the system in place from the start at Pompey. Ferguson said Posh played well in defeat at Wimbledon and yet he dropped one of his brighter performers at Plough Lane in Ryan Broom and changed shape to play a narrow midfield. The effect was to lessen the influence of his best midfielder, Jack Taylor and to make Sammie Szmodics even more anonymous at the diamond’s tip. Louis Reed, who started at the base, is too erratic a passer for that role (he’s certainly no Grant McCann), and Ethan Hamilton is an athlete and a workhorse, not someone who plays likely to enjoy playing little give and goes with fellow midfielders.

2) Ferguson said he deployed the diamond as he was without Joe Ward and Dan Butler, his two most natural wingbacks. That’s fair enough, but there was a 4-2-3-1 side available. That might have given Frazer-Blake Tracy more help at left-back as he was continually exposed by a wide player performing well in Ryan William and helped by a maruading right-back in Callum Johnson.

3)Ferguson was too slow to change formation in the second-half as Pompey took total charge from the 47th minute onwards. Posh were behind when three substitutions were employed a la Barry Fry and they finished the game with a completely unbalanced side with right-footed players Niall Mason and Idris Kanu on the left.

4) Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett was under fire from some Pompey fans after their slow start to the season. The club rightly stuck with a manager who has taken the club to the play-offs in two seasons in a row and they looked strong and well organised yesterday. We’re only just past a third of the season so things can change quickly. They didn’t create many scoring chances against Posh, mainly thanks to the efforts of centre-backs Frankie Kent and Mark Beevers, but they are the division’s top scorers so a strong push for promotion looks a certainty. Like Posh they have most of last season’s squad intact. Unlike Posh they have improved greatly.

5) There were 2,000 home fans at Fratton Park yesterday and what an improved matchday experience it was as a result. The Pompey fans were loud and they were given great credit by the home players after the game for the atmosphere they created, but giving them the man-of-the-match award was cheesy.

6) Nathan Thompson picked up his fourth caution yesterday. Normally the yellow card amnesty kicks in after 19 games. If that’s still the case Thompson needs to tread carefully for three more games to avoid a ban.

7) Ferguson remarked after yesterday’s game how poor Posh have been at set-pieces at either end of the field and this after Mark Robson returned to coach the first-team accompanied by commments on his attacking setplay skills. The delivery has often been poor and the two tallest players Jonson Clarke-Harris and Mark Beevers are always closely attended in the knowledge there is little attacking threat elsewhere. More innovation is required.

8) Pompey could beat anyone at Fratton Park. This defeat is only causing so much anxiety as the results that preceded were just as bad, if not worse. Not winning at AFC Wimbledon last Wednesday is the really worrying result and that loss was put into sharper perspective by the Dons defeat at home to a struggling Bristol Rovers yesterday. Posh are playing so poorly currently, and have so little confidence, fans are likely to approach forthcoming League One games with Rochdale (18th) and MK Dons (17th) more in hope than expectation. Posh have now matched the worst run of last season when four out of five League One matches were lost around the Christmas period by a team who ultimately missed out on the play-offs by a point.

9) It’s the feeble finishes when chasing a goal that really irritates me. The Posh reponse to falling behind yesterday was again pitiful, but it’s not uncommon. Even non-league Chorley managed to spend most of the last 10 minutes in the Posh half in the FA Cup the previous weekend when you’d think they’d have to defend a lead with their lives. This could be down to the lack of character and confidence referenced by Ferguson yesterday.

10) To finish on a positive note, it’s worth noting that Posh fans expect to beat Portsmouth these days which is remarkable given the difference in size and history of the respective clubs. It’s also worth noting Pompey fans, and an excitable radio reporter or two, celebrated beating Posh like they probably used to celebrate beating the likes of Spurs in the Premier League.

Posh are highly regarded at third tier level which had never been the case in my first 20 years covering the club. They need to start showing why pretty quickly though.