From Wembley to now | The Ultimate Modern Posh XI?
- Matt Mecham
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Every team has a golden era where the right players come together and create something special.
Manchester United had the class of ’92 and Arsenal had “The Invincibles,” who went unbeaten in the 2003/2004 season.
Peterborough United hit their stride between 2022 and 2024 with a mix of signings maturing and academy players claiming a spot in the first team.
The 2023/2024 season was our best in decades.
We were flying high, reaching second in the table before the number of games took its toll.
With nothing left in the tank, we lost to Oxford in the playoffs, and the team disbanded.
After such a high, the following season was disappointing as we spent more time worried about relegation than promotion.
Lessons learned, and with a new manager, the current team looks to be creating something special.
The upturn in fortune has been so good that it’s worth revisiting that golden team of 23/24 and considering who from our current squad would get a starting place.
I’ve tried to be objective, considering my gut feeling and the statistics, as it’s easy to look back fondly and gloss over the issues the 2023/2024 squad had.
While they had games playing champagne football, they also had stinkers against Wycombe and Oxford.
Finally, I skipped the Archie Collins versus Archie Collins comparison for obvious reasons.
You can vote for your choice by clicking the player you'd keep.
Jed Steer v Alex Bass
Jed Steer
Alex Bass
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Goalkeeper was a position we struggled with that season.
We rotated between Nicholas Bilokapic and Jed Steer, but neither gave fans much confidence.
Steer did enough to get into the starting line-up for most of the season.
My decision: There is no contest here, and I’m sure all Posh fans agree that Alex Bass is by far the better keeper.
Bass’s shot-stopping and how he commands his box, often plucking crosses and corners out of the air make him one of the best keepers for years.
Harrison Burrows v Harley Mills
Harrison Burrows
Harley Mills
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Like most Posh fans, I have fond memories of Harrison Burrows at left-back, especially those goals at Wembley that saw us lift a trophy for the first time in years.
Originally coming through the academy as an attacking midfielder, he eventually settled at left back, but not without some complaints from Posh fans.
Mills is seen as the successor to Harrison Burrows and scored a wonder goal at Wembley to seal the deal.
This one is tough to call, so let’s look at the stats.
Burrows was more attack-minded than Mills, with 38 shots on goal that season.
Mills is less often found in a shooting position but is stronger defensively, outperforming Burrows with clearances, headers and interceptions.
My decision: Given the need for more defensive contributions under Luke Williams, I’m going to take Harley Mills.
Ronnie Edwards v David Okagbue
Ronnie Edwards
David Okagbue
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Ronnie wins, next?
The statistics might surprise you.
Based on pure defensive numbers, Okagbue comes out ahead in blocks, clearances, and headers.
While Ronnie was always weak in the air and relied on Josh Knight to help, there’s no doubt that he is a true Rolls-Royce on the ball, often seen drifting past attackers.
My decision: I think Big Dave is going to be phenomenal in the future, but lacks the ball control and passing ability of Ronnie (83% accuracy versus 54%), so Edwards is my pick.
Josh Knight v Tom Lees
Josh Knight
Tom Lees
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My favourite memory of Josh Knight is when he scored against Oxford in the play-off second-leg at London Road, sending the GHD stand into a frenzy.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to see us through, however if the finest of margins had gone our way, it could have been a moment remembered by Posh fans for years.
Knight scored 5 goals in his final season and was solid in defence, but if we look at the numbers, Tom Lees wins on blocks, clearances and headers.
My decision: Posh fans may call me nuts, but I’m taking Tom Lees. He just knocks everything out of the air, has bags of experience, is a real leader off the pitch, and has proved he can offer goal contributions.
Jadel Katongo v James Dornelly
Jadel Katongo
James Dornelly
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Right back was another position that we struggled with that season.
Peter Kioso was imperious in that position before being recalled to Rotherham, leaving us with little choice but to play the Manchester City youngster.
Dornelly has developed well and feels like a good League One right back, and the stats back that up.
My decision: It’s James Dornelly for me. He is much stronger defensively and offers more going forward.
Hector Kyprianou v Brandon Khela
Hector Kyprianou
Brandon Khela
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Who can forget Hector Kyprianou wrapped in a Cyprus flag on the Wembley turf on that sun-kissed day in April 2024, and come to think of it, again in April 2025.
We are well stocked on midfielders. I chose Khela over Woods and O’Brien-Brady because he is the closest match, given his engine, ability to read the game, and his ability to run between the boxes.
My decision: For me, Hector has to get the nod. While he tailed off in his last season and left under a cloud, on his day, he controlled the game well and was just as likely to shoot on goal as to put in a last-ditch block at the back.
Ephron Mason-Clark v Kyrell Lisbie
Ephron Mason-Clark
Kyrell Lisbie
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While Mason-Clark is probably one of the best wingers Posh have ever seen, it’s worth looking a bit closer at the numbers.
Kyrell Lisbie is currently in his first season in professional football and is reaching levels thought impossible just months ago.
While Mason-Clark’s first season was less impressive, in that golden season, he was almost unplayable even when double-marked.
He had a ridiculous 81 shots, with an xG of 11.8 versus Lisbie’s 7.73.
My decision: I think Lisbie will reach the same heights in a year or two, but in a direct comparison, you have to go with Mason-Clark. His dribbling, passing and shooting carried the team that year.
Joel Randall v Matthew Garbett
Joel Randall
Matthew Garbett
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While many fans will not agree (and add Bolton fans to that list), on his day, Randall was very effective.
Sure, he’d never tackle and was reluctant to track back, but his vision, passing, and ability to clean up were magnificent.
However, he was often too soft for League One, and his shooting was usually fairly weak and often directly at the keeper.
But for a short time, he was the perfect Number 10.
Unlike Garbett, who is not a natural 10 and is often deployed on the wing under Williams, but he has played in this position and has incredible skill on the ball.
I did consider Jimmy-Jay Morgan as he does a great job in the 10 role behind Leonard but Garbett won just on his technical ability.
My decision: Garbett. I was a Joel Randall supporter until he fell out with Ferguson, but Matthew Garbett is just a level above this league, and while he is not a natural 10, he battles hard, is technically proficient and can play across the middle line effectively.
Kwame Poku v Cian Hayes
Kwame Poku
Cian Hayes
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Right wing has been a position we’ve struggled with this season, often playing Garbett because of a lack of quality in the squad.
While Frith was signed as our 11 to replace Poku, he hasn’t shown enough to start on the wing for me.
I like Hayes. He is industrious and works hard, and is better than Poku defensively, but he’s nowhere near Poku’s ability to move the ball and shoot on target.
Poku's xG of 9.99 backs that up.
My decision: It’s got to be Poku. There simply is no party without him.
Ricky-Jade Jones v Harry Leonard
Ricky-Jade Jones
Harry Leonard
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Part of the reason we didn’t win automatic promotion that year was a lack of a quality striker.
Jonson Clarke-Harris had a killer instinct for goals but lacked pace, and is a more natural comparison to Leonard, who often drops deeper to create goals .
However, Jones was our first-choice striker for the last half of the season.
While Jones worked hard and had an incredible top speed, he simply didn’t score enough.
His goal tally for that season was 10, a number Leonard has matched already with a third of the season to go.
My decision: Leonard. Watching Jones could be frustrating as he had the pace to get behind defenders, but would often fumble the shot.
Leonard is much sharper in front of the goal and offers more in the build-up with his trademark headed flick on, setting up his teammates.
Darren Ferguson v Luke Williams
Darren Ferguson
Luke Williams
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Now that we have our team, we need a manager.
You cannot ignore Ferguson’s legacy. The most successful manager in modern times has put more silverware in the cabinet than Arsenal has over his time here.
But his old-school methods were no longer working with the young squads he was given. He seemed out of touch and happy to throw them under the bus in post-match interviews.
My decision: Williams is a modern manager. Thoughtful, protective and honest. He has worked a miracle, taking Posh from 24th to (at the time of writing) 8th without signing any new players.
If we can keep him for a few years, I think Posh fans are in for an incredible journey.
The Final XI
If we had this team, and Luke Williams from the start of the season, there's no doubt in my mind that we'd be in the automatic promotion places.
How do you feel about that Posh fans and who would you change?
