Such a shame that pre-season promise from Peterborough United was accompanied by a financial scare story and how League One could pan out for Posh and other clubs in 2023-24

Mention of the ‘A’ Word – that’s Administration rather than the Athletic publication which ruined Saturday night for Posh fans – understandably terrifies football folk.

Administration threat

It presumably made chairman Darragh MacAnthony’s blood boil. The man who recently wished publicly for a quiet off season to accompany a spectacular campaign on the pitch has already seen one ambition for 2023-24 dashed.

At least there was an immediate response to the concerns – which might be too light a word given the mind-boggling numbers involved – raised and the co-owners still actively working on behalf of Posh seem confident the club is protected from the most damaging of claims.

In the absence of any financial or legal expertise on my part, I place my trust in MacAnthony and Dr Jason Neale. Others seem happy not to which is a shame, but also their right

‘There is no danger of the club falling into administration,’ is the part of the Posh press statement designed to give comfort in the knowledge that points deductions and potentially much worse will follow if the co-owners are wrong.

Thanks goodness the phoney war on the pitch is now over and the real stuff can become a distraction, ironically initially against a Reading side whose own financial issues are currently more pressing.

OTHER POSH TALKING POINTS

1) Posh could have played for 90 hours, never mind 90 minutes, and not scored at non-league Peterborough Sports in their previous friendly.

Nine of that side started against Birmingham City of the Championship at London Road on Saturday and raced into a 3-0 lead in 15 minutes. Either skipper Ephron Mason-Clark and new midfielder Archie Collins - the two who didn’t face Sports – are world-beating talents or no-one should take any notice of pre-season results.

The side that started the 3-2 win over the Blues will most likely start at Reading next Saturday, providing cultured central defender Ronnie Edwards and League One goal machine Jonson Clarke-Harris are still at the club.

The need to sell both could be hastened given the latest financial bulletin. The PT are checking the veracity of The Athletic claim that former club Barnet will receive half of any transfer fee for Edwards.

Edwards is irreplaceable. Posh might find a bigger, stronger, quicker centre-back, but they won’t find one so accomplished and so comfortable with the playing-out-from-the back style manager Darren Ferguson will again implement.

Clarke-Harris is certainly irreplaceable from within the current squad given Kabongo Tshimanga’s lack of an impact, but more mobile forwards will be available that could even enhance the free-wheeling, speedy football Ferguson is chasing. Good luck replacing his goals though.

2) Every season I do a predicted League One finish for all clubs before a competitive ball has been kicked. In most seasons under this chairman and this manager I’d be confident of a top six finish. I don’t have that confidence right now.

The current first XI would thrive in a division that looks much weaker in the absence of big hitters Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday. But injuries and suspensions could mean a lot of young and inexperienced players having to grow up quickly and make a big step forward. Don’t be surprised to see England age group teenager Benjamin Arthur overtake older centre-backs in the pecking order once Edwards has gone. He is the real deal.

Is the depth there to sustain a play-off push though? Not yet in my opinion, but a lot could change before the transfer window closes at the end of August. In fact a lot could happen before next Saturday. I assume replacements are lined up should Edwards and Clarke-Harris depart, but if the bulk of any transfer fees raised go towards servicing debts rather than on new players it would be understandable. The club’s health is more important than on-field success, certainly in the short-term, and patience should be given to a young team that will make mistakes as it develops.

3) It’s tough to see how Derby County and Bolton Wanderers don’t finish in the top six and it’s easy to see them filling the automatic promotion places. Beyond that it doesn’t appear to be a particularly strong League One, although former top-flight club Charlton Athletic appear to be stirring and Oxford United’s impressive recruitment led to an eye-catching 5-0 win over Championship side QPR yesterday, although the usual caveats re friendlies must be applied.

A daily dash into the transfer market has seen Portsmouth fans get excited, but they appear to have gone for quantity over quality, so much so I had to check Steve Evans hadn’t suddenty become manager at Fratton Park. Evans has signed wisely at Stevenage though. They won’t be in a relegation scrap unlike a couple of others who came up from League Two with them.

It’s tough to see Posh fighting battles at the wrong end of the table unless great misfortune visits London Road. There are some poor sides knocking around. For instance local rivals Cambridge United's followed last season’s last-day survival by losing their best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best forward.

4) Posh were excellent given the level of opposition yesterday. They were brave in possession and played out successfully from the back with goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic often starting moves with his feet. Summer signing Archie Collins was a stylish midfield presence as was Hector Kyprianou alongside him and if I had to have a punt on a player-of-the-season, that wasn’t top-class captain Ephron Mason-Clark, I’d plump for Peter Kioso, an all-action rampaging right-back.

But the biggest individual plus from yesterday? The first 45 minutes from Joel Randall. After two seasons at Posh, Randall finally re-discovered the form that persuaded Posh to shell out a seven-figure fee to bring him to London Road. He was tricky, quick, passed well and moved forward in possession with menace. Okay he seemed to tire after the break, but it was still a most encouraging display. Long may it continue.