Chairman wants his club's 'aura' back, good Garbett update, and rules have 'killed' Posh ahead of Stockport County trip

And MacAnthony believes the current squad could make it happen. Speaking on his Hard Truth podcast on Friday, the chairman is more excited about his squad than at any point in the last two-and-a-half years.

MacAnthony believes Posh would be a top four side now if experienced centre-backs Tom O’Connor and Sam Hughes had been fit and well all season.

He also issued a positive update on Kiwi international midfielder Matty Garbett.

“I’m genuinely excited about our team,” MacAnthony said. “It’s the best I’ve felt for two-and-a-half years. The rebuild is done apart from maybe a couple of defenders next summer.

“The manager was right to say we should have had more points. We didn’t deserve to lose to Sheffield Wednesday, at Blackpool for 20 minutes we played the best football I’ve seen from us in the last two years and we should have won at MK Dons last weekend. We also beat a decent Mansfield side.

"Only the Stevenage game and the defeat at Bradford City were disappointments.

"We have a top 10 wage bill and a top 4 transfer budget, but we need to get all the players fit and none of the ones missing have serious problems. If we’d had Sam and Tom all season we’d be top four now, but we are a new team with players still getting to know each other.

"We need to start winning and we need to do it with substance and style as well. That would shut up the questions after matches that might be irritating. Get a run of positive results and all the bad stuff is forgotten. We have lost the aura we used to have we need to get it back.

"If we are struggling defensively the simple answer is to outscore the opposition.

"We could have a lot of players back soon even Sam and Tom won’t be out for as long as some think and there’s even a chance Rio Adebisi could be fit by the beginning of December.

"Matty Garbett is on a two-week training course somewhere near St George’s Park which is really intense. He should be back with us for the last two days of September and then he should be fit to go the following week.”

Posh playing resources will be stretched even further on September 26 when they will have to travel to a free-scoring Stockport team without their only two fit senior centre-backs as Josh Feeney (Scotland Under 21s) and David Okagbue (Ireland Under 21s) will be away on international duty.

Posh need a third senior player to be called up to postpone the game, but midfielder Harry Ashfield is only on standby for Wales Under 21s.

Pat Sykut (Ukraine Under 21s) and Vernon Masara (Zimbabwe Under 23s) have also been called up by their countries, but haven’t played been involved in enough first-team games this season to count as absent players.

International age group players only qualify if they have been named in the starting XI, or been a named substitute making an appearance prior to the 75th minute, in either 50% of a club's first-team matches or four of the last five first-team matches. These percentages are applied pro-rata for late transfer window signings so Ashfield would count towards a postponement.

"The rules have killed us,” MacAnthony added. “We have lost four players to international call-ups and only two count because the others haven’t played enough games. Harry Ashfield is only on standby which amazes me so Wales must have some fantastic under 21 players.

"The only available central defender we have for Stockport will be 18 year-old Lucca Mendonca. That’s football I guess and if we have 18 year-old and 16-year-old central defenders the other nine players will have to carry them as best they can.”