The most successful manager in Peterborough United history was questioning himself before the Tuesday night League One game with Blackpool at the Weston Homes Stadium.

That’s what it came to after a weekend wobble at Wycombe Wanderers. Ferguson suggested he had been failing. Well that thought can be dismissed if this is the sort of response he can generate amid all the talk of doom and gloom.

Posh were still occasionally suspect at the back, particularly in a crazy first-half, but they ran amok going forward and sustained it for long enough to run out 5-1 winners.

You have to love this manager as many would have adopted a more defensive policy given the regular nightmares at the back, but instead he encouraged Posh to play even more expansively than usual, although they were helped by some very naive Blackpool defending.

Malik Mothersille celebrates a goal for Posh v Blackpool. Photo David Lowndes.

placeholder image — Malik Mothersille celebrates a goal for Posh v Blackpool. Photo David Lowndes.

The front four of Joel Randall, Kwame Poku, Ricky-Jade Jones and Malik Mothersille were electric, far too quick and skilful for the visiting defenders.

Randall netted twice with the other three also on target, although Jones may yet be denied his deserved goal as a defender poked a great Poku cross towards goal and the Academy graduate might not have got a touch.

Some of the passing and movement was joyous to watch. The goals came from speedy attacks and precision passing. The finishing was top notch. Poku’s strike at the end of a move he started, and also involved Mothersille and Randall, was the pick.

Blackpool had chances to make it more uncomfortable. Dom Ballard missed a sitter at 1-0, but their only reward was a 26th minute tap-in from Kyle Joseph. Posh normally react badly to adversity, but instead they had stretched out to 3-1 within two minutes and two goals in three minutes in a second-half they controlled sealed an impressive, and very welcome, win.

Posh celebrate Joel Randall's first goal v Blackpool. Photo Joe Dent/theposh.com

Ferguson had demanded a positive response following the defensive debacle last time out. His own response was to change goalkeepers with Nicholas Bilokapic replacing Jed Steer so a young, inexperienced team became even younger and more inexperienced. It was an interesting decision and one of four changes to his starting line-up as Sam Curtis, George Nevett and Ryan De Havilland came in for James Dornelly, Emmanuel Fernandez, who was suspended, and Donay O’Brien-Brady. Archie Collins resumed the captaincy.

Blackpool selected a very attacking side, all no doubt ready to feast on the flimsiest defence in the divisions. Posh had the same thought given the amount of space they were given and a ridiculous spectacle ensued in the first half.

Pool came out to press and kept Posh pinned back in the opening exchanges, but once the ball started getting into the fab four, the visitors looked alarmingly creaky.

The initial breakthrough came on eight minutes when Poku left ex-Posh loanee Hayden Coulson for dead. He found Randall in space in the area and his excellent first-time flick was finished superbly by Mothersille.

Joel Randall scores his first goal for Posh v Blackpool. Photo David Lowndes.

An error in possession by Archie Collins led to a Pool chance which Nevett did well to block. The visitors were happy to send the ball forward quickly and Posh rarely looked comfortable. Dom Ballard should have equalised after shrugging off Nevett, but he shot badly wide.

And then Posh broke free to claim a second goal on 17 minutes. Jones counter-attacked at high speed and fed Randall whose left foot shot finished in the top corner via the head of a defender. Pool rallied and kept probing and one patient build-up was rewarded by a chipped pass to Jake Beesley behind Curtis. Bilokapic approached him, but made the striker’s task to pass to Joseph very easy and it was 2-1 on 26 minutes.

Usually that’s the catalyst for a Posh crumble, but instead they were down the other end in a matter of minutes to make it 3-1. Poku started it and finished it after good work from Mothersille and Randall. There were four passes in total and an emphatic finish.

The game did quieten down in the run-up to half-time as both sides probably needed a breather and the second-half never reached the heights of the first period which suited Posh. Oscar Wallin made one superb interception of an excellent cross and Bilokapic was forced into one diving stop, but the greater threat arrived constantly at the other end.

Poku’s excellence set up Jones, or a defender for 4-1 and soon after Poku sent Randall scurrying away and he delivered a classy finish to enable Ferguson to get a rest into some of his stars. There were no Posh failures on this night.

Posh: Nicholas Bilokapic, Jack Sparkes, George Nevett, Oscar Wallin (sub Ollie Rose, 86 mins), Sam Curtis, Ryan De Havilland (sub Donay O’Brien-Brady, 72 mins), Archie Collins, Malik Mothersille (sub Abraham Odoh, 81 mins), Joel Randall, Kwame Poku (sub Cian Hayes, 81 mins), Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Brad Ihionvien, 72 mins).

Unused subs: Jed Steer, James Dornelly.

Blackpool: Harry Tyrer, Hayden Coulson (sub Zac Ashworth, 46 mins), Jordan Gabriel, Odeluga Offiah, Olly Casey, Jake Beesley, Dom Ballard (sub Ashley Fletcher, 59 mins) Rob Apter, Josh Onomah (sub Sonny Carey, 77 mins), Albie Morgan (sub Ryan Finnigan, 59 mins), Kyle Joseph.

Unused subs: Richard O’Donnell, Matthew Pennington, Jordan Rhodes.

GOALS: Posh – Mothersille (8 mins), Randall (17 mins), Poku (29 mins), Jones (71 mins), Randall (74 mins).

Blackpool – Joseph (27 mins),

CAUTIONS: Posh – Mothersille (dissent).

Blackpool – Coulson (foul).

REFEREE: Declan Bourne 7.

ATTENDANCE: 6,391 (235 Blackpool)