Former manager causes eyebrows to raise at Peterborough United and how current manager made the chairman keep the faith

MacAnthony dismissed McCann after a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Wycombe Wanderers on January 1 and re-employed Darren Ferguson as first-team boss for the fourth time.

McCann appeared to take offence at he and his management team being dismissed as ‘the previous crew’ by MacAnthony last weekend, a subject the chairman touched upon in the latest edition of his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast.

“I didn’t mean to demean a club playing legend," MacAnthony stated. “But it didn’t work out as a manager for us and that happens. I’m not for him and he’s not for me. His assistant is certainly not for me.

"I honestly felt we were heading for a 15th/16th place finish last season until I brought Darren back.

"I am proud of the job Darren Ferguson and his team did.

"It was a roller coaster ride and after the Cheltenham defeat I was ready to jack it in and suggest we played the young players for the rest of the season to find out if they were ready to step up.

"But Darren was the one who stood firm. He felt we would still get to the play-offs and said we’d reassess if the next three games didn’t work out.

"They did and we went on to have two brilliant days at the end of the season at Barnsley and against Sheffield Wednesday at home.

“None of this would have happened without Darren. We shouldn’t forget that despite what happened at Hillsborough.

“We had won one in nine under the previous crew when I brought Darren back and he instantly lifted the atmosphere and united the entire club.”

McCann also caused a few eyebrows to raise this week when he signed 28 year-old goalkeeper Ian Lawlor for his current club and said: ‘Every team going for promotion needs an experienced goalkeeper.’

Posh signed 19 year-old Lucas Bergstrom and 20 year-old Harvey Cartwright on loan from Chelsea and Hull City respectively at the start of last season when managed by McCann.

NEW JOB TITLE

Highly-regarded Posh employee Liz Elsom is now ‘Head of Football Operations’ at the Weston Homes Stadium rather than ‘Football Secretary’.

Posh are still without a full-time Chief Executive Officer’ following the departure of David Paton last year.

MacAnthony hinted on his podcast he and co-owner Dr Jason Neale might take on some the duties.