Fergie adds spice to Posh preparations

SIR Alex Ferguson is helping son Darren with his preparations for promotion-chasing Peterborough’s Coca-Cola League One match against Athletic at Boundary Park tomorrow.

Posh are leaving early so they can have their final training session at Manchester United’s luxurious Carrington complex.

Ferguson Jnr has used the centre previously, as well as the training facilities at Middlesbrough and Bristol City, in readiness for away fixtures.

The Carrington visit will help the players to sample the high life because Posh, too, are a club with long-term ambitions of making it into the Premier League.

Ferguson said: “When the chairman (Darragh MacAnthony) bought the club he set down his goal which was to reach the Premier League in seven years.

“A second successive promotion would be great and that would mean we are ahead of schedule.”

Ferguson was appointed in January, 2007, when Posh were in the bottom half of League Two – a measure of what has been achieved in little over two years.

He said: “We nearly made the play-offs in the season I took over and because of that we were expected to be promoted last season.

“It was hard to predict how we would do this season, though I had every confidence in the players.

“We maintained the nucleus of last season’s squad and identified the areas we needed to strengthen.”

Ferguson is also delighted with the way in which his team have gone from play-off candidates to claiming a top-two automatic promotion place.

Their success has been built on a fabulous March which saw Posh win all six league matches, helping provide Ferguson with the League One manager-of-the-month award.

At the beginning of the month they had been third, two points behind second-placed MK Dons, having played two matches more.

Now they are second, five points ahead of third-placed Millwall.

Peterborough’s great run means that once-runaway leaders Leicester have seen their lead slashed to four points so a title triumph for Posh is by no means out of the equation.

Ferguson said: “March was a great month and I couldn’t have asked for more than six wins out of six.

“We are the form team, but I believe there will be a lot more twists and turns between now and the end of the season.

“There is still a long way to go and we need to sustain our good form. All we have done is to give ourselves a chance.”

Ferguson believes his team might have to win five of their six remaining games to be guaranteed a top-two spot.

As three of those are away to Athletic, in-form Millwall and Colchester, they will have their work cut out.

Peterborough boast plenty of firepower with Craig Mackail-Smith, Aaron McLean and George Boyd – all three were initially plucked from non-league football – scoring 50 goals between them.

Last season they had a combined total of 67 so the step up to League One has been taken in their stride.

“We are lucky we have goals in the team with the three players mentioned, while others have also chipped in as well,” said Ferguson.

The Posh supremo has been stressing the need for his players to keep their feet on the ground after the euphoria of last Saturday’s 2-0 home victory over Leicester.

“We had a great win in front of a full house so this week it has been a case of calming down and ensuring there is no complacency,” he said.

“Oldham is a tough place to go to as I know from previous experiences of playing at Boundary Park.”