Positives and Negatives: Four takeaways from the 3-1 defeat to Leicester

Both positives and negatives were on display, as Posh fans got their first glimpse of the new summer signings.

Here are four key takeaways from the 3-1 loss.

Photo Credit : Joe Dent

1 Conn-Clarke – is it his time?

Someone who may be ‘that guy’ is Chris Conn-Clarke, who looks like a new man already this season. The maverick attacking midfielder has lost around 10kg this summer, and looks in much better shape to impose himself. 

He was a livewire for the second half, and was in the right place at the right time to score Posh’s only goal of the contest. Pressing relentlessly, Conn-Clarke has a real chance to make the number ten position his own. 

If he can keep up his fitness levels, and strike up a rapport with the players around him, CCC could be in for a strong second season. It is particularly exciting to think of a potential partnership between Conn-Clarke and Gustav Lindgren, as that pairing could be extremely well-suited to playing alongside each other.

2 Khela and Collins – a match made in heaven?

One of the most exciting elements of the game for me was the opportunity to see how the partnership between Brandon Khela and Archie Collins played out. 

The stylistic differences between the pair made for exciting viewing, and there is real hope that, should they stay as a partnership this season, it will be very successful. Khela showed flair, and picked up nuanced attacking positions, as well as being a consistently strong physical presence in midfield and running box-to-box throughout the second half.

The more chaotic energy of Khela was balanced by the level-headed but dogged work of Collins who sought to put out fires defensively, as well as drop into a back three to expand the pitch and dictate tempo from further back. 

Despite this being their first appearance alongside each other, a positional understanding between Collins and Khela was easy to see. It is imperative that Posh get Collins tied down to a new contract, as this partnership is already showing real signs of promise for the season ahead.

3 Lindgren – does he have the minerals?

Swedish striker Gustav Lindgren led the line in the first half, and despite huffing and puffing, was largely unable to impose himself upon the game. 

There were concerns about how involved Lindren was during games during the second half of the season, with many people quoting tiredness and a lack of training time with the squad as excuses. 

Rejuvenated after a long summer break, Lindgren’s inability to create chances for himself seems to be more down to playing style than lack of sharpness or lack of systematic knowledge.

That is not to write off Lindgren for the season, however he is unable to feed off scraps like previous starting strikers Ricky-Jade Jones and Jonson Clarke-Harris. 

The service behind Lindgren will have to be top quality for him to really find success. He has the ingredients of a clinical striker, and his vision in terms of making runs is very advanced, however once again he will need those behind him to tune into his style of play.

4 Fergie and his coaching staff – rejuvenated by the break?

The positioning of the microphones for the stream allowed us to hear the barrage of information being flung from Darren Ferguson and his coaches at the players. 

Despite frequent expletives, a lot of what was said was encouraging and positive. The defensive efforts in the first half were seemingly appreciated by the coaching staff, while the pressing play of Chris Conn-Clarke and Bradley Ihionvien was applauded in the second. 

Kevin Russell, the newest addition to Fergie’s staff, was particularly vocal, and there was a real sense of togetherness in the information coming from the bench.

This ties into a wider excitement exuding from Ferguson this season, who both looks and sounds refreshed, and ready to have another crack at promotion from League One. 

There is a really strong spirit around the club right now – let’s hope that this positivity will continue long into the future!