This is important. Peterborough finally got it right when they sorted the defence out. They might have been the highest scorers but they also had the fourth best defence in the division last season. In fact, over the past 7/8 seasons (full and complete ones where a pandemic didn’t shut the league down in March and leave ppg to dictate the outcome), you couldn’t get automatic promotion without having a defence that is in the top four. Meanwhile, Burton finished second a few season back while being the fifteenth highest scorers. That was a rarity, but you could never achieve top two if that ranking applied to the defence rather than the attack.
I am a big fan of the exciting attackers. I like to clap and cheer and wave my hanky in the air as much as anybody else, and they are obviously important because you need to score goals. But there’s also no point having the best looking car with the most powerful engine if it doesn’t have half decent tyres holding it to the road.
I’m off to stick on my VHS copy of 101 Great Tackles. I don’t recognise any of the chaps on the cover and I can’t see which teams they play for as they’ve got their shirts off (must be celebrating goals, which is weird for a video based on defending), but I’m hopeful that it’ll be a thrilling watch.