Boss to plough on despite the rapid break-up of one of the great Peterborough United sides
Manager Darren Ferguson is determined to plough on at London Road despite the rapid break-up of one of the greatest teams in his many years at Peterborough United.
The impending summer departures of Kwame Poku, Hector Kyprianou and Ricky-Jade Jones, and the return of Jadel Katongo to Manchester City after a second loan spell, means just two members of the starting XI from the last game of last season will remain at Posh.
Last season’s Posh team delivered an exciting brand of attacking football which couldn’t quite add a promotion to their Wembley success in the EFL Trophy Final. Posh were unfortunate losers 2-1 on aggregate to Oxford United in a League One play-off semi-final.
But Ferguson understands and accepts the club policy of developing players and selling them in to bigger clubs, often for big money. It hasn’t usually been at the expense of relative success on the pitch even if the current League One campaign has been a struggle.
"From the team that started against Oxford in the home play-off semi-final last season there will soon only be Jed Steer and Archie Collins left,” Ferguson said. "On the one hand you have to be pleased to see our players going on to do so well and we keep in touch with all of them.
"It’s what we do as a club, but it’s a lot of players to lose and that makes life difficult. We just have to get on with it though and find a way.
"One thing you can’t replace is pace which is my Ricky will be missed. No matter how good a defender you are if you are in a footrace with Ricky you will lose. To play the way we do we have to have pace at the top end. If we didn’t have that teams would just push up and take the ball off you.
“It’s been great to see Ricky develop though. He started off as a left-winger and it’s only in the last 18 months or so he has become a very dangerous central striker. He gives you 100 per cent in every game and the work he does off the ball is unbelievable at times.”
Kyprianou will leave Posh on a free transfer in the summer, but the club will get tribunal-determined fees for Poku and Jones.
The other players from the team that lost a play-off semi-final at home to Oxford United just under 12 months ago to have left are….
Harrison Burrows (to Sheffield United).
Ronnie Edwards (to Southampton)
Josh Knight (to Hannover 96)
Joel Randall (to Bolton)
Ephron Mason-Clark (to Coventry).