Peterborough United boss on leaving a star man out of his side after the 'best performance of the season' and a one-word reaction to the FA Cup draw
Archie Collins is not certain to walk back into the Peterborough United side at Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.
The midfielder missed the weekend 3-3 League One draw with Rotherham United at the Weston Homes Stadium to serve a one-match suspension after collecting five yellow cards.
And manager Darren Ferguson was impressed with the contributions of Ryan De Havilland and Donay O’Brien-Brady in the positions normally occupied by Collins and injury-victim Hector Kyprianou.
Ferguson insists they were pivotal in a Posh performance he is now describing as the ‘best of the season so far.’
"I was pleased with what I saw live against Rotherham,” Ferguson told the PT on Tuesday. “And when I watched the game back I felt it was the best performance of the season. We moved the ball really well. We were very positive in possession and there were some excellent individual displays. Donay and Ryan were very good and Archie, although it’s great to have him back, is not a definite starter at all this weekend.
"James Dornelly also produced his best performance for us until he got a little tired in the second-half. It was very encouraging all-round, although there are still things we can get better at. We’ve now let in goals close to half-time three times at home against Huddersfield, Wrexham and Rotherham, and when we let one in we have also tended to concede another one straight away and other teams will have noticed this.
"It’s not just a back four and goalkeeper problem. We have very capable defenders, but they are all relatively new to the team and to the way we play. They are collectively strong, but individual errors have cost us.”
Posh will also have on-loan right-back Sam Curtis back from international duty this weekend to face a Wycombe side who are fifth and unbeaten in their last six League One games. Curtis is expected to play for Ireland Under 21s in Italy early this evening.
Ferguson confirmed Cian Hayes was left out of the matchday squad at the weekend for tactical reasons as he had two wingers (David Ajiboye and Abraham Odoh) on the substitutes’ bench.
FA CUP Ferguson described a first round draw that sends Posh to South Wales to face League Two mid-table side Newport County as ‘horrendous.’