Manager Paul Jewell admits that the Blues’ 7-1 defeat to Saturday’s opponents Peterborough in August was the lowest point in his managerial career. Town were reduced to nine men for the first time in their history on a disastrous evening at London Road played out in front of the Sky cameras.
Jewell said: "That’s as low as it’s got. I’ve had some tough times in my career, as everyone has, but I would think 6-1 down with 40 minutes to go with nine men live on the TV with a lot of our support there was probably as tough or as low as it gets. It was horrendous that day. We had nine men and it was just a horrible, horrible day.
"It was just attack against defence in the second half. What can I say? We were 1-0 up and then they equalised and then got three goals in four minutes.
"Lee Martin got sent off and I think everyone knows the story of the second half — Tommy Smith was sent off, they scored another quick goal and it was looking like being double figures.”
The Liverpudlian — who was in a rather better mood at Thursday’s press conference after a successful club golf day where he'd finished first and his assistant Chris Hutchings second - says bosses feel losses more than anyone else: "I know fans take defeats badly and players do, but no one feels a defeat like a manager. You feel ashamed, you don’t want to go out, you don’t want to be seen.
"But you’ve got to get up the next day and we were in on the Sunday. You’ve got to get up and face the world. It’s a horrible feeling. It was a football match, we’d lost it badly but there was no hiding place.
"The next game was against Leeds and that was then the most important thing. We were edgy against Leeds and were fortunate to win that game but at least we showed character.”
He dismisses suggestions that he and his players will be out to avenge the hammering on Saturday, even though those involved will remember it all too well: "I’m sure everyone who was part of that squad will all have felt it badly, there’s no doubt about that.
"But it’s not about revenge. It’s a home game that we’re looking forward to, we know they’re a good team, we know they can score goals.
"We just want to win the match, whoever we’re playing, whether it’s Peterborough or someone else. We want to win the game and it wouldn’t make it any sweeter because we lost 7-1 down there.”
Jewell is a big fan of Darren Ferguson's side: "I just watched the tape of Peterborough’s game against Blackpool [last week] and they were outstanding going forward. They could have beaten Blackpool 10-1 [rather than 3-1].
"Going forward they are an excellent team and they’ve got some really good footballers. They obviously beat us badly at their place but I’ve seen them on a number of occasions and I’ve always been impressed with them. It’s going to be a difficult game on Saturday, make no mistake about that. "
He says Posh's failings are similar to Town's: "They lost 3-0 at home against Millwall on the Tuesday, then they absolutely battered Blackpool, who are a good team, on the Saturday.
"They’re a bit like us in a way. We’ve beaten West Ham twice, comprehensively the second time, and yet we were 3-0 down at half-time against Doncaster who hadn’t won a game away from all season or something along those lines. I think for both teams, Peterborough and ourselves, the biggest problem is inconsistency.”