ROB Lyon is backing new signing Artem Laguta to get over his nightmare debut and insists it is still too early to judge him.
The only rider Laguta, the 2021 World Champion, beat in his four races against Ipswich on Monday nighty was 16-year-old rookie Ashton Boughen, making his second top-flight appearance.
Lyon said: “You like to think a rider of his quality is going to get it right and hopefully on Thursday night against Wolverhampton.
“I’m sure he wants to race in the UK, I think he wants to be here and I’m sure he’s as upset as anyone else that, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out on Monday.”
Laguta was sacked by local rivals King’s Lynn as they brought in former skipper Robert Lambert ahead of Monday night’s transfer deadline but his agent Rafal Lewicki was in contact with several clubs to try and find a new team place for the former Grand Prix regular and he chose Peterborough ahead of Leicester.
“He definitely wants to do well,” claims Lyon, adding: “I know he wants to do a good job but, unfortunately, if you don’t get it right you can be first or last in a race and people will look to his ability and believe he should be doing better. I nearly pulled him out of his last ride, but I told him to try something different, which he did.
“That’s the way it goes but the team won and that’s the main thing and I certainly won’t be coming to any firm conclusions after one meeting.”
And Lyon can point to the equally disastrous first meeting for Patryk Wojdylo who finished last in every race on his Panthers’ debut but followed that up with a total of 25 points in his next two matches at the East of England Arena before visa problems saw him return home to Poland with Laguta coming in to replace him.
Admits Lyon: “There were some people suggesting we get rid of Patryk after he failed to score in his first meeting and a week later the same people were hailing him as a wonder signing!
“If you think back to where we have come from and where we have been the last two weeks, we’ve gone from being the worst team in the league to a team that has won against two of the best sides there are and the good feeling factor is back for everyone, we shouldn’t overlook that, and we did beat Ipswich.”
Panthers now have four Premiership home matches to go and Lyon, who led the team to the title two years ago, believes his side can be unbeaten for the rest of the season.
They are still bottom of the table but are only one point behind King’s Lynn in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
Wolves are already guaranteed a place in the title play-offs, but a Peterborough victory tonight (7.30pm) will see them leapfrog the Stars in the table unless the Norfolk side pull off a shock win at Sheffield.
LINE UPS:
Peterborough: Artem Laguta, Chris Harris, Vadim Tarasenko, Benjamin Basso, Niels Kristian Iversen, Ben Cook, Jordan Jenkins.
Wolverhampton: Sam Masters, Steve Worrall, Luke Becker, Rory Schlein, Ryan Douglas, Zach Cook, Leon Flint.
Words by Holeshot Media.
Images by Taylor Lanning