The League One metrics say Peterborough United have no reason to play with fear

​MacAnthony, who was speaking on his Hard Truth podcast before Tuesday’s Carabao Cup exit at Mansfield Town, says the League One data suggests Posh are not far from being a top side in the division.

Posh go into Saturday’s awkward-looking home game with Bristol Rovers in eighth place, but just two points outside the play-off places.

MacAnthony said: “There’s a certain amount of apprehension and a little fear in a team like ours.

“I’d say to these players you have nothing to be fearful of. You’re in you’re low 20s and you should be enjoying what you are doing. If you do that as young people great things can happen.

"Sometimes it’s the fear of failure and you need to take that out of people’s minds.

"What are you fearing? People lose football games, but you wake up the next morning and you have another game in three days.

"We need to take that fear factor away.

"They just need to keep doing the right things. Doing the right things will lead to the right results and everything will go to plan.

"All our metrics are off the charts. We have the best expected goals in the division. We had something like 58 shots in two games recently and we delivered 67 crosses. We have the most entries into the opposition penalty area.

"They are the things you need to do well to be successful. We are not far away.

"It can be difficult when teams stick 10 men behind the ball, but Bristol Rovers won’t be like that.

"Joey Barton is a good coach and with their recruitment in the summer they are sure to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

"It will be an open game and a very difficult one.

“It will be a game when we're going to have to be at our best.

"These are the games you want though. We've got to start pulling little runs together and we will.

“So far we're doing okay. We're playing well and there's so much more to come. There's so much upside it's frightening."