Don't be fooled by sixth place at halfway as Peterborough United have much improvement to find in 2023, youngster suggests he can step up and replace Marriott and will Posh be able to resist bids for star performer?

It was a welcome way to wave good-bye to a year that has often been unkind to Posh as a submissive relegation from the Championship has been followed by a topsy-turvy League One campaign.

That Posh sit sixth in the table (until 9.45pm tonight most likely) at the halfway stage of their season after easing to a 2-0 win over a dismal MK Dons outfit at the Weston Homes Stadium shouldn’t fool anyone.

Posh have 35 points from 23 matches, a total that would have led to 10th position at this stage of each of the last two seasons. Posh had 43 points at the halfway point of their last third tier promotion campaign.

Much improvement will be needed in the second half of the season if a place in the play-offs is to be achieved. Automatic promotion – the pre-season goal - can be discounted given the consistency of the current top three.

Beating the likes of MK at London Road has not been an issue all season for Posh. Grant McCann’s men have the second best home record in the division after leaders Plymouth with 25 points from 11 matches and an excellent goal difference of +18. They’ve won eight of those games, six against teams currently in the bottom nine. Posh have only beaten two teams in the top half of the table at any venue all season and one of them played an hour with 10 men.

Unless Posh can start beating their closest rivals, and many of them will be in town in the new year, they will finish mid-table.

As manager McCann is no fool, he will be aware of this and he will know what needs to be done. Greater consistency will be required. At their current points-scoring rate Posh will finish on 70 points and that’s only been good enough for one top six finish at this level in the last decade, ignoring the Covid-interrupted season.

TALKING POINTS FROM POSH 2, MK DONS 0…

1) Given the fuss over Jack Marriott’s impending departure, McCann would have been forgiven a satisfield smile after seeing Ricky-Jade Jones walk away with the sponsors’ man-of-the-match prize last night. It’s daft to call Jones a direct replacement for Marriott as the pair play in totally different styles. The youngster is more of a threat racing down the flanks than he is careering down the middle right now, not withstanding his expertly-taken goal against MK. Jones needs space to run into to show his best form and not many defences at this level will be as accommodating as the one he faced on Thursday. He’s 20 though and will only get better, while Marriott has looked a player in decline this season at the age of 28. It will be interesting to see how a move benefits a fully-fit Marriott. It will be fascinating to see where he ends up. It could be anywhere between the bottom end of the Championship and the top end of League Two.

2) All of a sudden on loan centre-back Kell Watts has given McCann a decision to make. It looked odds on the 23 year-old would be returning to Newcastle in January after failing to break into the Posh first-team, but he’s shown some improved form in the last two games after McCann reverted to three centre-backs and two wing-backs. Watts isn’t quick. but his left-footedness is a huge plus and he is comfortable on the ball which McCann likes. But if Posh are really trying to sign a pair of full-backs in January it suggests 4-3-3 could be the formation of choice again going forward and Ronnie Edwards and Frankie Kent have usually been the favoured pairing in that formation.

3) It was interesting to hear McCann’s thoughts on Joe Ward being the best right wing-back in the division. He certainly has all the attributes with pace, excellent crossing ability and decent defensive attributes. He has a shot on him as well as he showed last night with a clinical finish to get Posh in front not long before the break. Ward is also out of contract and can leave on a free transfer at the end of the season. He can start talking to other clubs next week. Will Posh be able reject a reasonable bid for his services next month, especially as his best position in a 4-3-3 has been at right-back and McCann is seeking a fresh face for that position?

4) Posh have now been awarded two penalties this season. Jonson Clarke-Harris has a 50% conversion rate after failing to score from the spot against MK. MK have apparently now conceded eight penalties!

5) The Posh crowds have held up pretty well this season. Last night’s 8,391 crowd was just a but more than the average of 8,309, the 11th best record in the division and there are some well-supported clubs (Ipswich, Derby, Bolton, Portsmouth) still to come to the Weston Homes Stadium.

6) The first big home test of 2023 arrives early with Wycombe Wanderers at London Road on Sunday. Wycombe’s constant refrain of being a small club at this level is true in terms of support, but they have signed some strong, experienced players at odds with oft-repeated budget claims. They are streetwise, in decent form despite a 1-0 loss at League One leaders Plymouth last night, and horrible to play against. Young goalkeeper Will Blackmore can expect to be tested from set-pieces. If Posh can win this one they will have reason to believe they can yet deliver success in 2023.