Peterborough United were a joy to watch, happy habits, familiar failings, impressive improvements and well done the referee

Posh might not have the size, the history, the financial power or the fanbase of some of those in opposition this season, but it’s doubtful any club will match them in the entertainment stakes. Who needs celebrity owners and a Netflix documentary when you have a manager and recruitment team capable of integrating half-a-dozen new players, mostly from lower leagues, into a free-flowing, free-scoring outfit within a fortnight?

Of course if Huddersfield Town on opening day were the marker for the top end of League One this season, Shrewsbury Town were a marker for the bottom end so a 4-1 away win shouldn’t necessarily be treated as proof of a return to last season’s levels, but it was still a terrific watch at the Croud Meadow.

OTHER TALKING POINTS…

1) Coming from behind was a happy habit for Posh last season. According to www.transfermarkt.com Posh gained 22 points from losing positions in League One matches last season, the fourth best tally in the division. They conceded first at Shrewsbury, but crucially they equalised within a couple of minutes and the outcome was never really in doubt after that.

2) It really was a return to 2023-24 yesterday. Posh enjoyed over 65% possession, delivered 18 shots on goal, 10 of which were on target, enjoyed a high expected goals rating of 3.08 and won twice as many corners. They played pretty patterns through midfield and looked electric when counter-attacking. On the downside good scoring chances came and went with Malik Mothersille missing one absolute sitter and the set-pieces were poor. Two-goal Joel Randall didn’t do a lot wrong yesterday, but his corners and free-kicks were way off.

3) The Mothersille v Ricky-Jade Jones central striker debate looks set to rage on. There was a lot to admire about the former’s first-half performance. The timing of his runs and his ability to get involved in, and enhance, passing moves for starters, but plenty of the judgement he will receive will relate to the number of goals he scores. It’s how Jones is usually judged by those who prefer to ignore the sheer speed and pressing ability of a youngster who appears to have grown stronger over the summer. Both have obvious strengths, but both will need to score regularly if Posh are to reach the play-offs for a third successive season. A lot has been said about losing an entire defence over the summer, but Posh also lost last season’s top scorer and Ephron Mason-Clark’s goals will need to be replaced.

4) Manager Darren Ferguson asked his big players to stand up and be counted after two straight defeats to start the season and Randall and Kwame Poku responded with two goals apiece, while Archie Collins was back to his energetic best in central midfield. But the huge contributions of newcomers Abraham Odoh, Sam Curtis and Oscar Wallin also offered hope for the future, while Emmanuel Fernandez stepped up his performance level considerably and Donay O’Brien-Brady’s calm composure in centre midfield seems to have persuaded Ferguson to scale down any hunt for a like-for-like replacement for injured Manchester City loanee Mahamadou Susoho. Curtis played so well at left-back, and James Dornelly played so well when he came on at right-back, Jack Sparkes might not start at his old club Exeter next Saturday. Hector Kyprianou, who warmed-up with the team yesterday, should return if fit, but central defender George Nevett might now have to wait for his competitive Posh debut.

5) The 12.30pm kick off yesterday and a live TV appearance didn’t appear to affect the attendance. The 6,015 crowd figure was just 78 fewer than watched the same fixture last season, although that game was played on the Saturday before Christmas. Mind you with the number of complaints I see on a weekly basis about the new Sky Sports live football service many might soon be persuaded to come to the stadium rather than watch a match from the sofa.

6) Referee Ben Toner played three advantages that led to Posh goals yesterday. After watching the whistle-happy performance of the referee on the first day of the season it was most encouraging.