PREVIEW: Peterborough United to play with freedom and without fear

Posh host AFC Wimbledon tomorrow (February 24) and Walsall on Tuesday (February 27) and it’s generally accepted six points are required to get the club back into the thick of the League One play-off race.

And McCann wants to achieve maximum points in style. Posh are currently 10th in League One, six points adrift of the play-off places.

“We have to start playing the Peterborough United way, with freedom, by getting the ball on the floor and being positive at all times,” McCann said. “It’s the way I like to coach and it’s the way the players like to play.

“We have to play without fear. There’s been a little bit of uncertainty in games recently, especially after taking the lead. There’s no room for that any more. We have to stay on the front foot for the 90 minutes.

“These two games are huge, but the one tomorrow is the most important one right now. We are a positive, confident group, but we have to show that on the field against a team that will be well-organised and difficult to beat. (Manager) Neal Ardley has done a great job down there and he has added good, experienced players like Liam Trotter and Cody McDonald to his squad this season.

“It will be a difficult game, but then games are sometimes only as difficult as you make them.

“We should have beaten Wimbledon comfortably at their place (it finished 2-2), but we lost out to a sucker punch just before half-time.”

The indications are Posh will start with a flat-back four and keep the same attacking formation with Jack Marriott as a lone striker they used at Blackpool last weekend.

There is an injury doubt over an as yet unnamed first-team regular though. Marcus Maddison has struggled with a knee complaint in recent weeks,

“We have a plan in place for every game,” McCann insisted. “We have to make sure we have the right formation in place for each opponent. We are very adaptable though. We must be open-minded. We have a lot of similar attacking players

“The under 23 side did well in the week and a couple of them have played themselves into contention tomorrow.”

Junior Morias and Danny Lloyd were among those who scored in a 4-2 Under 23 win over AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday (February 20).

There is reduced admission for tomorrow’s match and the Walsall game. Full details on www.theposhtickets.com.