Are Peterborough United on target for the play-offs? And what a formation change could look like

Ephron Mason-Clark in action at Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. Photo: Joe Demt/theposh.com.

But the switch to three at the back would represent a selection gamble further forward.

The current 4-2-3-1 has been in good working order, but if manager Darren Ferguson did fancy a switch to 3-4-1-2 it could happen, although getting Kwame Poku and Ephron Mason-Clark into the latter system wouldn’t be easy.

IIf Posh do switch to two up top one assumes new signing Kabongo Tshimanga (unless Mason-Clark is moved centrally) would be the partner for Jonson Clarke-Harris and Dan Butler would have to become a centre-back.

Dan Butler in action for Posh. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Posh 3-4-1-2.

Norris

Kent, Edwards, Butler.

Ward, Kyprianou, Taylor, Ogbeta.

Poku

Tshimanga/Mason-Clark, Clarke-Harris.

POSH IN FEBRUARY

The average points required to finish sixth in League One, the final play-off place, is 74 so Posh need 30 points from 19 matches to reach that figure, which works out at 1.58 points per game.

The way the current top six are performing Posh could well need to get nearer to the 80 points required to reach the play-offs last season.

Obviously it’s a huge game against fifth-placed Bolton at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday and Ferguson’s men host leaders Plymouth Argyle on February 25.

But Posh could need to win their other games this month, all of them tricky, at Fleetwood next Tuesday (14th), at Morecambe a week on Saturday (21st) and at home to Charlton (28th).