Darragh's data shows the younger Peterborough United players have been the best players this season

Ronnie Edwards (left) has been one of the stars of a difficult Posh season. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

And that might influence the club’s squad-building plans for the 2023-24 campaign.

"I see all the data from every game,” MacAnthony explaned on his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast. “And the numbers are better for the 25 and unders than those 26 and over.

"The younger players have been our best players and it’s not even close.

"Our better players at Sheffield Wed were Ronnie Edwards and Harrison Burrows, two of our own Academy players.

"I always set out with the aim of winning promotion, but it’s financially tough and we have to find the right balance.

"I expect to see Manu Fernandez – a 6ft 5” hulk of a centre-half - Charlie O’Connell and Aaron Powell coming through next season , but they will need help.

"It won’t just be a case of throwing the kids in as that wouldn’t work. That’s why we’ve signed the likes of Mark Beevers and Nathan Thompson in the past.

"But I want two or three of them, not eight or nine, for two reasons as they tend to earn the big wages and they are not really assets.

"They also need to perform consistently and justify their cost. They need to come to the party regularly and not just for one game.

"There will be a summer re-tool rather than a re-boot. There are deals to be done in both directions, but there won’t be wholesale sales.

"It’s boom time for our Academy though. I look at the results of the under 18 in a tough category 2 Academy League and they excite me.”