The new Posh manager is not a one-trick pony

New Posh manager Darren Ferguson insists he is not a one-trick pony as far as playing formations are concerned.

Ferguson has started both of his games in charge with a midfield diamond, although he was on the verge of altering the team’s shape even before attacking talent Lee Tomlin was sent off in first-half injury time of a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Plymouth.

Tomlin collected two yellow cards in three minutes, the second for appearing to shove Plymouth defender Ryan Edwards to the ground.

Posh switched to wingbacks in the second-half and the 10-men only succumbed to a quality strike three minutes from the end.

“I’m not as obsessed with themidfielddiamondasIused to be,” Ferguson stated.

“It is a formation I like and I have had some success with it in the past, but it’s important to have more than one system you can play.

“We do have the players here who can play the diamond. We have three in Tomlin, Marcus Maddison and George Cooper who would play the tip of a diamond very well, but someone like Joe Ward is better out wide as he showed against Plymouth.

“The first half against Plymouth became rather boring after they matched us up with a diamond of their own.

“I was disappointed that we tried to dribble with the ball too often as the idea of a diamond is to play quickly and get the ball out to the wings where your spare men are. We also turned backwards too often when we were in possession.

“I was going to change to the formation we did employ in the second half even before Lee was sent off, but I had to change the personnel I was going to use.

“I was going to bring Marcus Maddison and Matt Godden on at half-time, but I had to change the plans because of Lee’s sending off.

“When I looked back at the game I thought Lee was a a little unlucky, but he had no need to get involved. The defender went down as though he’d been hit by a hammer, but that’s what some players will do.

“They will also be aware it’s Lee Tomlin and they will act accordingly. The good thing about that incident is we can now use two clear weeks to get him fitter and to get some weight off him.

“He will be a key man in the run-in so we need him at his best.

“The lads did the best they could with 10 men against Plymouth and we were very un- lucky to lose.

“It’s a shame because even a 0-0 could have been used as a positive given the circumstances, but the attitude and commitment of the players was good so there is plenty for us to work on.

“It was a hectic week for the players with me coming in and a long trip to Bristol on a Tuesday night, but footballers are used to big changes and they just have to get on with it. I seem to have inherited a decent bunch of lads, but ideally I’d have had a full week to work with them before we played Plymouth.”

Posh retained sixth-placed in League one despite their Saturday defeat, but their next opponents Doncaster are just two points behind with two games in hand.

Tomlin will miss that game baecause of a one-match suspension, while winger Siriki Dembele and left-back Daniel Lafferty picked up knocks in the Plymouth match. Dembele could be absent for several weeks with a knee ligament injury. Centre-back Ryan Tafazolli has now completed a three-match ban and is available for Saturday.

New centre-back Josh Knight, a transfer deadline day signing from Leicester City, was an unused substitute against Plymouth having only arrived at the club the day before the game.

Marcus Maddison is set for a Posh recall this weekend.

Daniel Lafferty picked up an injury against Plymouth.

Darren Ferguson: “We now have two weeks to get Tomlin fully fit.”

Lee Tomlin is shocked to receive a red card against Plymouth.