Peterborough United boss on the importance of attitude and togetherness ahead of a game against a 'dangerous' opponent

Williams used midfielders Donay O’Brien-Brady and Matt Garbett as prime examples of club spirit before a ‘dangerous’ home game against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday (3pm kick off).

The Posh boss also took time out during his pre-match press duties to congratulate ‘Pilgrims’ chiefs for sticking with head coach Tom Cleverley despite a terrible start to the season for a club relegated from the Championship in 2024-25.

"Plymouth endured a really tough start, but they are getting some traction now,” Williams said. “And I love the fact the board saw how good their manager was and gave him the time he deserves. I’ve met Tom a few times and he’s a really good person as well as a top coach.

"It might have been better for me if he had gone as it would have given us more chance of winning this game! But it shows how tough this job is when someone of Tom's quality struggles.

“It’s certainly a tricky game for us against a team who started to find their way. They’ve had some good results lately and clearly the players are fighting for each other, the manager and the club.

"They’ve had some good results away from home, but our home form has also been good. We have been performing fairly consistently and we need to keep finding the margins to improve further, while also making sure we don’t drop our current standards.

"Everyone is playing their part. Even those disappointed not to be starting are aware they can make a big impact by making sure we finish games strongly.

"Donay was someone who was upset not to be starting recently, but he showed it in an entirely positive way. He is a very attack-minded player, but he will go out and do whatever we ask of him.

"Donay loves his trade. Recently a member of staff came in and told me that Donay and another player were still out on a training pitch late one afternoon working on things. That’s the gold standard for attitude and behaviour from someone happy to sacrifice everything for the team.

"In the last couple of games I have also seen Matt Garbett make fully committed slide tackles to stop counter attacks and one massive recovery run to help protect his defence. When you add that level of responsible play to his flair and intuition I see a very rounded player putting the team first.”

It would be a major surprise if the Posh starting line-up changes from the 3-1 win at home to Bolton Wanderers last weekend. Midfielder Ben Woods is the closest of the injured players to a return, but he us still two weeks away from full fitness.