Peterborough United have made a record-breaking start to their new League One campaign with five wins out of five. The only blot for the month came in the first round of the Carabao Cup when two goals inside the first 5 minutes gifted Championship side QPR an easy passage to the next round.
In the League though, there has been no stopping Posh. Five games, five wins, fifteen goals scored with just four being conceded.
It has really been a team effort with many players receiving glowing reports from all concerned.
Going into the season, the big question was could we replace the goals of striker Jack Marriot who was sold to Championship side Derby County. That answer has been answered by scoring three goals per game on average although just four players have found the back of the net so far.
Top scorer is Nottingham Forest loanee Jason Cummings who has six goals to his name although three of those came from the penalty spot. His strike partner Matty Godden has grabbed four goals so far while midfielders Siriki Dembele and Mark O’Hara have five goals between them.
The team isn’t just about scoring goals, it’s also about defending as a team. Although they’ve conceded just four goals, they will have been disappointed to have conceded that many! Posh are defending from the front with every player on the field putting in a shift to close down the opposition when we don’t have the ball. Even Marcus Maddison has shown the work ethic demanded by boss Steve Evans in his two appearances so far!
Ryan Tafazolli is the only defensive survivor from last season getting regular playing time and he is forming a solid central defensive partnership with Rhys Bennett while full-backs Colin Daniel and Jason Naismith are proving good additions to the squad.
The transfer listing of central midfield general Anthony Grant surprised some but we have certainly got an upgraded version in the form of Alex Woodyard from Lincoln City. Alongside Woodyard is Mark O’Hara who is plying his trade in the English Football League for the first time since his move south of the border. O’Hara goes about his business quietly and effectively and is a real threat going forward as we saw with his three goals in the opening two matches.
On either wing, there is the tricky Dembele with Joe Ward on the other wing. While Dembele has been grabbing the headlines with his displays, Ward has done his job very effectively. He’s been more defensive so far but in the latter two matches, he has started to press forward more and is now a threat going forward.
There have been many decent performances so this poll is a really tricky one to decide. Who were your top three players during August?
Select your choices below and we’ll announce who our first Player of the Month is at the weekend.
* Only players that have played 25% or more matches during the month are eligible for selection.