INSIDE SCOOP: Open Training Session Key Takeaways

Posh hosted an open training session at London Road this morning (29th July), allowing fans one last look at the squad before Saturday’s League One opener at Cardiff. 

Photo Credit : Joe Dent / Peterborough United

Here are my five key takeaways from the session. 

1. A happy squad 

One thing that was noticeable was the good mood in the camp with a lot of laughing, and spirits visibly high.

This matches the noises coming out of the club in recent weeks. The squad look like a group of players who want to be at Posh, and who are all pulling in the same direction.

Unlike last season, there were no clear cliques and friendship groups out on the pitch, as all of the players stayed together, even during breaks.

This is good to see, as a lack of togetherness really caused Posh issues last season. Let’s just hope the mood is equally light come opening day, and that it stays that way if the going gets tough.

2. Notable absentees

Four senior players were notably missing from the session.

• Sam Hughes and Oscar Wallin were probably being managed after recovering from injuries this summer. 

  
  

• A social media post revealed Kyrell Lisbie had a personal commitment. 

  
  

• The most disappointing absentee was Alex Bass, who is looking destined for an extended spell on the sidelines due to an injury picked up at MK Dons. 

  
  

Nicholas Bilokapic was training as the number one ‘keeper. 

This is concerning news for Posh fans, as Bass has been billed as a marquee signing, and his injury leaves the club short in that department. 

3. Who stood out? 

   
   

The main part of the session was a set of small-sided games in front of the fans, with the most impressive team consisting of Okagbue, Johnston, Khela, Ihionvien, and Odoh. 

Khela looked a cut above anyone else, running the show from the centre of the pitch. His unique passing range allowed him to dictate play without even breaking a sweat. 

Ihionvien also looked impressive, scoring several fantastic strikes from range, and looking tidy with his feet throughout the game. He also expressed a good attitude throughout training, communicating well and running hard.

4. Struggling Swede

It is obvious that some of the squad are extremely low on confidence, most notably Gustav Lindgren. The Swedish striker lacked conviction in front of goal, and was much less demanding than Ihionvien in terms of wanting the ball into his feet.

A highlight for me was when the out-of-form striker showed a nice moment of flair to no-look it past the goalkeeper. The only issue was, it was his own goalkeeper, making it one of the worst own goals I’ve ever seen.

Gustav has looked devoid of swagger throughout pre-season, and has been unable to show how clinical he can be in front of goal as a result. 

5. Fergie frustrated 

   
   

Darren Ferguson took a back seat for the majority of the session, however he got very involved in the final drill. Ferguson set up his first choice XI from the players available in formation, and had the rest of the squad passing around them. 

Occasionally, when the ball was turned over, Fergie would scream at the XI to counter-attack, and they would try and catch the other team off guard. The quality within this drill was extremely poor, with Abraham Odoh particularly wasteful in the final third. 

This was obviously frustrating for Fergie, who could be seen gesturing animatedly to his coaching staff, as well as bellowing ‘QUICKER’ to his team. The Peterborough manager will be expecting a more dynamic performance from his side on Saturday.