Furious Fergie launches stinging attack on ‘embarrassing’ Posh after Lincoln humbling

Pitiful Posh were humbled at Sincil Bank as they failed to end their worrying slump in form, that has now seen them go eight Sky Bet League One matches without a win.

Posh were 2-0 down at the break, and although Ricky-Jade Jones briefly raised hope of a comeback when he brought the score back to 3-1 on the hour, the Imps scored twice more to inflict another miserable defeat on Ferguson's men.

The Posh boss then admitted he was 'embarrassed' by the 'complete mess' of a performance, accused his team of having 'no desire', declared them 'the softest' he has worked with in his career, and admitted the team is in real 'trouble' if they don't buck their ideas up, and quickly.

Ferguson also had sympathy for the 1,800-strong travelling support, saying they were 'wasting their time' supporting the team on Saturday.

The defeat leaves Posh in 19th in League One, two places and six points above the drop zone.

"I am embarrassed," said Ferguson. "That was an embarrassing performance, and I have never seen that from a Peterborough United team at this level. Embarrassing.

"The game started quite hectic, but you get that in most games, then they get the first goal, it's a free header and it's 'just go and score' basically. Just go and do what you want.

"The second goal we gave a foul away when we should be tackling, and it was a mess, a complete mess.

"But if you don't do the basics, if you don't run, don't tackle, don't head the ball, and don't have the desire, the real desire, to turn up every game, and that is the problem with this group of players.

"They haven't got the desire as a group. We don't run, don't tackle, don't head. When we do tackle it's always a foul as we don't tackle properly, and that was a shambles. A mess.

"I don't often say that about my team, but I am sorry, I have to be honest and say this group of players is the softest group of players I have ever had in my whole managerial career."

Ferguson made a triple change at the break to try and spark his team, but he said: "We changed the shape and are hoping to start the second half well, but we give away a horrendous penalty.

"It's a clear penalty, what is he (Cian Hayes) doing? Is anybody talking to him?

"Then we get back in the game with Ricky, and he at least looked lively and scored, but we then just gave another goal away.

"It is my group of players, but I am embarrassed by that, and sometimes you think you are just wasting your time.

"When more than half of your fans have left before the end of the game, that tells its own story. I knew it would be a big turnout, we have sold out, and they are wasting their time."

Asked if he has to be careful with amount of criticism he can dish out to a team full of young players, the Posh boss said: "Not any more. What have I go to lose?

"Let's be honest, the players are young but they have got to have a career, and they have absolutely no chance of having a career.

"Come on! Show some fight and desire, that is what it's about and we haven't got it.

"We will have to get on with it tomorrow and pick another team for Tuesday to see if we get another reaction, because the reality is if we play like that we are in touble."