Never shy of controversy, I believe this game was (tactically) lost in the FIRST half, albeit that the barrage of goals that destroyed us occurred in the second period.
In the first 45 minutes the U's played beautiful football, slick passing, players running off the ball, neat triangles, was "just like watching Brazil". Peterborough hit us on the break to lead at the interval, "typical U's bad luck", "against the run of play", "we don't deserve to be losing". But I saw a different tactical picture...
Despite huge possession and many miles travelled running off the ball working for each other, the U's had no real penetration or bite in front of goal. The obviously experimental combination of Ibrehe and Morrison simply didn't work. Ibrehe was his usual powerful self wherever he went (usually too far away from the goal!), but Morrison was largely anonymous and noticeably slower. There is no point playing neat passing football if we can't deliver a final ball to feet (or head), get men into the box and they shoot. Sorry Clinton, it's time for you to go back on the bench. Then Ibrehe to provide the muscle and swifter skilful players like Watt, Massey, Wright (Drey), Eastmond and Gilbey to buzz around him.
But very professional Posh held their shape, they didn't chase shadows, didn't waste energy and had enough structure and organisation in defence for the home side to be ineffective. At times, we appeared to be running rings around them, but in reality, all we did was burn vital energy. We did beat one man by super football, but their organisation was such that two more slotted in behind to snuff out our attack. The ball was travelling at a hundred miles an hour, but its progress towards the Peterborough goal was painfully slow, always allowing the visitor's time to reorganise at the back.
Given our immense distance running off the ball with no penetration, I reckon that we ran out of steam. Here, I am not advocating ‘Hoofroyd tactics', it's simply that we must not walk the ball into the net, nor expend too much energy if not achieving penetration.
We opened the second half brightly and got a deserved equaliser. Again using million miles an hour football, but at least Morrison and Ibrehe were in the right place. Progressively, we then lost a distinct yard of pace and Posh now became the entertainers with slick passing, but this time supplemented by the clinical finishing that we could not deliver.
They had bided their time, cleverly encouraged the U's players to become weary and then the Posh kicked on. The losing situation meant our substitutions had to be aimed at creating new momentum up front leaving other tired defensive legs on the pitch (Magnus/Wilson etc.).
Now flat-footed, Magnus and Wilson didn't have a clue who to mark as we were repeatedly torn apart down that flank. Their distinct lack of pace was exposed, and I felt that the younger legs of Pappoe and Olefumi might have done better (but do they have the experience?). By contrast Tom Eastman was his usual no nonsense self and Dickson delighted the crowd with his skills. It's our other flank that is the problem.
Posh, now wise to our overdone roll it out of defence approach closed us down faster than we could cope, resulting in panic back passes, loss of control, giving Sam Walker many a desperate moment as he then had to blindly hoof the ball from harm. Why didn't our defenders deal with this in a more controlled manner? Too often the uncontrolled SHORT ball out of defence simply came back with venom. Here, it was perhaps time to switch to a defensive LONGER ball. After all, we did have TWO big target men to aim at, and a ball bundled into touch was superior to one that dribbled to the feet of a visiting attacker and into the top of our net.
So in summary, too much energy was expended in the first half playing entertaining football, but going nowhere, ineffective up front, no plan B with the ball at our feet in defence, caught flat-footed, brilliantly clinical finishing by Posh. Frankly, reflecting on this the morning after, I am glad this happened in the cup. This result will bring everybody to their senses before Saturday, and I have every confidence Joe Dunne can sort it out. I saw enough positives in the first half not to be down-heartened by the second. But let's have Morrison, Bond, Wilson and Magnus to the bench please and use more younger fresh legs.