An impressive, but gentle start to London Road life for Ferguson, a splendid spirit, a lively loanee and an irreplaceable player

In the fickle world of the football fan, especially those who inhabit Twitter, it’s perfectly predictable given the all-round Posh improvement seen since the League One promotion king’s fourth reign at London Road started.

Fergie’s Posh team have more attacking vibrancy and a much more solid defence, helped by the arrival of an experienced goalkeeper. Senior players whose form had left them under the previous boss - defenders Frankie Kent and Nathan Thompson are two glaring examples with the latter apparently having one foot out of the door until Ferguson returned - are now performing well again.

Others who weren’t getting many opportunities now look like first-team regulars. Midfielder Hector Kyprianou, the scorer of a high-class goal that sealed a 2-0 win at Forest Green on Saturday, is the biggest beneficiary of Ferguson’s latest comeback.

The formation changes have been subtle, but effective. Fans are lapping it all up though with an ‘identity’, tactical awareness and street smarts all acclaimed by supporters asked to comment on the change in effectiveness of Posh under Ferguson last night.

Supporters are starting to believe Ferguson could yet achieve a fourth promotion with Posh from the third tier. After all he’s managed it in every other spell at London Road in his career.

TALKING POINTS FROM FOREST GREEN 0, POSH 2…

1) Let’s get the big ‘but’ out of the way first. Ferguson has enjoyed a gentle start to his latest managerial life. Port Vale were injury-hit and toothless as a result, while Forest Green are relegation certainties having now collected just one point in their last nine League One games, but who still made life difficult for Ferguson’s side to play through them. Portsmouth are a mid-table team with a rookie manager who were outplayed and outcoached. Posh under Grant McCann thrashed the first two named at home and were unlucky losers at Portsmouth who were flying high at Fratton Park when the teams met in September. Of course you can only beat what’s put in front of you, but there are tougher tests ahead starting with the visit of fifth-placed Bolton Wanderers next Saturday (February 11). Win that one and the rest of the February fixtures including a home game against second-placed Plymouth on February 25 and chairman Darragh MacAnthony might have to put his salesman’s persuasive patter into action.

2) There wasn’t any public evidence of a fractured team spirit in the 11 months under McCann. Goal celebrations appear to be coached these days with every club in the land seeing 10 outfield players running to a corner flag to mob a goalscorer before starting a long, slow walk back to the centre circle. But it was noticeable yesterday that Nathanael Ogbeta fist-pumped the award of a penalty, one that Jonson Clarke-Harris managed to sneak under the body of a goalkeeper, before sprinting 70 yards to help Kyprianou celebrate his goal, one that also had injured midfielder Jack Taylor stood up on his sore ankle in the technical area joining in the joy. Ogbeta has been at Posh for five minutes. He’s cleary relishing the team spirit and camaraderie enjoyed by everyone, including those on the fringes.

3) Ogbeta won’t be on the sidelines for long. Dan Butler has delivered worthy displays in the last two games, but he doesn’t offer the same attacking thrust as the Swansea loanee whose extra inches make him a more than handy back-post defender. Ogebta’s delicious cross soon after replacing Butler should have led to a goal for Clarke-Harris who somehow hit the post from five yards. Fortunately for the skipper the rebound led to the game’s most decisive moment, a spot-kick chance to take the lead in a tight game. On current form deadline day capture, striker Kabongo Tshimanga, might have to be patient for his chance to impress.

4) The cry of pain let out by Taylor when a late challenge left him floored at the New Lawn Stadium rammed home how important the in-form midfielder is to the push for the play-offs. Taylor did limp off 10 minutes later and Posh scored twice after he’d departed, but long-term, as lively as substitute Ben Thompson looked at Forest Green, the former Barnet man is irreplaceable in the starting line-up. The positive injury bulletin post-match on a player who has missed chunks of seasons because of injury in the past came as a huge relief.

5) Posh were awarded two penalties in the first 25 League One games of the season and now they’ve won one in successive matches. The willingness of highly-skilled Ephron Mason-Clark and Kwame Poku to spend time in the opposition penalty area, while running at defenders, will lead to fouls anywhere on the pitch, although the most recent spot-kicks came when their speed off the mark took opponents by suprise.

6) Posh scored for just the second time after the 75th minute of a League One game yesterday. The other arrived at Exeter City early in November, a game Posh managed to lose by conceding twice in the final moments. It’s now 9-2 to the opposition in the final 15 matches of games.

7) New Posh goalkeeper Will Norris has conceded just one goal in his first three Posh appearances and his own defender Nathan Thompson scored it.