I believe Peterborough United will be just fine next season, providing the manager is given the right tools

​It was actually a remarkable effort to extinguish the joy of a Wembley win so quickly by not winning any of the five remaining League One games after outplaying Birmingham City, even if the theory behind team selection in the final matches was sound.

We had to find out whether or not there was a chance of some of the under-employed players becoming first-team regulars next season.

The answer was a resounding ‘no’ in most cases and yet Posh then produced a 22-man retained list with every struggling player given a reprieve.

Given the inevitable summer departure of a pair of top-class performers as well as one speedy striker with potential, it’s hard to see a basis for a promotion push in 2025-26.

But six of the 22 will presumably be part of the club’s under 21 squad so, if a competitive 24-man squad is the aim, there are eight places available for new players.

Posh must find a reliable top-class goalkeeper – the law of averages is on their side – a powerful central defender even if Sam Hughes signs, a pair of central midfielders, a number 10 in the style of Joel Randall (2023-24 version), two wingers and a centre forward who can finish.

It won’t be as easy as it sounds, but, while Posh must be considerably better than last season to even consider a push for the play-offs, they won’t have to be as good as the team from two seasons ago to be successful.

Next season’s League One will be much weaker than the one dominated by the two richest clubs in the division in 2024-25.

It will probably help if Charlton beat Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final on Sunday, but watching their horrific display over two legs in the semi-final against an equally awful Wycombe Wanderers side they shouldn’t be feared under their eccentric, attention-seeking manager.

There’s little chance of Orient repeating their success next season if they remain in League One. There will be 5 loan players in their Wembley squad, all of whom will have attracted attention from elsewhere.

The teams coming up look modest with budgets to match and the division will still be full of perennial strugglers like Cobblers with very little ambition for, never mind hope of, a promotion challenge.

Luton Town, a team still armed with Premier League parachute payments, will start the season as title favourites, but they need to spend that money wisely. They bid £6 million for Wycombe striker Richard Kone last January, a forward who didn’t score a goal after March 18, so that’s not a given.

Fellow relegated clubs Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle will fancy their chances as will Reading, now ownership issues are settled, and Stockport.

Posh need manager Darren Ferguson to remain committed so giving him the tools (i.e players) to fashion another promotion push is crucial.

Give him some power and some experience to play with and Posh could flourish again.