Optimism, embarrassment and surprise from chairman of Peterborough United supporters' groups as Darren Ferguson replaces Grant McCann

There has been a mixture of support, surprise and criticism of the decision to sack Grant McCann and replace him with Darren Ferguson from the chairman of two of Posh’s major fan groups this afternoon.

Posh announced the decision to sack McCann, with the club sitting in 8th in League One on Wednesday afternoon. At the same time, it was confirmed that Darren Ferguson would be returning for his fourth spell in charge of the club until the end of the season.

Both Adi Mowles, Chairman of the Peterborough Independent Supporters Association (PISA) and Marco Graziano, Chairman of the Posh Supporters Trust spoke to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire following the announcement.

Adi said: “It didn’t come as a major surprise. It’s very sad, Grant is a club legend and a very good man. I just got the impression that he’d lost the team watching them against Wycombe. You’ve got Frankie Kent shouting ‘what are we supposed to do?’ at the manager and the supporters thinking exactly the same thing- wishing they were anywhere else. He’s not really put his identity on the team.

“The owners had to take onboard that supporters were turning. It was inevitable and the short term replacement was equally inevitable.

“I’m stuck in the middle. I’m a little bit embarrassed. I’ve been joking over the last few weeks about him not getting other jobs so he’ll definitely be coming back to us. I never actually thought we’d do that, I thought we’d have more imagination but I get why they have done it.

“No manager with any repute, who didn’t have such close connections to the football club, would want to come in considering where we are at the moment.

“Maybe the players will realise that the grass was greener at the start of last season, time will tell. It’s a funny old game and this has proven it. Hold onto your braces, with Fergie coming in, anything could happen.”

Marco added: “I’m surprised and not surprised. I think that not enough was coming out of the club in support of Grant.

“I was suggesting we need to be patient and let him do his job. We have to stop this armchair football manager thing that happens when results don’t go one way and trust in the manager to get it right but that has not happened. The optics are really poor.

“The players rely on an overall strategy and the recruitment of the club to be successful. It isn’t just about individuals. There needs to be a whole philosophy behind it.

“The framework for the recruitment, the players that are available and the budget were big restraints on what Grant could do and Darren will have the same.

“Darren will have enthusiasm. I’m sure he will try and improve the team, if he can, but I think Grant would have done that as well. I’m a bit perplexed as to why we think this change is necessary when Grant was in the middle of a project of his own.

“It’s going to be a very predictable next six months. If Darren does really well, he’s going to be offered the full-time job. If he doesn’t we’ll go on a hunt for another manager and this decision today will affect that hunt for a good manager.

“I didn’t want him to go last time. The fans want to see someone who knows football and can deliver results and Darren has a record of doing that. We want to be entertaining and successful and if Darren does that, bring it on.”