Chairman insists the Peterborough United players owe their manager a 'Eureka' performance

MacAnthony insists the squad are keen for Darren Ferguson to keep his job at the Weston Homes Stadium, but the boss has come under pressure after a run of three wins in 12 League One games left Posh next-to-bottom of the League One table ahead of a key game against rock-bottom Blackpool at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick off).

The chairman also used the latest edition of his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast to express confidence in that playing squad.

"The players owe the manager some good performances and some good wins,” MacAnthony said. “He’s mostly been so supportive of them in public. Anyone watching the second-half at Burton on Saturday will know the lads want the manager to be the manager. We didn’t play great, but they put the effort in for him.

“The players have a responsibility to know the club’s identity is one of scoring lots of goals. We need to start matching style with our performances. Players earn a lot of money and they are told what to do so it’s up to them to execute the plans. It’s not rocket science and we have the players now.

“The obligation is on the players, especially at home, to give the fans something good to look at. Our product has not been good for a while and yet it could be amazing as we have the squad. We have not had that ‘Eureka’ performance where you say that was us. That’s the Peterborough we want to be.

"The new team has been together for six games and we have won three and lost three, but four of those games have been away and there have been long trips to tough places like Huddersfield, Plymouth and Bolton. They are not easy places to visit.

"Some have said we have been in an 18-month rut ,but that isn’t the case as it’s been 10 months, but now is the time to break out of it. We have a run of home games coming up.

"Do I think we play the right formation? I don’t know. When it’s three at the back that’s fine, but when it becomes five at the back because we have wing-backs tucking in and then we have two central midfielder sitting right in front of three centre-backs then it becomes an issue. I am not a manager or a coach, but you can’t play like that all the time, and certainly not at home.

“There is a question to be asked on Saturday. Can we entertain ourselves and the crowd? Or will it be back-to-the-walls again, giving the opposition 60% possession and having two shots at goal? That’s not what we are about.

"The manager is desperate to turn it around and play some Lord Mayor’s football. We need to make it happen.”

Four of the next five League One matches for Posh are at home. After Blackpool, Posh also host AFC Wimbledon (November 8), Stockport County (November 20) and Stevenage (November 25). Posh are at Mansfield on November 15, but that game could be postponed because of international call-ups.