Something doesn't add up, because when he signed JDT said that he loved his flexibility if I recall. To be fair I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean that he sees him as a wide player, but definitely not on the same page as the Peterborough fans. I agree though that the cross was inch perfect, and for our third Szmodics picked the ball up in a wide position before moving inside to get a shot away. He's obviously never going to be a chalk-on-his boots type winger, but on Saturday's showing he seems to have the attributes to play wide.

I was thinking of posting this one too, partially because it was the second game in a disappointment-double-header with a 3-3 draw away at Hillsborough a few days earlier. A beautiful day with the Rovers well on top in the first hour, only to let it slip with the last touch of the game. The Sheff Weds game stuck with me more than the Yeovil game because of how we let it slip at the death, but collectively those games cost us at the end of the season massively.

When Szmodics signed I remember Posh fans saying he's a decent number 10, but there's no point in playing him if he's put out wide. Not sure if that's fair or not, but his cross for Brereton's second suggests that it might be worth trying. I'm surprised by how well Hedges has been at right back, albeit I wouldn't advocate playing him there long term in front of Brittain. He is obviously intelligent in the positions that he takes up, so I wouldn't be against playing him there either when Brittain isn't fit or for the odd game at home when we have most of the ball.

It speaks volumes that the ref dropped such a clanger (and denied us another clear pen) and yet it seems that hardly anyone really wants to lay the blame at his door.

No chance. Take a step back from his admittedly poor start to the season, his ability is definitely there.

Now now. Szmodics has already matched Davies goal tally!

Sounds like the manager has given them 10 minutes. Two changes coming up.

No changes in personnel

I still have total confidence that Buckley will kick on and be excellent for us medium term, but there's no doubt that he's taken a step back after a couple of great strides forward last year. Hopefully tonight he really turns it around.

Can't argue with his end product this season so far. For the time when he's on the pitch, he's creating and scoring at a better rate than PNE are as a club.

Don't mind with going four at the back, but I don't like that it's Wharton that makes way. Otherwise it's a decent looking team though.

It's bad, no question. I think the club is slightly unluckier in this case than with a couple of the others though. The window when he should've been tied down was towards the start of the season before last when he scored a couple but still looked raw, but you can sort of understand the decision not to. Who could've foreseen the level of and speed of his rise?

I remember watching that game unfold on ceefax. Genuinely more enthralling than many actual games that I've seen since.

Think the cat has been let out of the bag in terms of the 'bubble' too. If they're saying that the KO time is moved to allow fans to attend remembrance services as well as the game, then presumably this means fans are making their own way to the ground.

Very surprised that it didn't work out for Wilder. I would've backed him to turn it around given more time, but I think it goes to show the sheer randomness of managers being a success or failure when you appoint them, especially at this level. A nearly unblemished CV and a good squad with a few quid spent on it, and yet he's gone by the start of October. Reminds me a bit of Hughton at Forest last year. Nothing about his career until that point suggested that they should have underperformed as much as they did, but sometimes even good managers can be the wrong man at the wrong time.

Having won against Millwall, I think we should be looking at a seven point week with two games against teams with no manager in situ. I'd just make the one chance and bring Brittain in. Not straightforward to decide who for though.

Good post, but I agree especially about Dolan. I'm definitely guilty of forgetting how young he is - maybe not surprising when he's going to have just shy of 100 league appearances before he turns 21. As much as I liked him for his attitude and obviously the way PNE gave him to us for nothing, I've always thought it would be difficult for him to really kick on. Players of his stature need to compensate for that with serious ability and/or intelligence if they want to be consistently productive, and it wasn't clear to me that Dolan would be able to get to those levels to properly reach his potential. Still a long way to go, but the rate that he's scoring and creating this year is a big step in the right direction.

If we had Johnathan Woodgate then he'd walk in at present! Terry, Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Carragher, King, Woodgate, all peaking at the same time. Ridiculous strength in depth.

Have to make the best with what you have though. Maguire's had a torrid time or a while, but he's shown before that he looks a different player when defending a bit deeper in a three compared to playing in a two on the half-way line. His ceiling in that position is much higher than Coady if he is the next option (who also probably needs to play in a three too). Another issue is that any other likely partner to Stones has barely been given a sniff. I've not seen enough of Tomori to judge, maybe him and Stones are the best option, but they've barely played together. Same with the other domestic options, it still remains to be seen if Guéhi can make the step up to international level. Far from an ideal situation, but I think we have to take Maguire just because of the lack of other decent options.

I'd much prefer us to play four at the back against the lesser sides, but an issue that we have with pretty much all of our domestic-based centre backs (Stones aside) is that you don't really trust them in a two. Shouldn't be a massive issue in the group - touch wood - but once we play some of the better sides I'd be much happier if whomever we choose from Maguire/Dier/Walker weren't as exposed.

Brittain could be back for this one it seems. Would be harsh on Cater if he was dropped after a good performance vs Watford, and his size would come in handy against a team as direct as Luton.

He scored the equaliser away at Derby on the opening day of Bowyer's first full season. I seem to remember it was a pretty good finish. That one aberration aside though, one of our worst signings in the last 10 years, and that's saying something.

This is right - but then again neither should have Sunderland, Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday or many others that have spend multiple seasons down there. Now that he's finished we can say that he finishes some way behind Kenny, Souness and Sparky in his achievements, but much much higher than most of the dross we've had in the last ten years.

You did indeed. Garry Flitcroft had him on toast.

We've also had a serious lack of options there though. We now have enormous depth, which indicates to me that we'll probably be playing that system plenty more as we go forward.