Peterborough United boss defends his love of diamonds

Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has launched a passionate defence of the midfield diamond formation.
George Boyd.George Boyd.
George Boyd.

The system has come under fire from Posh fans after a run of four defeats in a row.

Posh were knocked out of the FA Cup 4-2 at Premier League Burnley last Saturday after falling 3-0 behind inside 25 minutes.

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The ease with which Burnley bypassed the diamond was highlighted on Match of the Day.

But it’s a system Ferguson is likely to stick with for the visit of improving Gillingham on Saturday (January 11), especially as January signings Jack Taylor and Reece Brown are familiar with the formation.

Ferguson said: “It’s well known I have a preference for the midfield diamond and that’s because I know how dangerous it can be when played well.

“I’ve had success with it in the past at this club and I’ve used it a lot this season. We are still the top scorers in League One so it must have worked well a lot of the time.

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“But it does need players who understand the formation and can therefore make it work.

“Reece Brown and Jack Taylor know the diamond and play it well. If I can get George Boyd back up to speed that will help also and the 90 minutes he had at Burnley will have done him plenty of good.

“There are other formations I can go to with the current squad. We’ve shown we can play with three centre-backs and one up top with three behind is another option, although I would need Siriki Dembele in the side for that to work.”

Dembele missed the Burnley match at the start of a three-match ban for a red card picked up in the New Year’s Day defeat at Lincoln.

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He won’t be available until the home match with Wycombe on Tuesday, January 21, but he did play in a reserve team cup match at Mansfield yesterday (January 7) which finished 2-2.

Teenagers Sam Cartwright and Harrison Burrows (penalty) scored the Posh goals.