FERGIE: WE WILL WIN PROMOTION

Defiant Posh manager Darren Ferguson believes he will lead the club to the Championship for a third time even if it takes a year longer than planned.

A promising push for promotion from League One looks set to be thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic and a premature end to the 2019-20 campaign.

Posh appeared to have timed their run towards the top two perfectly, but if EFL clubs vote, as expected, to amend their regulations and then allow a points-per-game average to determine final positions the season will be over at London Road.

Ferguson is obviously frustrated, but he’s vowed to build another top side even after prize asset Ivan Toney has been sold.

“I feel for my players who are constantly asking me what’s happening,” Ferguson stated. “And I feel for our fans who for the first time in a while had a real positivity about us winning promotion.

“We are ready to play again, but it doesn’t look like things are going to go our way which is frustrating as I felt we would get to the top two.

“We’d emerged from a bad spell over Christmas to win seven games out of nine and we beat some very good sides very convincingly.

“But if we don’t play again this season then we will be ready for the next one.

“It is tough to plan as we don’t even know when next season will start, and we don’t know what the transfer windows will look like, but we have a plan in place should we still be in League One.

“Obviously Ivan will be sold and it will be tough to replace someone with his skill, physicality and goalscoring ability.

“We might have to sign two to replace him, but the money we will get for Ivan will help us.

“We will have to be creative to try and get Sammie Szmodics and Reece Brown back on loan, but with the support of our owners I am sure we will still be better off than most.

“I’d certainly be as positive about next season as I was about this one, but my big doubt is when it will actually start.

“If we wait too long clubs won’t be able to pay players. I think a lot of clubs have buried their heads in the sand about next season. My optimistic mind says we will be back in September, but possibly behind closed doors.”

Posh are pinning their hopes ahead of Monday’s vote on a quirk in the EFL regulations which state Championship clubs have an effective veto on decisions made in Leagues One and Two, and second-tier clubs are in favour of carrying on.

Ferguson has twice led Posh into the Championship, in 2009 and again in 2011.

Posh manager Darren Ferguson