Boss of Portsmouth rival confesses to managerial first in 5-0 hammering to Bolton as Wycombe sign former Blues defensive target and Barnsley seek midfielder clarity

The Posh manager said he started making substitutions just after half-time knowing that the game was over.

He admitted some of his players needed a breather after being given the run-around by their visitors to the Weston Homes Stadium.

And that’s something which has never happened before in his 16 years of management.

Peterborough, who beat Pompey 2-1 at home two weeks ago, were trailing 4-0 when Nathanael Ogbeta replaced former Blue Dan Butler on 52 minutes.

Four more substitutes followed, which didn’t prevent Ian Evatt’s side scoring a fifth.

Ferguson, whose side now six points off the play-offs, said: ‘It is a hugely disappointing result, to lose 5-0 at home.

‘In saying that, I thought we started the game very well. They have scored with their first attempt on goal and then they have scored I think with the second. I didn’t think there was much wrong in the first half, but you can’t give away goals like that at any level.

‘I said to the players, “we have got to try and get the next goal”. The start of the second half was so bad that within five minutes the game was over.

‘I’ve never been in that position as a manager where I’m actually taking players off to give them a bit of a breather for Tuesday because the game was over.

‘I know that might seem a negative thing to say but that is only realistic way of looking at it because at 4-0 the game is done, and then it becomes five.

‘An awful day at the office, no excuses. Bolton did what they said they would come and do.’

Where there’s a Willis there’s a way

Wycombe boosted their play-off hopes with an impressive 3-2 win over in-form Derby at Adams Park on Saturday.

And Gareth Ainsworth’s side have improved their playing ranks as well, with the capture of former Pompey target Jordan Willis.

The 28-year-old centre-back’s signing on a free transfer was officially announced before kick-off.

He was named in the squad for the game against the Rams and even made an 89th-minute substitute appearance as Wycombe ended Paul Warne’s side’s six-match winning run.

Willis’ signing and involvement came as a surprise as he had been without a club since the summer.

Indeed, his Adams Park cameo was his first competitive appearance since February 2021, when he suffered a major patellar tendon injury in a Sunderland fixture at Shrewsbury Town.

He stayed on at the Stadium of Light to recover from the set-back but was not a contracted player at the Black Cats.

Pompey were keen on the former Coventry defender under former boss Kenny Jackett.

Barnsley making moves on and off pitch – but want clarity

Barnsley cemented their place in the play-off positions with a comfortable 2-0 win over Cambridge United.

It keeps the Tykes in the race to win promotion at the first time of asking, following their relegation from the Championship last season.

And one player who boss Michael Duff believes can make that happen is January signing Jon Russell.

The midfielder joined the Oakwell outfit from Huddersfield last month after being linked with moves to West Brom and Rotherham.

A first-team regular under Carlos Corberan in the Terriers' run to the Championship play-off final last season, the 22-year-old played just once under the now sacked Mark Fottheringham at the John Smith’s Stadium this term.

Now in League One, Duff sees Russell as a quality signing.

He just has to work out exactly why things have gone wrong for the former Chelsea youngster.

Duff said: ‘He (Russell) will have his reasons (as to why) and I am always aware that there are two sides to every story. It is not just that I will take his version of it.

‘We will do our due diligence and find out what happened on the other side of it and come up with a plan of how we can improve him and get the best out of him.

‘There is a reason why he has ended up here. So it is up to me and my staff to find out why that happened and ask him: "why did it happen?”

‘And hopefully get a reaction in helping him become the player that he was and kick on again. He’s 22 years old and people forget that as well.’