From winning five of their opening six games of the new season to enduring a six-match streak without so much as a draw, Grant McCann tried to take the positives from his side’s most recent defeat to Bolton Wanderers, with a 1-0 loss befalling Posh.
An 86th-minute strike from substitute Oladapoq Afolayan settled the contest in Bolton’s favour as Peterborough were consigned to yet another loss in League One, and the newly-relegated side have not exactly taken to life back in the third tier with aplomb.
The hosts will not be afforded any respite during the international break either, as they aim to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Stevenage in their opening EFL Trophy game, which has left them bottom of their section after one game.
Absent from last year’s EFL Trophy due to their participation in the Championship, Peterborough have reached the quarter-finals in three of the last four tournaments in which they have been present, and not since 2016-17 have Posh bowed out in the group stage.
Thankfully for the League One side, Tottenham’s Under-21s have also failed to stamp their authority in the early periods of the season and are still waiting for their first victory in Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy action this term.
Wayne Burnett’s side have gone six games in the Premier League 2 without posting a win so far – drawing three of their first four and now losing two on the bounce to Crystal Palace and Blackburn Rovers, conceding three goals in each of those back-to-back defeats.
Only Manchester United and West Ham United’s Under-21s have also failed to win any of their first six league games – with Spurs sitting 12th in the 14-team table as a result – and they went down on penalties to Wycombe in their opening EFL Trophy battle.
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Tottenham’s prospects made it to the second round of the EFL Trophy in 2018-19 before being seen off 3-0 by Oxford United, and they have since suffered three successive group-stage eliminations, but victory over Peterborough in their inaugural meeting could act as the catalyst for improved fortunes for the young Lilywhites.
Highly-rated Peterborough defender Ronnie Edwards will not be at McCann’s disposal this week following his call-up to England’s Under-20 team, while striker Joe Taylor will represent Wales’ Under-21s.
Finnish goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom and Irish midfielder Jack Taylor are reportedly on standby for their respective national teams, while Oliver Norburn (knee) and Harvey Cartwright (thigh) are both absent.
