The inside track on how Nathan Thompson has fared since departing Portsmouth for Peterborough

Nathan Thompson arrived quite late into the summer and he didn't get into the side straight away.

Niall Mason was doing quite well and when Thompson did eventually get picked he suffered an injury and then another injury after that.

He’s taken time to get going but his best form has been recently.

Certainly since Christmas when Peterborough went on a six-game winning streak, Thompson was instrumental in that.

The manager always thought he’d come good.

Obviously, he’s a player we all knew and was very good for Swindon a few years back, then was a regular for Pompey.

Darren Ferguson was very surprised to get him. I remember him saying at the time he was keen but didn’t think he’d be able to get him as he wanted to go into the Championship.

Thompson’s not playing as a right-back now.

Peterborough have had their success playing a wing-back formation and he’s featured as a right-sided centre-back in the three-man defence.

Defensively, he’s been the most consistent player – certainly since he got back into the side over the past couple of months and stayed there.

He’s experienced and his positioning is very good.

Then there’s his winning of free-kicks when under pressure, something he’s always done throughout his career.

The manager also likes players who can play out from the back and Thompson is comfortably the best of the defenders for doing that.

In fact, Mark Beevers and Frazer Blake-Tracy, who’ll also play tomorrow, struggle with it a little bit.

Thompson gets booked nearly every game and that’s a problem.

They’re not always justifiable and, on other occasions, he gets away with quite a lot.

You worry about him because he can be quite exposed at times as there’s no right-back on the outside of him, instead a wing-back.

Ronan Curtis and Steve Seddon down Pompey’s left would concern me.

To be fair, though, no-one has troubled him recently and we’ve played some very good sides such as walloping Oxford, Ipswich and Wycombe, as well as beating Ipswich.

The right wing-back is Joe Ward, who is a winger converted more into a defensive player.

He’s improved by having Thompson near him.

Ward gets out of position but is very quick so can get back in, so Thompson’s been a good communicator as well.