Relegation seemed inevitable from the very early stages and the dreaded drop was confirmed by Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.
Here are a dozen matches that emphasise what went wrong over the last nine months.
5. October 30, 2021. Swansea 3, Posh 0.
After back-to-back wins for the first time this season, Posh travelled to South Wales to take on a Swansea side who hadn't started the season well with confidence. Or we thought they did. Instead Posh managed to concede before they'd touched the ball and they chased shadows for the entire game. It was 3-0 at the break and that's how it finished. Posh were completely outclassed by a bottom-half team. Not for the first, or last, time I sat in a press box after a game listening to journalists say Posh were the worst team they'd seen all season. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com. Photo: Joe Dent
6. November 27, 2021: Posh 0, Barnsley 0.
The two worst teams in the Championship clashed on a foul day at London Road. It was only November, but this was a must-win match making Ferguson's decision to start with untested youngster Kai Corbett up front a bold or stupid one depending on your point of view. Posh still should have won as million-pound summer signing Joel Randall blazed badly wide late on (pictured) to confirm a 0-0 draw. Questionable selections/tactics usually accompany a relegation season, while Randall's rare appearances did nothing to quieten down criticism of the club's summer recruitment. Oh and the lights went out during the game which turned out to be a decent metaphor for the season. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com. Photo: Joe Dent
7. January 15, 2022: Posh 1, Coventry 4
Posh had delivered a couple of decent displays playing four at the back ahead of a game against a Coventry side who hadn't won in six matches. But individual errors cost Posh a couple of early goals (one to excellent former Posh striker Matt Godden, pictured) causing Ferguson to panic and change his formation after 25 minutes. That was fair enough for this game, but five at the back (actually it was nearer 10 at the back) returned for the next match at West Brom. It seemen an alien approach for this club and this manager and it didn't work anyway as Posh collapsed late on to lose 3-0. That negative approach never threatened to work. Posh fans wanted to see their side have a go at least and too often they didn't. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com. Photo: Joe Dent
8. January 25, 2022: Birmingham City 2, Posh 2.
Posh outplayed a dismal Birmingham City side and lead 2-0 with just five minutes to go. They then failed to mark a player 12 yards from goal to concede and an equaliser inevitably followed soon after. Remarkably the home side missed a virtual open goal to win the game. Posh again showed they didn't react well to pressure. This win would have dragged Birmingham into the relegation fight. Instead they fluked a point and then recruited well just before the end of the January transfer window, while Posh signed a bunch of players who went on to play only a handful of games between them. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com. Photo: Joe Dent