The critics are correct, top players keep leaving Peterborough United because of the manager, official guesswork and something's gone very wrong at the FA

Or better still don’t do it at all, certainly not when a very young team probably has the perfect manager, one who has steered the club to four promotions and three near-misses in the play-offs. He probably knows what he’s doing, more so than those who decided 10 minutes into Saturday’s FA Cup game at Newport County was the time to demand managerial change.

It was a shambolic start at Rodney Parade, and it is a concern that defensive frailties could run deeper than a couple of injured full-backs, but Ferguson is also overseeing a set of forwards who have the potency to paper over obvious cracks at the other end. And they are all young enough to be expected to improve considerably.

Ricky-Jade Jones and co delivered again yesterday to turn that early 2-0 FA Cup deficit into a 4-2 win, presumably to the annoyance of those who jumped the gun, and hopefully to their embarrassment. My favourite of those who found their way onto my social media was the man who blamed Ferguson for selling the club’s star players in the summer, and I suppose it was his fault for developing the likes of Ronnie Edwards and Harrison Burrows, and several others before them, so well Premier League and Championship clubs came knocking on the London Road door with offers that were hard for a League One club to refuse.

TALKING POINTS FROM NEWPORT 2, POSH 4…

1) ‘Watching this Posh team should come with a health warning,’ opined chairman Darragh MacAnthony. ‘We made the game as difficult as we could,’ said manager Ferguson. Both true and indeed the manager’s health could be at the greatest risk as carefully laid plans for ball domination and a big enough lead to get some rest into some big players were ripped up by more defensive tomfoolery in the opening eight minutes. Losing the ball inside the area, on the edge of the area and in an area which enabled the hosts to counter attack through a gap widened by a centre-back falling over all happened in that fateful spell and Posh were lucky to only be 2-0 and not 3-0 behind, and with plenty of time for superior attacking class and quality to tell. Even average League One teams would be tough to beat with that sort of start though. The comeback was great and made it a sweet victory, but there was as much to worry about as to enjoy. Defensive concentration and decision-making must be difficult to coach.

2) Listening to opposition media after a Posh game is always fascinating. Often, and it happened yesterday, I hear reporters rave about Posh even if they’ve lost and even if they haven’t played particularly well, at least in the opinion of those of us who watch regularly and take high possession levels, creative thinking and frightening speed up top for granted. We all take the attractive style of play Ferguson has delivered for granted, while others look on enviously. Newport boss Nelson Jardim is the newest Posh fan, admitting he enjoyed watching his visitors play and predicting some might end up in the Premier League.

3) You would imagine Kwame Poku has attracted scouts from the top flight and the sheer speed of Ricky-Jade Jones will have caught the eye of many scouts. Ferguson called yesterday’s match-winner a ‘complete’ centre-forward after his two-goal display, although you’d also expect the manager is also trying to improve his aerial ability and close control with his back to goal, although he did show terrific feet to dance into a scoring position for his first goal in Newport. Certainly there can be no more worrying sight for a tired and over-worked back four than a man with blistering pace coming on midway through the second-half.

4) Summer signing Abraham Odoh was decent at the start of the season. He has racked up three League One assists – he’s only started four games – and he added one in the FA Cup with a lovely pass to scorer Joel Randall, as well as his first Posh goal at Newport County. He is happy to take defenders on and also happy to bring others into play. Posh have preferred the more explosive talents of Malik Mothersille out wide in recent League One games, but Odoh is better than just a back-up and it would be a surprise if he didn’t feature more when points are at stake in the future.

5) Yesterday’s edition of refereeing feature ‘you couldn’t make it up.’ On a day when Bristol City were allowed to score after a blatant and deliberate handball offence at Preston (look it up, incredible four officials missed it) the officials at Newport decided a ball that had entered the net from a Posh corner had travelled in through the side-netting. There was no obvious proof of this and the best-placed assistant didn’t flag for anything so how they came to the conclusion another corner should be taken is anyone’s guess and ‘guess’ is probably what they did. They were lucky the ‘ghost’ goal didn’t ultimately matter. Incidentally three minutes were added on at the end of the first half yesterday and there was immediately a stoppage as a Newport player wanted a sit down. The referee blew for time after two minutes 57 seconds which, after the controversy at Bolton the week before, confirms even telling the time is becoming too difficult.

6) For purely selfish reasons (I could do without the extra work) I am all in favour of scrapping FA Cup replays, but when Weston-Super-Mare FC are denied a money-spinning home replay with TV coverage against neighbours Bristol Rovers because the likes of Liverpool want to preserve pre-season tours to the United States, something has gone very wrong at the FA.