Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury v Peterborough preview: Posh are the League One Liverpool – Sam Ricketts

Sam Ricketts says Shrewsbury Town will have to defuse the attacking fireworks of the League One Liverpool if they are to have any joy tomorrow.

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Town face free-scoring Peterborough at Montgomery Waters Meadow as the new boss makes his home league bow.

And Ricketts likened fourth-placed Posh, third-highest scorers in League One, to Premier League leaders Liverpool in the way they fly forward and cause damage on the counter-attack.

Steve Evans’ Peterborough, despite winning 11 from 21 games, have kept just four clean sheets this season in an apparent ‘we’ll score more than you’ approach.

Posh even transferred their league record to the FA Cup on Tuesday night as a goal-fest at Bradford ended 4-4 before the visitors sneaked through on penalties.

Ricketts said of the eight-goal thriller: “You can see it both ways, you can see they’re a really good attacking side.

“But then they are obviously vulnerable at the other end, it’ll be a game of trying to play with as much control as possible.

“They’re very much an end-to-end team Peterborough, they’re a little bit like Liverpool – they fancy themselves at outscoring teams.

“We have to try to turn the tables on that a little bit and play with more control rather than counter-attack versus counter-attack, can we prevent their counter-attack when we’re attacking?”

As well as two centre-forwards in the goals in Matt Godden and ex-Town man Ivan Toney spearheading their probable 4-4-2 formation, Ricketts highlighted the threats in wide areas.

On the right is mercurial winger Marcus Maddison, who thrives cutting in on his favoured left foot. He ended Shrewsbury’s 15-game unbeaten start to last season with an outrageous 40-yard strike from the touchline.

On the left is Ivorian Sikiri Dembele, another flashy flyer with a touch of the unknown about him, having joined League Two Grimsby Town last summer from the Nike Football Academy, who specialise in talented, unattached under-20 footballers.

Tricky players with enough ammunition to serve their lethal frontmen.

Asked if his defenders will be told to get tight to prevent their flair causing damage, Ricketts said: “Yes definitely, you get tight to any forward player, you give them space they can look a good player.

“If you’re going to press, win the ball back, don’t stand five yards off because you’re not influencing them.”

The Town boss, who hopes to record a first league win with Town, continued: “The front four have all got goals and ability.

“Whether that be from finishing in the box or shooting from range. Dembele and Maddison like to cut inside on to their favourite feet and shoot from distance. It’s something we have to be wary of. If we can nullify that as much as we can – and we’re not going to stop it every time – then with a little bit of luck we can get a block or save it.

“We know their strengths and will nullify it the best we can.”

Ricketts has no fresh injury concerns going into the clash, as 90 minutes in the Central League Cup on Tuesday helped boost the returning Shaun Whalley’s match sharpness.