Forward power alone won't take Peterborough United to promotion this season

Posh go into Saturday’s tough game at in-form Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park as one of only two teams not to have kept a clean sheet this season and rock bottom Cambridge United, who have just one point from nine matches, are the other. Even the Us have conceded fewer goals though, 17 compared to the 21 let in by Posh, albeit from two fewer matches.

Posh are also the top scorers in League One, but that forward power alone won’t take the club into the race for promotion, according to manager Darren Ferguson.

"I’ve watched back all the goals we have conceded,” Ferguson revealed. “And the stats tell us we are conceding far too many given the number of shots at goal we are giving up. Whether that’s because we are not blocking shots or the goalkeeper is not saving them, things just have to change and not just from the players at the back.

"It has to change if we are to have any chance of a decent season. We do have young defenders, and it’s a new group, and they might lose their concentration from time to time, but they have to learn quickly and we are working hard with them every day to find that improvement.

"We do play with a lot of risk and there’s every chance we could outscore the rest of the division as we did last season, but that won’t be enough on its own.”

Posh conceded five in a League One fixture at Wycombe last season to continue an awful record in this fixture. Posh have won just one of 14 Football League meetings and that arrived 21 years ago.

“That’s something else we would love to change,” Ferguson added. “For some reason we never do very well there and yet in theory the fixture should suit us as they have the best pitch in the division. Last season was just a mess from our point of view and I can remember conceding a last-minute equaliser there when we were playing against 10 men.

"But those games have no real bearing on tomorrow. It’s always tough there and they are clearly having a go under a new owner this season and with a good manager who knows the club well. They do things a bit differently than us with the wages they pay, but they have recruited very well for the division plus they have players who have been there a long time.”

Wycombe are fifth under manager Matt Bloomfield who spent many years as a player at the club. Posh would go above them with a win tomorrow, although Wycombe have played two fewer games.

Posh also have tough games at home to Blackpool on Tuesday (October 22) and at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, October 26 before the end of the month.