Peterborough post match reflections

[Back of the net]

Form is clearly a worry. More of a concern (personally speaking) is the availability shifts. Agbaire suddenly back, Nombe completely absent, Gore missing... hard to avoid speculation when this happens.

Defensive experiment needs pausing, we need to be able to operate with a 4. Midfield sorely missed Gore. Pace missing all over and it hurt our forward options as well as leaving us exposed at the back (their left winger was absolutely rapid). Hugill needs a break. Subbing Etete off on 52 minutes seemed odd timing, but other subs then turned out to be equally odd.

Not a good time, but I'm not convinced the team most were much happier with at the start of December is suddenly beyond repair. Obviously problems, also clear a handful have been waiting for a poor run to push whatever the agenda is.... both will pass. TS seemingly giving no fu**s about the club is more worrying to me as we head into January, filling me with concerns that our better players may be given away cheaply.

I’m not sure if you count me in this? I’ve got no agenda. I go on what I see. A disorganised team and clueless in game management. I can’t speak for others but I wanted MH to succeed. He won’t he’s not got enough experience. That’s clear.
As for TS his failings are coming home to roost unfortunately.
The agenda for me seems to be diverting away from the obvious issue of the manager by some who will not have anything said against him. The same loyalty wasn’t given to the last manager who again imo needed to go.

[great_fire]

How do you go from being the team with the last unbeaten record to losing every game? What changed?

[NorthWestCorner]

A) why would either of those two want to come to a sinking ship captained by an autocrat?
what makes you think TS would be prepared (or is able) to pay compensation to their existing employers?

How do you know that to be the case?
Have the details of their compensation packages been made public?

How do you go from being the team with the last unbeaten record to losing every game? What changed?

That’s a very good question. Two things for me. Firstly, the run was very fortunate. I don’t recall particularly good performances and several of the result were fortunately - like Barnsley for example.

Secondly, I think it comes down to player belief in the manager. There were several unnecessary changes made when players returned. For example, shoehorning Holmes back in to the side. These things unsettle teams and player belief erodes. And now unbelievably the saviour Holmes has now disappeared. I’m sure the squad have little confidence in the manager now.

[Beaufighter]

Nothing to add to that. It's his signings so only him to blame. Got to be the worst squad of players we've had in my time watching us. 65 to the present day.

The team that included Paolo Vernazza and Bradley Sandeman was comfortably worse, but it?s not really a level we should be aspiring to

[Scum-Triumphant]

Some communication would be nice.
Gore out but nothing to tell us why? Just a social media post that someone saw him at the ground.
Douglas? We all know he is injured but nothing from the club.


James is one of our better players. But taken off for Martha at half time? Their first goal comes from an absent left back presence.

When confidence is low it is time to go back to basics. 442. Everyone knows their jobs. Yearwood has the pace of a darts player, McWilliams looks like he has given up and Powell seems to have forgotten he is a ball player.

I don?t wanna see hammy sacked. It took Ronnie 4 years to get us out of the 4th division and sacking managers only eats into the playing budget.

But I think we need to regroup and get back to basics. Long balls, long throws, set pieces. Whatever it takes.

[Heliosphan78]

How do you go from being the team with the last unbeaten record to losing every game? What changed?

Not a lot really. As NWC just said, performances were not great in that run. We robbed Barnsley. We played well against Lincoln but scored two goals from outside the box. On another day, the keeper saves those. We played Luton away around that time too and never laid a glove on them. We drew 0-0 and people on here were describing it as a tactical masterclass...because we didn't lose.

Bolton would have been described as a good away performance had we held on for a point but because we ended up losing the manager is an idiot.

I know football is a results business and I can fully understand people wanting the manager gone but we have to try looking past results all the time.

[Back of the net]

Some communication would be nice.
Gore out but nothing to tell us why? Just a social media post that someone saw him at the ground.
Douglas? We all know he is injured but nothing from the club.


James is one of our better players. But taken off for Martha at half time? Their first goal comes from an absent left back presence.

When confidence is low it is time to go back to basics. 442. Everyone knows their jobs. Yearwood has the pace of a darts player, McWilliams looks like he has given up and Powell seems to have forgotten he is a ball player.

I don?t wanna see hammy sacked. It took Ronnie 4 years to get us out of the 4th division and sacking managers only eats into the playing budget.

But I think we need to regroup and get back to basics. Long balls, long throws, set pieces. Whatever it takes.

He won?t change his defensive set up.
As for basics we can?t pass or retain possession. Hardly technical parts of the game.
Hoof it and hope for the best.

[Heliosphan78]

Look at the team today.

Hugill and Etete up front. They've scored two goals between them all season and one of those was a penalty. It's laughable.

No Nombe. No Spence. No Gore. No Benson. No Reece James from halftime. That's half the team out. It now looks like Denzel Hall is injured too. Add Hamish Douglas to that and you can see exactly where the next issue is going to be.

Seriously, what chance does Hamshaw have? What chance does any manager have?

[caytonmiller]

Hamshaw shot himself in the foot today. First half whilst painfully dreary with both teams canceling each other out. We held our own and looked solid

James off and Martha on and my comment was. We may as well go home now cos we are down to 10 men without a left sided defender.
Peterborough did exactly the same the 2nd half as they did in the first half but more easily...

If Hamshaw continue to include Martha, he deserves to get the sack.

[Back of the net]

Look at the team today.

Hugill and Etete up front. They've scored two goals between them all season and one of those was a penalty. It's laughable.

No Nombe. No Spence. No Gore. No Benson. No Reece James from halftime. That's half the team out.

It now looks like Denzel Hall is injured too. Add Hamish Douglas to that and you can see exactly where the next issue is going to be.

Seriously, what chance does Hamshaw have? What chance does any manager have?

I think it’s fair to say he’s been unlucky with injuries.
Injuries doesn’t stop us going 4-4-2 or 4-5-1
Injuries doesn’t mean Powell takes the set pieces
Injuries doesn’t me we hoof it and give away possession every game
Injuries didn't take Yearwood off for some reason.
Injuries doesn’t mean he had to bring in Tom Holmes which cost us points
I could go on.

[mellowmiller]

Money is the only tool TS has. If he isn?t willing to spend, or he can?t, then he should go.

What ideas do you have Sherlock? You?ve back MH to the hilt but you?re now proven wrong. Let?s hear it instead of your usual smart arsed comments.

I have no idea what should happen because I don't know what the financial situation is at the club.
As far as I'm aware we still have a manager but you're the one chucking names about as replacements we should go for.
Also, you're saying TS should go. What do you think would happen if he took your advice?

[mellowmiller]

Them?s is the rules. I?m sure you will know better so please enlighten your audience. It must be really hard for you at the moment - thoughts and prayers

They are not the rules. People can continue to receive compensation if they subsequently gain employment unless there is something in the severance package that specifies otherwise.

You should be feeling down too about the situation at the club but you are clearly loving it because it's more important for you to be right with your views about the manager. Sad really.

[Brin]

That?’s a very good question. Two things for me. Firstly, the run was very fortunate. I don?’t recall particularly good performances and several of the result were fortunately - like Barnsley for example.

Secondly, I think it comes down to player belief in the manager. There were several unnecessary changes made when players returned. For example, shoehorning Holmes back in to the side. These things unsettle teams and player belief erodes. And now unbelievably the saviour Holmes has now disappeared. I?’m sure the squad have little confidence in the manager now.

NWC, T Holmes had been out through injury and Hamshaw had one month left to look at him through December. The decision was made to use him in every game possible to see if his services were worth retaining or, do you believe he should have just left him in the background claiming a wage without playing?

Turns out he was absolutely pants and not a dot on what he showed on his first game for us. There is a player in there somewhere but he chose not to deliver the second time around.

It was a decision that had to be made for the good of the club. If the current rumour doing the rounds is true, then good if Holmes has done one and gone back to Luton, who they don't even want at their club. Hamshaw called it, saw it, and got it bang on for me.

Do you think he was on peanuts when he signed for us? For me, that's good money saved for another player in the January window.

[GlennMiller]

Couldn't make the game today. A rat resided in my EV engine compartment overnight and took a shine to some cabling which caused the battery management system to fail. I'd like to publicly thank the rat for saving me the distress of watching us unpicked by another bang-average League One outfit! (I did watch it on telly though).

I'm in the don't sack the manager camp. The main reason being the unprecedented injury crisis that MH has had to contend with. For a large part of the season he has struggled to establish a consistent back line due to a CB injury glut. As the CB problem resolved, he is now faced with a midfield crisis and what can only be described as 'last chance saloon' front men. Today Hugill clearly couldn't head the ball for good reason and Etete failed to impose himself yet again. Poor Ayers is learning his trade on the job but is far from first team standard at present.

To top this all, his premiere player, Sam Nombe, has been absent for all but a few games. The absence of a mobile forward who has the ability to make runs to accept the ball out wide and who has the uncanny knack of scoring goals should not be underestimated.

I'd dearly like us shift out the deadwood this January and retain our better players whilst bringing in some attacking quality. If MH achieves this but still fails to manage the squad and tactics sufficiently well, then by all means consider his future.

Finally, club ownership is about leadership. It's no good turning up during the good times to receive the appreciation of the crowd only to turn your back in the poor times and leave the troops to fend for themselves. Show some steel and make a statement about your intentions Tony - that's the least we supporters deserve!

[DonPageFanClub]

He would be an improvement but other options include Artel or Woodman (Bromley)

just what as Artel ever done as a football manager,