The Peterborough United manager has never been under so much scrutiny as terrible run continues
Why Darren Ferguson’s management of Peterborough United has never been under so much scrutiny.
Sure there has been the odd game when you wondered what on earth he was up to, but always the moans would subside when the flowing football returned, wins piled up and promotions and Wembley wins were totted up. The boss is a club legend for a reason.
This season is so different he’s even started finding fault with himself. It’s a brave man with broad shoulders to take the responsibility for the summer squad building which involved replacing top-notch defenders with lesser players and kids to play in a division which more than ever required big strong men. It’s been a bone of contention among the Posh fans ever since they realised the concession of daft goals was not a series of unfortunate events, but a result of defenders not the required level, yet at least.
Ferguson shouldered that blame after the New Year’s Day draw at Burton Albion although the words used to describe the defending for the two home goals suggested he’s confident replacements are on the way. Public criticism of players has become unusually commonplace in recent games and ‘abysmal’ and ‘disgraceful’ were the chosen adjectives at 5.15pm at the Pirelli Stadium as well as a condemnation of a defence’s inability to take on instruction.
They are the outpourings of a frustrated manager at the end of his tether and that is perfectly understandable as half a League One season has been completed without a single clean sheet. That particular pipedream vanished after six minutes against the team bottom of the division with two wins to their name and who started the day with the joint-lowest goals tally.
Ferguson has shown patience. He’s backed his full-backs and comforted his centre-backs. He’s tried many defensive permutations, but nothing has worked. It was a failure in recruitment to begin with and a failure of management and coaching subsequently as zero improvement has been seen in five months. The difference is Ferguson has a huge amount of credit in the bank for past deeds, but these defenders do not. It’s time for a complete overhaul of those who can’t mark, block shots or win enough aerial duels.
OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM BURTON 2, POSH 2…
1) There was relief at coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2, but taking one point from the worst team in League One this season is a shocking return. Posh actually played pretty well between the boxes yesterday. The passing was often crisp and incisive, but the front two offered little and those at the back were in a typically generous mood. It’s difficult to see this point as an indicator of better times ahead because of the standard of the opposition. It’s Wrexham away next, a team you can guarantee will put many crosses into the Posh penalty area which is frightening prospect give what we saw at Burton. To fight back for the draw at the Pirelli Stadium was obviously a positive, but the reality is four points from a possible 21 in a run which has involved four games against teams in the bottom six.
2) The weaknesses at the back are having an impact on Posh going forward. The attempt yesterday to shore up defensively by playing three centre-backs meant playing without attacking wingers. A lot of the damage done by Posh going forward this season has been achieved by deploying two wide men either side of a rapid centre forward. Playing centrally together hasn’t suited Ricky-Jade Jones and Malik Mothersille. Both are too easy to mark. They won’t win too many headers or physical duels between them in a game either. CIan Hayes had done well in Poku’s place on the right of a front three, but yesterday he was a left wing-back, although to be fair he did well in an unfamiliar position.
3) Mothersille has endured a dip in form, but he’s been decent for a lot of the season. Maybe perceived over-confidence has made him more unpopular than he should be, but the reaction from some Posh fans when he was substituted at Burton was horrible to hear. The same player deleted his X account a few days earlier, although why footballers expose themselves to the anonymous crackpots and cowards on that sight is beyond me.
4) The Posh substitutes had a decent impact at Burton. Bradley Ihionvien appears to be a strong, quick lad with a decent touch and Abraham Odoh was very positive and very good in his favoured left wing position. Ihionvien must have a chance of a start in Saturday's tough game at Wrexham, although new signing Gustav Lindgren is also available for that assignment. If Ferguson starts the Swede at the Racecourse Ground we can assume he’s been as sharp in training as many have suggested.
5) The good from yesterday included the attitude of Archie Collins, the class of Hector Kyprianou in the first-half and the performance of Chris Conn-Clarke. Conn-Clarke has a pleasing habit of looking forward when he gets the ball rather than instantly seeking a safer pass backwards. He will lose possession on occasion as a result, but defenders don’t want skilled players running at them which Conn-Clarke did several times at Burton. There is a rumour Bolton Wanderers remain keen on Joel Randall which could be the way Posh generate salary cap space for defenders to arrive. Randall was an unused substitute yesterday. Experienced goalkeeper Jed Steer wasn't in the matchday squad even though he’s fit. He’s on a decent wage as well.
6) The draw at Burton at least enabled media men to stop talking about the Posh club record of consecutive away defeats in Football League matches. It’s eight, between January and March 1971. The run of this Posh team ended at six stretching back to the 3-2 loss at Birmingham City on September 28.