Peterborough United boss warns defender about his poor discipline

Thompson will serve a second suspension of the season after receiving a red card in the second-half of yesterday’s 1-1 League One draw at Lincoln City (January 9).

Thompson missed the December 15 game at MK Dons after five yellow cards triggered a one-game ban. He will now miss the return match against MK at the Weston Homes Stadium next Saturday (January 16) after his dismissal at Sincil Bank.

“Nathan needs to improve his discipline,” Ferguson said. “He’ll know that and he won’t mind me telling everyone else.

“He picks up too many unnecessary yellow cards. His first foul yesterday was needless as it happened 50 yards from our goal and the handball for the second yellow card and a penalty was obvious. Just keep your arms down. Christy Pym would have saved the shot anyway.

“Nathan is such a good player amd he’s vital to the way I want us to play as he brings the ball out of defence so well so I can’t afford for him to miss too many matches.

“Obviously we got a big break when their lad missed the penalty and then I felt we played well with 10 men.

“There were other things that pleased me in the game. Sammie Szmodics was very good. He was picking the ball up in good areas and getting close to the midfielders and the forwards. He just needs a goal or an assist.

“We controlled the game pretty much how I wanted us to in the first-half without creating enough chances. The arrogance we needed to go on and get a second goal was missing.

“I still expected us to create chances on the break in the second-half so conceding so early was disappointing. We’ve given up too many soft goals from set-pieces this season and conceded too many goals in the opening 15 minutes of the second half of games.

“We didn’t make the first contact a corner and someone lost his man.”

Posh, who are fifth in League One, host third-placed Portsmouth in an EFL Trophy match on Tuesday (January 12, 7pm kick off) before taking on MK Dons next Saturday. Joe Ward should make his return from a knee injury in that game, while teenagers Ronnie Edwards and Flynn Clarke. who were left out of yesterday’s squad should start.