The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Posh desperate to see the Marriott of his golden years
Posh - A former star player is set to return to the Weston Homes Stadium
Posh will be desperate to see the 2017-19 version of Jack Marriott rather than the 2019-21 edition, when his free transfer from Derby County is finally rubber-stamped.
It’s no exaggeration to say Championship survival could depend on Marriott recapturing the deadly form from his previous season at Posh and his first campaign under Frank Lampard at Derby.
It was Lampard who took Marriott to Pride Park after a 33-goal campaign at the Weston Homes Stadium. The former England international persuaded his superiors to splash out £4 million and hand a three-year contract to a player unproven at Championship level.
Marriott’s first season at Derby was decent and he almost helped the Rams to promotion to the Premier League. Marriott scored twice in a sensational Championship playoff semi-final win at Leeds United and scored again in the final from the substitutes’ bench, but Derby were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa at Wembley.
Marriott scored his first Derby goal in an EFL Cup win against Manchester United at Old Trafford and went on to score 13 goals in all competitions.
But the departure of Lampard, and two outstanding midfield creators, and future internationals, in Mason Mount and Harry Wilson knocked Derby and Marriott ,back.
Marriott has struggled for form and with injuries over the past two seasons. He scored three goals in 37 appearances for the Rams in 2019-20 and failed to find the net in 13 games while on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season.
That didn’t stop a host of Championship and leading League One clubs enquiring about Marriott when his availability on a free transfer became widely known.
The fact the player chose Posh ahead of League One champions Hull City and his former mentor Grant McCann speaks volumes.
Marriott was a superb finisher in his sole season at Posh. He rarely missed a oneon-one and scored virtually all his goals for the club from inside the penalty area.
Posh will need to be clinical in front of goal next season as they can expect to create far fewer chances at Championship level.
Where Marriott actually fits into manager Darren Ferguson’s preferred playing system will be fascinating to see.
It’s hard to believe Posh will play two up front in the second tier and in the last two seasons Ferguson has favoured a big man - firstly Ivan Toney and then Jonson Clarke-Harris as his one striker.
Marriott would not be used in the same way Ferguson used Sammie Szmodics or Siriki Dembele last season.
But if injuries haven’t affecfed Marriott’s pace and appetite for hard work, Posh have signed a decent player for nothing, one who has taken a sizeable paycut to come home.