Peterborough United chairman fires back at Cambridge United manager's 'unnecessary' pre-derby potshots

Bonner caused a few eyebrows to raise before last weekend’s derby at the Weston Homes Stadium by criticising the atmosphere at Posh matches.

He also took aim at Posh ‘constantly talking themselves up as promotion favourites.’

MacAnthony replied on the latest edition of his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast. He said: “I saw his comments, One comment was about the atmosphere at our home games so I checked and he’d been to one of our home games this season."And his other comment about us always saying we are promotion contenders, well I just don’t know what he was hoping to achieve by saying that.

"My manager, whose record suggests he’s a far superior manager, just treated it like a normal game. He didn’t play it up or down. He prepared the same as he would for any game which isn’t easy to do when it’s such a big derby.

“Form goes out of the window in these games whether it’s Liverpool v Everton or Posh v Cambridge.

"The Cambridge manager tried to play it a different way. I don't know why he did what he did. but it didn’t work for him. Good luck to him. He’s obviously an okay manager as he’s done well for them, but there was no need for him to take the potshots he did. It was completely unnecessary.

"If my manager had spoken like that before the game I’d have been very angry. There’s no point in winding the other team up, of inflaming them or giving them any extra motivation with stupid statements. Maybe he’ll learn. Who knows?

"In the first-half it looked like a higher level team against a lower level team playing above their level in the FA Cup. We were completely dominant. We deserved to win and I like the fact we eventually ground out the win as we’ll need to do that again this season.

"It was more even in the second half as they made it a physical battle, but we stood up to it well.

"The game was played by the players in a good spirit as well. It’s not about the managers. They are not the stars of the show.”