It was evident at the Weston Homes Stadium on Tuesday night why so many opposing managers think Peterborough United is the best team in League One.
Football pros are licking their lips in glee at this type of play. What has made such an effect on so many is the swagger, the arrogance (in a good way), the bravery, the speed, and the adaptable smoothness of a magnificent passing game.
Posh are sixth in League One rather than first because it doesn’t happen in every game, but when they do, they look unbeatable. Ask Northampton Town, who were fortunate enough to win 5-1 before their manager, the genial Jon Brady, added his voice to the clamour endorsing the work of his friend Darren Ferguson.
Although the Holy Trinity Posh team was fantastic, full of thrills and goals, it’s probably better to watch the current Ferguson team. They weave patterns that are hard to get out of. They play aggressively off the ball and fearlessly on it. They performed so brilliantly against the Cobblers that, after the game, nobody mentioned the London Road field, which is no small accomplishment.
For the sake of argument, let’s use the Ferguson team as an example. Although Craig Mackail-Smith’s level of dedication and speed in the press surprised me, Ricky-Jade Jones is a completely different animal. He’s the League One striker equivalent of Usain Bolt. His rapid, aggressive running scared the Cobblers’ defence and goalie. After limping out of the action over the weekend, it was surprising to see him in the squad last night, let alone in the starting XI, but it proved to be a very positive development. Now that the ball is at his feet in front of goal, he needs to attempt and catch up to Mackail-Smith’s level.
Together, Kwame Poku and Ephron Mason-Clark have scored 23 goals in League One so far. That’s a respectable haul for two wing players. For Posh to have a chance of finishing in the top two, their health is essential. Poku was absent from three of the last four games that Posh has lost. One wide player can be double marked, but it takes time to try to contain two. Strong and skilled players are nearly unattainable. Twice this season, Poku has tormented Patrick Brough, the mediocre full-back for the Cobblers. The other night, he didn’t look good.
How talented was Jadel Katongo, too? I think that was his best Posh moment to date. He made the occasional bad pass, which is inevitable in a team that is trained to be aggressive with the ball, but some of his runs up the flank were reminiscent of Kioso. Poku and Katongo complemented each other so well that they contributed to the first three goals scored by Posh.
It’s amazing to watch them play last night—it was the Posh’s first League One victory by more than a single goal in 14 games. Gaining pace on the teams above them was satisfying since goal differential and even goal totals may matter on reckoning day. Posh has surpassed Bolton’s goal differential to reclaim the top spot in the division as scorers. Bolton jumped up to second place last night after a thrilling draw against Barnsley, their promotion rivals, although Posh trail by five points with one game remaining and a home match against the Trotters on the penultimate day of the season. With eight points separating Posh from the clubs outside the play-off spots, they currently have a comfortable lead.
There must be some puzzlement when someone plans to take on Posh. They can play through you and open up space higher up the pitch if you press them; if you sit them off, they will pick you off. After opening the score early in the game, the Cobblers took a strangely passive approach yesterday night and never really threatened to hold on. There was only one yellow card for each team in a derby, and there were very few violent tackles.
Hector Kyprianou, a midfielder, was taken off the field as soon as the game was won by Ferguson, displaying wise management by shielding him from a yellow card that could have resulted in a two-game suspension. Kyprianou, who played brilliantly last night, needs to make it through the next two games in order for amnesty to begin. Without a doubt, he will try to leave the Burton game early on Saturday out of caution, missing important home games against Stevenage and Portsmouth in the process.
This season is far from being a vintage one, as all three of the teams promoted from League Two the previous season are positioned in the top half of the League One standings.
Every time Joel Randall puts on a performance that makes me feel stupid, I think he ought to be left out of the starting lineup. He was another to really improve last night, gliding into space and using the ball with speed, economy, and judgement to help turn defence into attack. Last night’s goal, his first in 11 games, was well-deserved. Ferguson showed the fortitude of a repeat promotion winner by refusing to move Poku inside into Randall’s position following the latter’s game-winning weekend contribution, and instead starting David Ajiboye or Michael Olakigbe on the right wing. Different issues arise in different games, therefore a solution that works in one may not work in another.
