HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday's game by delving into their forums.

“Since the first seven games, we have been picking up points at a rate which should make us safe. This is a lot different to being consistently crap throughout the season, or worse still starting off well and going into free fall like Huddersfield or Wolves.

“It is what’s giving us the hope that we are in a bit of a false position, and that we are a better side than our league position suggests, and that maybe we will claw our way out of it."

This is an accurate assessment of most Posh supporters’ view of their position. They have kept in touch with safety after a wretched start to the campaign: “I was convinced we’d struggle to reach 15 points after those first seven games. The team were so poor without the slightest glimmer of hope."

“If the season had started on September 23rd, Posh would be 12th on 33 points”. (Town would be 13th).

Victories away against the likes of Blackburn and Cardiff have kept hope alive, although the odd fan has got carried away: “With a better start to the season and more luck at home, we could have been looking at the play offs this season."

“No self-respecting Posh fan should use the term ‘believe’”. Many supporters in this league are living with shredded nerves.

Darren Ferguson

“Whether we stay up or not, I’d still want to hold on to him. I think he has matured a lot and learned what it takes to build a club like Posh into a team that can compete in or around the Championship.

“Whether he’ll want to keep trying or be able to resist the offers that are sure to come at the end of the season is a different matter”.

Posh supporters show no negativity towards the manager: “I don’t see us doing better than Fergie, but he may feel that he has achieved as much as he can with the club."

Problems at Home

“It is no wonder our home form is so dire. Booing, not clapping and failing to encourage the team creates a very negative atmosphere for the players. Consequently they under-perform. The fans don’t want to watch poor performances and then stay away. It’s a vicious circle."

Poor home form is a huge concern for their supporters: “Away from home, our fans are fantastic. I am sure the players notice and respond accordingly. To be in the bottom three with six away wins on our travels says a lot."

“I don’t mind a good sing-song," added another fan, "But mostly I am nervous about the game. I don’t sing."

This is the most common reason offered for the muted home support: “Away from home we play without fear. At home we look nervous."

The anxiety about home form runs deep, with one Peterborough fan saying, “I want to see some tempo and exciting incisive football. This is something which has been missing at London Road for a long time and sadly this will be our undoing at the end of the season."

Inconsistency

“My word, we must be the most inconsistent team in this country”. Peterborough fans never know which team will turn up. “We play better against the top teams who come at us and allow us to get round the back, but we struggle against the mediocre and poorer teams who pack the defence”.

“Fergie has stated that he is going to use attacking football to attempt to get the necessary points to stay up. When we attempt to hold the ball, it is inevitably given away”. There is a strongly held view that fortune favours Peterborough when they go for it in matches.

Conversely, they feel that they are not set up to contain opponents: “We are so predictable” and “We did not press enough to deserve the win” were typical comments after the home draw against Charlton on Tuesday. “We are guilty of ball watching at times, and this led to both of their goals”.

“When everyone is fit and on form, we can beat anyone. When we are playing players out of position, when they are injured or knackered and we have no options on the bench, then we tend to lose."

There is a view that the squad may simply not be strong enough: “We have too many young players being expected to excel in every match when we should give some a rest."

“We looked knackered for the last ten minutes (on Tuesday)”. The lack of strength in depth was echoed in a welter of similar comments late in the Charlton game and after the final whistle.

Defence

In goal, Austrian Bobby Olejnik generates little comment, with one criticism of his kicking and one compliment on his dealing with crosses.

Captain and centre back Gabriel Zakuani is “solid” and “won every header as usual” against Charlton. The former Orient player was “heroic as ever”.

Michael Bostwick partnered Zakuani against Charlton. The “best defensive player”, many Posh supporters named him man of the match. “Bostwick was fearsome,” he “really looks like he is in a training session. Despite what a few say, he has to stay at the back”.

Tommy Rowe’s “class shone through again” against Charlton. “I wish we could afford to push him up into Boydy’s old role”. The former Stockport winger has been playing in a more defensive role for Posh, being “calm at the back”. He “caused problems by running at Blackburn in the second half” on Saturday.

However, playing out of position causes complications: “One problem we just seem unable to address is leaving a huge hole in our left-back position when defending deep. Rowe is pulled inside far too much. How many goals have we conceded with crosses from that area this season? It must be well into double figures."

At right-back, former Wolves player Mark Little is well regarded, “It is easy to forget how good he is”. His contract is up at the end of the season, with one fan pleading “Give him a contract FFS!”

Midfield

“One thing that has p***ed me off is our lack of physical strength, especially in midfield. We have got to sort our lightweight options in midfield. If not this season, then certainly we have to next season in League One”, “(Charlton) walked through our midfield and defence far too many times to justify anything more (than a draw)”.

Grant McCann is seen affectionately by supporters. He was “composed and a good outlet for the back four” against Blackburn, with one fan saying that we had “a cracking game”.

However, the 32-year-old Northern Ireland international was heavily criticised against Charlton on Tuesday. “Horrific. I love the man, but we played so much better with him off the pitch”, “He just can’t play every game at this level. He doesn’t have the legs to play consistently well”.

One fan went further, “McCann’s legs have gone, sadly”, "I can’t believe he played after his reported running and display on Saturday”.

“Swanson’s renaissance continues apace”. Most fans appreciate former Dundee United midfielder Danny Swanson’s technical ability: “His goal was the first bit of quality I have seen from him, and his pass to Tomlin the second. Apart from that I saw a busy player, eager to impress and worth his position."

A minority were less impressed, with comments like “not keen on the hard tackle” and “faded badly in the second half” made in the Charlton game.

New signing from Gillingham Jack Payne has been a good recent addition to the Posh midfield. He is “a good addition”, and “buzzed about” on Tuesday. “He gets about people and is comfortable on the ball”, “He is a proper hassling foot-in midfielder and he can play a bit”.

“Good and bad in equal measure”. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (NML) is highly talented winger who has had his differences with Fergie. “NML is frustrating. When we ran at Charlton like that, their players cannot get near him, but so often he does not have a go.” He “lost a couple of 50:50s which he should have been first to”.

“NML is a handful if sometimes wayward”. Against Blackburn: “The pace of NML was key. He tried to get Blackburn’s defence deeper to give central midfield more space”, “His pace and strength are worth a place, though”. One Posh fan implored Mendez to “Just f***ing run at people! They sh*t themselves when you do!”

Strikers

There was little detailed tactical comment, but one thread highlighted that Swanson and Payne would drift in from the left and right with Tomlin and Mendez going wide at times against Charlton.

“Again the source of our attacking moves”. Former Rushden striker Lee Tomlin is seen as the key striker in Peterborough’s set up. “(Against Charlton) He put in a succession of good corners that we could have taken advantage of”.

“Tomlin ran the game in the first half at Blackburn. He dropped into space and had first class distribution. He chased them down very well in the second half”.

He had a bad miss against Charlton early in the second half. “You knew after that how the game was going to pan out. Sure enough some sloppy defending and we are a goal down”.

Dwight Gayle scored an eye catching hat-trick at Blackburn. The striker, who joined Peterborough from the Daggers in November, is “a very clever player off the ball”, “His speed and work rate are always a threat.”

He needs support. Against Charlton, “There was very little service for him again. He works his socks off as always. We need to find ways to get down the sides of teams and get him crosses whipped across the box”.

However, some fans are never happy: “I am yet to be convinced that Gayle can cut it when the pressure is on. His hat-trick against Blackburn were all tap-ins."

Former Town loanee Tyrone Barnett came on against Charlton. “As soon as he came on, our centre-backs thought ‘Right, we can hoof it up to him now’, which isn’t how we play”.

Not everyone likes him, “His body language just winds me up. We had 20 minutes to score – come on and look as if you have a point to prove!”, “Why shouldn’t people boo him? He said he would be delighted to leave Posh. He has some making up to do”.

Posh Fans Views on ITFC and the Game

“Understatement of the year: big game against Ipswich”. Be in no doubt that Posh supporters see Saturday’s game as a massive encounter: “I hope we don’t feel the pressure too much and can find the legs. Some were very tired last night."

“Expect Ipswich to be looking for a point. Let’s hope we can break down a ten-man defence”. This is not the first opponent's forum to articulate this perception of how we play.

”Martin is often slated by the Ipswich fans for has lack of final product. Stearman is a loan signing who has been getting positive reviews and there's been a lot of discussion about wanting to sign him.”

There was a brief discussion about our suspensions on Saturday after the two red cards at Forest. “No Stearman will be a loss to their defensive side, which has been very impressive recently. No Martin means they are struggling to field any natural wingers and this could be an area of opportunity for us."

I will follow up with more of their thoughts on the game on Saturday morning.

Websites

The best website I found was londonroad.net and there was some additional feedback on theposhforum.co.uk.

Garv added 01:10 - Mar 7 Thanks. Interesting read. Quite nervous going into this game, but I'm quietly confident Mick can out-wit Fergie and we will get atleast a point. I didn't realise their home record was so poor. Let's hope Hewitt can step up. Murphy for left midfield I think with McGoldrick and Chopra up top.
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Garv added 01:11 - Mar 7 Thanks. Interesting read. Quite nervous going into this game, but I'm quietly confident Mick can out-wit Fergie and we will get atleast a point. I didn't realise their home record was so poor. Let's hope Hewitt can step up. Murphy for left midfield I think with McGoldrick and Chopra up top.
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gazzmac4 added 09:19 - Mar 7 Excellent blog as usual. I have a work colleague who is a Posh fan and im getting a good insight into his thoughts on their problems and issues. He would be the first to agree with a number of points made above about the midfield and attack. He has made numerous references over the past few months that they lack the ability to play dirty and physically to win. He says that often if the other team starts well at gets amongst them that they seem to lose the will to be physical. I hope this can play into our hands because at the moment we are much more physical and hard working from the front. I think Big G N'Daw could be key for us this weekend for the above reason. He has gone off the boil recently but his prowess and strength could give us an upperhand in the centre of the park come saturday. Also Chops and DMcG do work hard for the team up top. Traits that we will need. In a "relegation 6 pointer!" Im optimistic bgut when i feel this way, that is always when i fall hardest when we dont deliver! In Mick We Trust! COYB's!

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