Peterborough United manager sings the praises of the Wrexham owners, manager, fanbase and one key player!

Posh host Wrexham in a Football League match for the first time since a goalless League Two draw in February, 2008. At the end of that season Posh won automatic promotion and Wrexham were relegated into non-league football. Wrexham had been beaten 3-0 at London Road 12 months earlier which was Ferguson’s first win as Posh boss – one achieved against the club he had left to join the Darragh MacAnthony revolution.

But Ferguson is glad Wrexham are back and he’s full praise for their celebrity owners – actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – as well their experienced manager Phil Parkinson.

"The owners have taken Wrexham to another level,” Ferguson said. “They deserve a lot of credit for that and for sticking with Phil after they weren’t successful in their first season together there. The expectations at Wrexham are now high and taking that into account makes the job Phil has done even more impressive. He’s done a brilliant job and I’m pleased for him and the club as I always had a really good relationship with the fans when I was there. The fanbase has always been there and they are now being rewarded after spending many years outside the Football League.

"I started my coaching badges while I was at Wrexham and it’s no secret I was interested in the manager’s job, but I have no regrets because I came to Peterborough soon afterwards and we have had great times together.

"Wrexham have a clear identity of how they play and it’s a system that has brought them a lot of goals. They have momentum and they have a good rhythm to their game. They will get crosses into the box and they will be a threat from set-pieces. They will have four strikers in their squad, but they also have good midfielders so we will have to do certain things very well, most importantly we will have to be very good in possession.

"One of their strikers will be Jack Marriott. He was here when I came back to Peterborough, but I had Jonson Clarke-Harris and I wanted to play with one striker. Jack is a great lad and a very good professional, and he always trained well so it was only fair we let him go (to Fleetwood) so he could get regular first-team football. Wrexham actually rang me for a reference when they wanted to sign Jack from Fleetwood and I didn’t hesitate in telling them to go for it. We know he’s a great finisher so he’s one we must keep an eye on.

"We’ve done well defensively though especially given our circumstances. Oscar Wallin came from Sweden so won’t have experienced the intensity and the number of games you face in League One and Emmanuel Fernandez has only played 10 Football League games or so. Add in two new full-backs and you have to say defensively we’ve been fine and I can only see improvement from them.”

Ferguson is ‘hopeful’ Posh will sign a left-sided centre-back before Saturday’s game, but he’s unlikely to make any changes to the team that battled to a 2-1 win at Exeter City last weekend.

Why Fergie is hopeful