Harrison Burrows in action for Sheffield United. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)Harrison Burrows in action for Sheffield United. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Harrison Burrows in action for Sheffield United. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson is relishing one of the biggest challenges of his managerial career.
Posh have under-performed in League One this season after losing key players in the summer. They are currently 13th, six points from a play-off place and six points above the relegation places ahead of a busy December programme. It’s an unusual position for the club in the third tier as the four-time Posh promotion winning manager acknowledged during a question-and-answer session on the latest edition of the ‘Posh Unfiltered’ podcast.
Ferguson is in his fourth spell as Posh boss – he insists there won’t be a fifth spell – and he confirmed he returned to London Road knowing the club would always be likely to sell star players. He takes pride in the progress of his former young stars Harrison Burrows and Ronnie Edwards.
Archie Collins in action for Posh. Photo Joe Dent/theposh.com.Archie Collins in action for Posh. Photo Joe Dent/theposh.com.
Archie Collins in action for Posh. Photo Joe Dent/theposh.com.
“This season has been one of my biggest challenges, but it’s a challenge I’m enjoying,” Ferguson said. “Last season was really enjoyable even if it didn’t end the way we wanted. The football we delivered was outstanding. That was a young group, but young players like Harrison Burrows and Ronnie Edwards had also played a lot of games. We are even younger this season, but also less experienced so the challenge is obvious.
"I am accepting of the club’s situation. We have to sell players. The best way to stop it is to win promotion, but even then we could still lose some because of the wages other clubs can pay. I knew the situation when I came back here, but we still have an expectation of challenging at the top end of the table. You know when you are managing Peterborough in League One you have a shot at getting into the Championship.
"I take pride in watching our players move on to higher levels. I always felt Harrison had picked the right club with the right manager in Sheffield United. They will push for the Premier League with a manager (Chris Wilder) who has done it before and who knows his club inside out. By all accounts Harrison has already turned himself into the best left-back in the Championship.
"It’s also great that Ronnie has gone to the Premier League. I felt Southampton would loan him out to a Championship club in August, but it looks like they will let him out in January now. This is an important move for Ronnie. He needs to pick a club who will play him every week and it doesn’t matter if they not challenging at the top. Ronnie has done a lot in his career already, but you can easily be forgotten if you never play.”
Ferguson discussed life after football management on the podcast and didn’t rule out a job as a sporting director rather than the director of football role undertaken at Posh by Barry Fry.
He also revealed the player who is pretty much first on his Posh team-sheet for every match.
"I love the players who are 7/10 performers every week rather than the ones who are 5/10 one week and 9/10 the next week,” Ferguson said. “Archie Collins is a player who I never even think about when I’m picking a team. He’s just so consistent so I know what I get from him and it will be good."
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