Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson urges his players to stay calm and composed in the heat of a much anticipated battle

Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has urged his players to play the game not the occasion at Luton Town tomorrow (August 7, 3pm).
Posh manager Darren Ferguson (right) wuth Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel earlier this summer. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.Posh manager Darren Ferguson (right) wuth Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel earlier this summer. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.
Posh manager Darren Ferguson (right) wuth Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel earlier this summer. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Anticipation has reached fever pitch. It’s the first Championship fixture for Posh for eight years and fans can travel to support their team for the first time in almost 18 months. The match at Kenilworth Road will be played out in front of a sell-out crowd including over 1,000 Posh supporters.

The Posh manager and team are excited, but Ferguson expects his team to be calm and composed as well as determined and dynamic.

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“The week leading up the first game is always full of excitement,” Ferguson said. “But there’s certainly been more anticipation than normal.

Posh midfielder Jack Taylor's fitness is being assessed ahead of the Championship opener at Luton.Posh midfielder Jack Taylor's fitness is being assessed ahead of the Championship opener at Luton.
Posh midfielder Jack Taylor's fitness is being assessed ahead of the Championship opener at Luton.

“We’ve been away from the Championship for too long and it’s virtually the first chance for a long time for our fans to be present. We will drum that last point into the players because we want to give our fans something to shout about as they’ve been away for so long.

“But we have to play the game not the occasion. Nothing will be decided at Luton Town. All we are chasing tomorrow is a good start to the season.

“It’s going to be very difficult, They play on a tight pitch with the crowd on top of you so we will have to manage that. It’s important we get through the early part of the match unscathed.

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“Luton are good. They play with plenty of energy and they have recruited well in the summer, but we can hurt them if we do certain things right.

“Our approach won’t change because we have been promoted. We will try and win every game, but we are no illusions how tough this one will be.

“Luton are a good benchmark for us. They were promoted recently and they are now starting their third season in the Championship. We want to emulate them and stay around for much longer this time. They’ve benefitted from good management and good recruitment.”

Posh were assessing the fitness of key players Jack Taylor and Siriki Dembele this morning (August 6). There are no other injury doubts after forwards Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jack Marriott came safely through their first friendly appearances of the summer in the past seven days.