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After a glorious week on holiday with poshpete, his girlfriend and my dog, camping and walking in the Norfolk Broads (I certainly did more Broad walking than Stuart)
we came back just in time for the start of the pre-season home matches.
We were warm enough sitting in the shade in the South Stand, goodness knows how the players felt running around in the blazing sunshine on the pitch.
As ever, for me at least, in this sort of match the result is meaningless and performance everything. QPR fielded a strong team yet were lethargic and disjointed, clearly
content to stroll around, leaving Posh players to win the majority of the challenges and 50/50 balls.
Posh played neat, passing football most of the time, occasionally firing a long pass to the head of Tyrone Barnett.
If I were a player that had been transfer listed as not wanted (rather than the likes of Rowe and Zak who are entering the last year of their contract) then I would be
busting a gut to prove to the Manager I was worthy of a place in the team, or to impress scouts of other teams. Whilst Barnett, Ajose and Sinclair did OK none of them
in my opinion showed the desire or skill to hold down a regular 1st team place, unlike Danny Kearns who ran, harried and battled, frequently winning the ball and using it to
good effect and, even though he only played for 60 minutes, was rightly named as Man of the Match by the sponsors.
Grant McCann, sitting deep, ran the midfield to good effect. Other players to put in a good showing were French triallist Yohann Lasimant, predominantly an attacking mid-fielder
but playing upfront alongside Barnett today, showing skill, intelligence and desire. I would hope he gets another run-out, Paul Taylor, another triallist 2 seasons ago, did not turn out too bad
a player for Posh.
Tommy Rowe, playing on the left side of midfield, was his usual competent self until a clash of heads forced him off (hopefully nothing too serious) being replaced by Joe Newell, who started shakily,
giving the ball away on a couple of occasions, before settling down and producing a reasonable performance, indeed it was his surging runs that led to 1 goal and Posh could have had another late
in the second half.
The back 4 of Alcock, Ntlhe, Bostwick and Knight-Percival looked comfortable on the ball and were rarely stretched by the lethargic QPR.
Virtually the whole of the Posh team were changed on 60 minutes and, not surprisingly, QPR had more of the ball and pushed back Posh for 15-20 minutes without creating a lot of danger, though Joe Day
was called upon to make a couple of fine saves.
In the current squad Posh have 10 players who haven risen from the youth ranks. Newell and Ntlhe both look fitter and stronger and will be pushing for a regular starting place. Michael Richens and Peter
Grant played for the last 30 minutes and neither did their cause any harm, though it is without doubt stiffer tests lie ahead than the one provided by a rusty, out-of-sorts QPR who clearly viewed this match
as no more that a training ground exercise, rarely showing Championship quality, let alone Premiership.
I do not know why Daniel Kearns has never really been given a chance at Posh, on today's showing he deserves one. Lasimant showed enough to warrant another match or two before a decision needs to be made.
conversely Barnett, Sinclair and Ajose proved to me why they are listed.
Without the likes of George Boyd Posh lack a 'star player', what we do have though is a good team, with strong back-up players and quality youngsters progressing from the youth set-up.
After the despair at Palace last season I feel quietly confident. Yes it was only a friendly, but I saw enough to think we will be one of the teams challenging for promotion, provided we do not suffer an horrendous
run of injuries or loss of form.
we came back just in time for the start of the pre-season home matches.
We were warm enough sitting in the shade in the South Stand, goodness knows how the players felt running around in the blazing sunshine on the pitch.
As ever, for me at least, in this sort of match the result is meaningless and performance everything. QPR fielded a strong team yet were lethargic and disjointed, clearly
content to stroll around, leaving Posh players to win the majority of the challenges and 50/50 balls.
Posh played neat, passing football most of the time, occasionally firing a long pass to the head of Tyrone Barnett.
If I were a player that had been transfer listed as not wanted (rather than the likes of Rowe and Zak who are entering the last year of their contract) then I would be
busting a gut to prove to the Manager I was worthy of a place in the team, or to impress scouts of other teams. Whilst Barnett, Ajose and Sinclair did OK none of them
in my opinion showed the desire or skill to hold down a regular 1st team place, unlike Danny Kearns who ran, harried and battled, frequently winning the ball and using it to
good effect and, even though he only played for 60 minutes, was rightly named as Man of the Match by the sponsors.
Grant McCann, sitting deep, ran the midfield to good effect. Other players to put in a good showing were French triallist Yohann Lasimant, predominantly an attacking mid-fielder
but playing upfront alongside Barnett today, showing skill, intelligence and desire. I would hope he gets another run-out, Paul Taylor, another triallist 2 seasons ago, did not turn out too bad
a player for Posh.
Tommy Rowe, playing on the left side of midfield, was his usual competent self until a clash of heads forced him off (hopefully nothing too serious) being replaced by Joe Newell, who started shakily,
giving the ball away on a couple of occasions, before settling down and producing a reasonable performance, indeed it was his surging runs that led to 1 goal and Posh could have had another late
in the second half.
The back 4 of Alcock, Ntlhe, Bostwick and Knight-Percival looked comfortable on the ball and were rarely stretched by the lethargic QPR.
Virtually the whole of the Posh team were changed on 60 minutes and, not surprisingly, QPR had more of the ball and pushed back Posh for 15-20 minutes without creating a lot of danger, though Joe Day
was called upon to make a couple of fine saves.
In the current squad Posh have 10 players who haven risen from the youth ranks. Newell and Ntlhe both look fitter and stronger and will be pushing for a regular starting place. Michael Richens and Peter
Grant played for the last 30 minutes and neither did their cause any harm, though it is without doubt stiffer tests lie ahead than the one provided by a rusty, out-of-sorts QPR who clearly viewed this match
as no more that a training ground exercise, rarely showing Championship quality, let alone Premiership.
I do not know why Daniel Kearns has never really been given a chance at Posh, on today's showing he deserves one. Lasimant showed enough to warrant another match or two before a decision needs to be made.
conversely Barnett, Sinclair and Ajose proved to me why they are listed.
Without the likes of George Boyd Posh lack a 'star player', what we do have though is a good team, with strong back-up players and quality youngsters progressing from the youth set-up.
After the despair at Palace last season I feel quietly confident. Yes it was only a friendly, but I saw enough to think we will be one of the teams challenging for promotion, provided we do not suffer an horrendous
run of injuries or loss of form.
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