More praise for the diamond and dressing room atmosphere from Peterborough United midfielder

Posh employed the formation for the first time this season against Nottingham Forest last Saturday (December 4) and it did seem to bring an increased amount of possession and time on the ball, albeit Forest were very happy to sit off. Things went downhill in the second half as the hosts pushed forward and they eventually got the better of Posh 2-0, but Grant has backed his manager’s position from earlier in the week that the formation did bring about some positive changes.

He said: “It’s a formation I’ve played before at Luton and it worked really well. The gaffer tried it in training and it seemed like it worked quite well. At times, especially in the first half, it worked against Forest as well so it’s a good formation to have up or belt.

“Having four central midfielders in the middle of the park means it’s important we keep the ball when we have it and it was enjoyable to have a lot of ball in the first half.”

The formation change prompted Darren Ferguson to bring the midfielder back into the side after being an unused substitute against both Blackburn and Barnsley in the previous two matches. Grant has struggled to make a big impact at Championship level (one goal and two assists) and has said that he is targeting adding more goals and assists to his game in the coming weeks. He will need to as well as Posh have slipped five points from safety after failing to win any of their last seven games. Again, he supported his manager that the dressing room atmosphere remains strong though.

He added: “I think the group is really good, we’ve got some really upbeat characters. You might come in a bit down but by the time you’ve been in five minutes, you’re talking and chatting.

“The standard (of the Championship) is obviously a lot higher than League One and Two, where I’ve been before, but I’ve really enjoyed it and felt like I’ve done ok. I just need to add more goals and assists to my game and once I do that, I’ll be happy with myself.

You can’t go into and game fearing anyone, you’ve got to be aware of their strengths but it’s so important you go in there with a positive frame of mind and look to get the three points.”