The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Record-breaker Fergie desperately seeking solutions
Posh boss Darren Ferguson breaks Barry Fry’s club record of 491 competitive games as manager on Saturday - and he must hope his milestone match goes better than the one that drew him level.
Posh went down 3-1 to an injury-ravaged Reading side on Tuesday night to make it four Championship defeats in a row and a place in the relegation zone.
Posh had also lost 6-2 at Sheffield United on Saturday after conceding five secondhalf goals. Strikers Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jack Marriott claimed their first goals of the season in that game.
It’s a run of form that has Ferguson desperately seeking solutions.
The boss changed formation from wing-backs to 4-42 for the Reading contest, but Posh still slumped to a fourth loss in four Championship away matches.
“We are making it too easy for teams when we play away from home,” Ferguson admitted.
“We let one goal in and then we let another one in straight away. It goes bang, bang and it’s happened in three of our four away games this season.
“That’s nothing to do with the level. It’s more to do with concentration and we have to make it stop.
“It’s as though our gameplan just goes out of the window when we fall behind when we should be sticking to what we believe in. We have to stay in games because things can turn towards the end. We were well in the game at half-time at Sheffield United and well in the game at Reading for an hour.
“Obviously it’s very frustrating, but there were some positives.
“It was important to see our strikers score against Sheffield United. That was a big plus and the performance of Ronnie Edwards (18) at Reading was simply outstanding for one so young.” •Fry's 491 competitive matches as Posh manager included three games as a caretakerboss after Steve Bleasdale quit. Ferguson’s 491 games as Posh manager is spread over three spells at the club.
Posh have now conceded five goals in the second half of a game five times. The previous occasion was at Oldham in January, 2014 when Posh lost 5-4. Posh have conceded six goals in a second-half twice at Tranmere (1985) and Chester (1972).
Ronnie Edwards was outstanding on his first Championship start at Reading.
Defender Nathan Thompson scored at Reading
Darren Ferguson: ‘We are making it too easy for opponents.’
Posh last conceded six in a game at Reading in a Championship fixture in March, 2010. Posh lost 6-0 in Gary Johnson’s second game as Posh boss.
Darren Ferguson had never previously managed a side that conceded six goals in a single match.
The 27,395 crowd at Bramall Lane was the 11th highest to watch Posh in a Football League match, all of them have been away from home.