Peterborough United boss not interested in the League One table, Clarke-Harris on course for 35 League One goals, slow starts, but some encouraging statistics

An ultimately convincing 4-1 home win over Forest Green Rovers on Tuseday lifted Posh up to fourth, although the three teams directly below them, Portsmouth, Barnsley and Bolton would all go past McCann’s men by winning a game in hand.

The Posh boss was asked after last night’s game to comment on his side’s improved standing and replied in a curt fashion.

He said: "I’m not interested in the table. I’m really not interested. Let’s just see where we are after 46 games.”

Such tunnel vision is probably exaggerated, but also a sign McCann expects his side to be in an even better position come the end of the regular season.

Improvement is needed to even contemplate automatic promotion though and Posh are still eight points adrift of second-placed Ipswich Town despite picking up 10 points from their last four League One matches.

TALKING POINTS FROM FOREST GREEN SUCCESS...

1) Let’s get the bad bit out of the way first. Posh were so poor for 30 minutes it came as a complete and utter shock to see them take the lead in the 30th minute against a bottom four side at home. It was a similar story against Burton Albion at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday and, while McCann praised his side’s patience, he can’t possibly have been impressed with the slow movement of the ball, the inaccurate passing and the regular miscontrols. Against better sides Posh will find themselves a couple of goals behind and faced with far superior defences than they met last night. They can still be patient and play with a better passing tempo.

2) The next 30 minutes were outstanding even though Posh also conceded a sloppy goal in that period. An imaginary switch was flicked as soon as Nathan Thompson opened the scoring. The passing became fluent and incisive and they ran an admittedly poor side into the ground to move three goals clear. Ricky-Jade Jones and Jonson Clarke-Harris led the charge aided an abetted by Joe Ward and Harrison Burrows. Better sides than Forest Green would struggle to contain Posh in this mood which is most encouraging.

3) The final 30 minutes became disojointed as regular substitutions took their toll, but the changes McCann made were all sensible. Jeando Fuchs is one caution away from a suspension and he will be needed in a much tougher game at Wycombe on Saturday, Ephron Mason-Clark needed a run out in his favoured position behind a pair of strikers and Dan Butler must have been fatigued playing twice in four days after sich a long lay-off. The disruption did Jack Marriott no favours though. He must have been licking his lips in anticipation when watching Posh tear great holes in the Forest Green rearguard, but soon after he went on, other changes ended the momentum.

4) Harrison Burrows did fine in an advanced midfield position. He started further forward than fellow midfielders Jack Taylor and Jeando Fuchs and his mobility and energy were impressive as were some of his one-touch passes. His goal was a bonus, but Ben Thompson might be a better bet than the local boy to play the role in a much more difficult and physical contest at Wycombe on Saturday.

5) Joe Ward was much more effective as a wing-back than a winger. Maybe he’s better employed when able to run into space rather than accepting the ball with a marker in close attendance.

6) A penny for Joel Randall’s thoughts. He was sent to Hull to play in an under 21 game on Monday thus ruling him out of last night even though Kwame Poku’s injury must have been known to Posh. Randall has slipped further down the pecking order now that Dan Butler’s return has released Burrows to play futher forward. McCann preferred two similar fowards in Marriott and Joe Taylor on the bench last night rather than use Randall’s different skillset.

7) Clarke-Harris now has 10 goals in 13 League One matches. It took him 17 games to reach that tally in the promotion season of 2020-21 and he went on to score 31. Atv his current rate he’s on course for 35 League One goals this season!

8) Goals for Harrison Burrows and Nathan Thompson last night mean 11 different players have scored for Posh in League One this season in 13 matches. Goals other than from Clarke-Harris will be crucial as the season wears on so this is an encouraging statistic.

9) Posh have a positive goal difference of 14 in home League One matches. Only Manchester City (+19) have a bigger goal difference in home league games in the top four divisions of English football.