The starting line-up was a big factor in Peterborough United's defeat, but the result wasn't just down to the manager
You could argue Peterborough United manager Luke Williams was a few minutes away from adding to his ‘genius’ status at the club.
His substitutions had prompted an unlikely comeback from a seemingly hopeless position against an in-form Huddersfield Town team at the Weston Homes Stadium. A point would have been seen as a decent return in the circumstances.
But, even if Posh, rather than the visitors, had claimed the decisive fifth goal Saturday’s starting line-up would still have been difficult to defend. I had expected one of them to be dropped to accommodate a deserved start for winger Cian Hayes, but It was an act of self-harm to leave both Matt Garbett and Jimmy-Jay Morgan out. It was true before kick-off, it remained the case at half-time when it was a major shock no changes were made and it was still the only real talking point at the end of the game despite a terrific final half an hour from Posh.
Or more likely because of the impact Garbett and Morgan made in that spell it was still the dominant discussion point among Posh fans deep into Saturday night. Footballers can make managers look foolish in more ways than one.
Would the outcome really have been different if the substitutes had started? It’s often easier for fresh players to look good against tiring opponents and Garbett and Morgan had been poor in the previous match at Stevenage, but playing against that team on their tight ground is a unique experience in League One. The better players, certainly the competitive ones like Garbett, will relish the challenge to bounce back, so giving them 30 minutes rather than 90 minute was a mistake.
OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM POSH 2, HUDDERSFIELD 3…
1) It would of course be wrong to blame the boss entirely for the defeat and his refusal to throw individual players under the bus publicly is a commendable trait. In all the post-match fuss the part played by experienced players in Huddersfield’s winning goal went unexposed. It proved even the more reliable performers can make decisive errors. Tom Lees and Archie Collins would be near the top of any Posh player-of-the-season poll, but the former lost control of an unthreatening attacking position out wide and conceded possession to the impressive Marcus Harness. He slipped a pass to unmarked substitute Cameron Humphreys whose shooting task was made far easier because Collins made no attempt to close him down and just stood still in a position that was never going to affect the trajectory of the shot. That shot didn’t finish in the corner of the net so question marks also against the positioning of goalkeeper Alex Bass, who probably should have saved the first goal as well. None of that was down to the manager’s team selection.
2) Five more cautions for Posh yesterday, all for fouls, from a team who are far from dirty. The players can look slow though and they can lack anticipation skills, the admirable Collins aside. That leads to opponents reaching the ball first and Posh arriving moments later to trip them up or tug them back. Donay O’Brien-Brady, who made his 14th Football League start in his two-and-a-half years at Posh yesterday, could easily have been sent off in the first-half.
3) It's four defeats in the last six League One games for 12th-placed Posh and the gap to the relegation zone (7 points) is smaller than the gap to the play-off places (10 points) again. Posh can forget a top six finish as for now staying clear of those below them is the priority. How will that affect transfer plans, if indeed there are any? Not signing new players before Monday’s deadline makes some sense as Posh surely have enough to avoid falling too much further down the table, but it would be disappointing, and more than a little risky, if no incomings is accompanied by the departure of Collins.
4) Huddersfield scored from a simple corner routine yesterday. Posh won the corner count 7-4 and yet the danger to their own goal from them was as real as any threat on the visiting goal. Collins took a caution to stop one Huddersfield breakaway after the latest faltering routine. It’s difficult to know what the Posh plan is from corners. It looks like they are making stuff up on the hoof, which can’t possibly be the case. Posh did score from a crossed free-kick though so a small consolation.
5) It was fascinating listening to a BBC Yorkshire summariser post-match yesterday. He criticised Posh for trying to play out from the back when the players aren’t good enough to do it and felt the lack of a big man up front for Huddersfield, one capable of holding the ball up, contributed to Posh dominating the final quarter of the game. They are both fair points and Posh do struggle to get out of a forward press in the opening stages of most matches these days so rarely start a game on top, especially as any longer balls are also returned quickly despite the best efforts of Harry Leonard.
6) Huddersfield scored three times yesterday without fielding a first-choice striker. Further proof that new manager bounces are a real thing as Liam Manning had won his first two games as Terriers boss despite a red card in each of them. Posh will be keeping a nervous eye for news out of next opponents Wigan Athletic, a team with one League One win 11 games leaving them out of the drop zone only on goal difference. Manager Ryan Lowe is under serious pressure as a result.