TALKING POINTS: Darren Ferguson appears to be managing two different Posh teams, the defence makes a strong case, a frightening finale and why a Tuesday postponement might not be a bad thing

Posh boss Darren Ferguson knows which player is tiring before the player himself. He knows how far his men have run during a game as soon as the final whistle blows.

But I bet the numbers can’t explain why Ferguson currently manages two different teams. The one that turns up at the Weston Homes Stadium is usually bright, aggressive and full of threat, but the one that pitches up anywhere else in League One often appears timid, slow and with an attacking punch that is far more Joe Bugner than Mike Tyson.

If anything Posh should be well suited to playing away. The back three are an impressive unit supported by a very able goalkeeper and Posh have players with the skills and pace to play well on the counter attack as they proved on numerous occasions in the 2-0 win over Crewe yesterday (February 6), a home game obviously.

Posh last played well on their travels on November 3. They last played poorly at home on November 21. They’ve played well enough overall to sit fourth within touching distance of automatic promotion and even the title, but unless the tempo they employ at home can transfer successfully to away games the play-offs might be the best they can do.

It’s a conundrum for sure, but not a new one.

Compare and contrast:

Posh at home in last two League One seasons: P29 W21 D5 L3 F68 A22 Pts68

Posh away in last two League One seasons: P31 F10 D7 A14 F38 A41 Pts37.

OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM YESTERDAY

1) The Posh pitch looks a mess, but it actually plays okay. It’s certainly not affecting the entertainment levels or the passing styles of the likes of MK Dons and Crewe. There hasn’t been a bad game on it since the pipe below the pitch burst, as even the 0-0 draw with Bristol Rovers was pretty entertaining and often end-to-end. You could argue it even suits Posh as they have some powerful men in the starting XI. It’s baffling why there haven’t been more injuries on it though. The testing surface must put severe pressure on muscles with even two young fit men like Frankie Kent and Jack Taylor suffering in recent weeks. Posh are on a roll and probably feel invincible at home, but it might not be the worst thing if the predicted bad weather on the way causes Tuesday’s game (February 9) with Ipswich to be postponed. Playing twice in four days on that gruelling surface can’t be easy and Posh put an awful lot into the game yesterday, on and off the ball. Ferguson confirmed afterwards he is not training the players between Saturday and Tuesday matches. It’s purely recovery sessions.

2) A red card was the first thought after watching Frankie Kent’s high challenge on Luke Murphy. He was lucky referee Carl Boyeson showed yellow as it was an unnecessary lunge in the opposition half when your side was 2-0 up and in control. The Posh back three don’t make too many poor decisions, but that was close to being a very big one, At least Nathan Thompson avoided a caution. He’s only two more yellow cards away from a two-game ban and he would be a huge loss.

3) Sammie Szmodics understandably grabbed the headlines after yesterday’s game for his goal and assist, while Jonson Clarke-Harris was also excellent. Crewe, like Rochdale before Christmas, played into Posh’s hands by being so open and failing to match their hosts’ system as so many others have tried. But then the Railywaymen have a way of playing they won’t alter and why should they? They have enjoyed a fine season and credit to them for that. They are in no danger of going down which they will see as a decent first effort back in the third tier.

4) But the Posh defence deserve more credit than they are currently receiving. Posh often have less possession than the opposition, even at home (it was 47-53 yesterday) and yet goalkeeper Christy Pym is hardly having to make a save. Crewe’s one good scoring chance yesterday sailed over the bar. The protection offered by Kent, Thompson and Mark Beevers has been oustanding. They defend the penalty area superbly with Beevers a revelation on the left. There was a concern he would be ‘done’ for pace on the outside when he was shifted from the middle of the back three, but it has not been a problem at all.

5) Another day and another twist or two in the League One promotion race. Rock-bottom Burton’s beefed-up squad beat second-placed Hull, while Portsmouth were close to losing a third game on the spin at Fratton Park. Lincoln and Doncaster now look the favourites to go up, but that might change again on Tuesday when Hull host Lincoln. There are awkward midweek away games for Doncaster (at Fleetwood who have a new manager in Simon Grayson) and Sunderland (at 1-0 win kings Shrewsbury) as well. This race will probably go down to the wire and Posh’s last four fixtures are Charlton (a), Doncaster (h), Lincoln (h) and Doncaster (a). Wouldn’t it be great if vaccinated fans are back in the ground by then? Sadly that’s unlikely.