Peterborough look to end ‘ridiculous’ spell with Manchester City upset

As preparations for entertaining the Premier League leaders go, a hectic week in which Peterborough United reappointed Grant McCann as manager following the surprise resignation of Darren Ferguson then sunk to the bottom of the Championship after losing 3-0 at home to Hull at least proved character-building.

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“It has been insane,” says Stewart Thompson, one of the club’s three co-owners. “We had our three most important games, we had a change of manager, we have Man City coming up … ridiculous is the best word. It’s been an absolute gong show.”

Perhaps the FA Cup fifth round will provide some light relief. How do Posh view a sold-out match against Pep Guardiola’s side when skirting relegation remains at the forefront of their minds? “Umm … a free hit?” says Thompson who, alongside fellow Canada-based investor Jason Neale, acquired a 50% stake in the club in 2018.

“Last season we got taken out [in the second round] by a team in the second tier of non-league [Chorley], four divisions below us. So if somebody can do it to us, we can do it to them, too. But it is just as realistic that we get absolutely hurt by seven. None of us have a clue what is going to happen on Tuesday and that is just the magic of the Cup, isn’t it?”

It would appear a daunting task for a Peterborough team struggling to stay afloat in the second tier. They have lost five of their past six games, including a narrow defeat to leaders Fulham who shipped four goals at City in the previous round.

Ferguson departed after a deflating stoppage-time defeat at fellow strugglers Derby. Thompson concedes McCann replacing Ferguson, who had three spells in charge of the club, could