The contenders for the Peterborough United striker slot and the need for players in other positions to step up to avert a 'disaster'
‘Peterborough United remain an injury to Harry Leonard, Archie Collins or Alex Bass away from disaster. There is not a replacement of an adequate standard for any of them.’
I published those words on Wednesday morning without knowledge of Harry Leonard undergoing a hernia operation two days earlier. ‘Disaster’ will hopefully prove to be too strong a word, but I would imagine any regular Posh watcher will now have serious misgivings about the immediate direction of Posh travel, at least until our top scorer in League One games returns.
It would be a major surprise if Chelsea loanee JJ Morgan doesn’t take on Leonard’s role in the next Posh game at Leyton Orient on March 14. The alternatives are a striker who spent the first half of this season playing at National League South level or a forward who at the same time was playing even lower in the Southern Premier Division Central.
Thera’s also a 17 year-old speedy hotshot playing for Posh age group sides and first-team boss Luke Williams has already shown he’s not scared of pitching inexperienced players, irrespective of age, into his starting line-up.
The expected return of Matt Garbett somewhat offsets the loss of Leonard. He can play as the support striker, but his likely presence also highlights a Posh problem of the current campaign, namely the lack of goals from midfield.
Archie Collins, Garbett, Ben Woods, Brandon Khela and Donay O’Brien-Brady have all started games in central midfield this season and scored just seven goals from 94 League One starts between them. Even the three goals Garbett has scored seems a modest return for a player of his obvious quality.
With Leonard out for a while, others need to step up. Set-pieces need to improve. Leonard had become a central figure in a slight improvement at corners in recent games with a goal against Exeter and a near miss last weekend at Cobblers.
Morgan won’t be as good at Leonard at holding the ball up as he lacks his best mate’s physicality, but he offers better movement and creativity. It’s a certainty Williams and his staff will be working hard on ways to make the 10-goal 20-year-old an even more effective player.
There could be a clue to Posh plans with the team selection for the Under 21s in their Professional Development League game at Sheffield Wednesday, today (Friday), their last fixture before the League One game at Orient.
STRIKER CANDIDATES
JJ Morgan (20) has by far the most Football League experience. He played 16 times for Gillingham in League Two last season and he’s added 27 appearances this season as he learns a different type of football to that he played at Southampton and Chelsea. He’s mobile, tricky, can take up great attacking positions and he can finish. Just don’t expect him to win too many headers.
Pemi Aderoju (21) signed for Posh from step five (the National League is step one) Biggleswade United in January, 2024 after an impressive trial. He’s a powerfully built young man who, after unsuccessful loan spells at Boston United and Farnborough, went on a scoring spree for Eastbourne in National League South in the first half of this season. Posh opted to keep him at London Road rather than loan him again and he’s come off the substitutes’ bench nine times, claiming his first goal in the recent 6-1 rout of Wigan. Yet to start a Football League game.
David Kamara (20) is a quick, dynamic forward who was sent on from the substitutes’ bench ahead of Aderoju at Cobblers last weekend and he put himself about impressively. That was just his second Football League appearance, both as a substitute. Kamara scored six goals in 16 appearances on loan for Southern Premier Division Central title favourites Harborough Town before returning to Posh at the end of February. Posh signed Kamara from Welling United on a two-year contract which has already been extended.
Bolu Shofowoke (17) is an exciting prospect who has scored goals for fun throughout his Posh Academy career. Signed a long-term pro deal on his 17th birthday. He has made two first-team substitute appearances for Posh so far, the latest in a League Cup tie defeat at Accrington Stanley in August.