Fergie comes out fighting, but can he really turn Peterborough United’s season around?

Can he do it? Should he even be given the opportunity? These are reasonable questions with strong arguments for all

outcomes. Many have already been made in the social media courtroom. Some say Ferguson is a busted flush whose

methods no longer work. The football in possession has become stale and predictable and a stable and secure

defence remains as elusive as ever, a huge problem now that outstanding attacking talents are no longer around to

cover up those deficiencies.

Others – and I belong in this camp for now – believe he should be given time to get another new squad up and

running. The chairman has backed his boss by reacting properly to recruitment misdeeds of the recent past. It would

seem illogical to get rid now, although plenty of what Posh have done in the last 16 months has been just as illogical.

Ferguson’s reputation for playing a significant role in player development and for advocating for positive,

entertaining football has been cited by both young and old new arrivals as a major reason in their decision to relocate

to London Road, albeit with some prodding. Following players’ departures, Ferguson has received gratitude, most

recently from Harrison Burrows and before from club greats George Boyd, who attended Huddersfield, and Aaron

McLean. On Saturday night, Gaby Zakuani, a Posh promotion winner and another fan favourite, was playing drums

for his former boss from Africa.

When Posh lost their first seven Championship games of the 2012–13 season, they had a worse start under Ferguson

than they have now. They bounced back to gain 54 points before being relegated in the most brutal way possible on

the last day. It was started by an unlikely hero in Emile Sinclair to demonstrate that you can never predict the future

of football with too much confidence. It demonstrates what can be done, such as that a points total would only

sometimes result in your relegation.

The game on Saturday was peculiar. Posh were outstanding overall, especially in the first half, but they were stopped

in their tracks when they failed to take any chances or be imaginative enough to go close to the Huddersfield penalty

area. You thought it could come back to bother them because they didn’t have any shots on target throughout that

time. For the second time since April 1, Posh did finally score twice in a game, but one of those goals was an anomaly,

and the other came far too late to make a difference.

They were generally solid at the back until fatigue in key positions seemed to set in. It’s bizarre in these days of

unlimited data and high end scientific analysis that so many Posh arrivals remain short of full match fitness on

September 6. There were signs of improvement in the display, but they were accompanied by season-long faults.

However, it is what it is, and instead of constantly complaining about the causes, a treatment must be sought

internally as soon as possible to prevent irreversible damage. It is necessary to defend the unique bond between the

manager and the chairman, but will Posh benefit in the long run if the axe falls? Ferguson is still the only successful

managerial hire in the current chairman’s nearly two-decade tenure, although it is improbable that he will continue

his flawless record of at least one promotion with each stint in charge at London Road.