UNSUNG HERO OF POSH’S SURVIVAL FORMULA
THE EFL is full of bright young managers – and few are doing a better job than Grant McCann at Peterborough.
The Posh aren’t an easy club to manage. Their business model – which has been very successful – relies on selling players.
When you look at the players they’ve lost over recent years, it’s incredible. George Boyd, Craig Mackail-Smith, Aaron McLean, Dwight Gayle, Britt Assombalonga.
Currently, they’ve got Portuguese wonderkid Leonardo Da Silva Lopes, who is undoubtedly destined for the Premier League.
People talk about Crewe and their wonderful youth system, but the way Peterborough sign players from Non-League and let them flourish in the pro ranks deserves every bit as much recognition.
For the manager, though, it’s tough. Every couple of seasons, he’s forced to rebuild. But, despite his relative inexperience, Grant has coped well with that.
Tom Nichols, the striker he signed from Exeter, has been superb. So has defender Ryan Tafazolli, a free transfer from Mansfield.
His team are forged in Grant’s own image. They get the ball down, they play from the back. They’re a joy to watch.
Fans aren’t always happy with that. They want results. And, as I’ve found on social media, they’re a passionate bunch.
But they’ve stuck by him, as has the chairman. In return, he’s built them an exciting young side.