Peterborough United’s 2010-2011 Season Preview – Going Up, Up, Up?

It is strange to feel optimism around London Road again. A memory may last a lifetime but a feeling, an emotion, can be forgotten within weeks. No Peterborough fan, at home, or indeed present at the Weston Homes Community Stadium will ever forget the clubs promotion to the Championship, at Colchester, on the 25^th April 2009, it was a quite remarkable day in Peterborough United’s history. But that feeling of thousands of Posh fans sharing unrestrained joy has been forgotten, or at least it feels longer than a year ago since those emotions were flowing through Peterborough United fans. Optimism is another feeling that, since Darragh MacAnthony’s arrival, has been a common feature at Peterborough United yet last season’s disaster means that a shared positive outlook about the up-coming season between supporters is an odd one; one which doesn’t feel entirely natural.

It is there though. With a squad that, on paper, is stronger than the one that achieved promotion from this division in the 2008-2009 season, perhaps is the best in Peterborough United history, expectations are high. Another promotion season does appear to be imminent; the ever optimistic Chairman certainly thinks so, in-fact he won’t just settle for promotion, he wants a title to put in a Peterborough United trophy cabinet which, despite a very impressive recent history, is looking a little bare.  The signings have certainly been that of a club striving for success; Gary Johnson, the manager, is a proven Championship one, Grant McCann is a regular International that played regular Championship football last season, Seth Nana turned FC Twente, a club playing Champions League football, down to join Peterborough United, Mark Little was a stand-out performer for the club in Championship last season. But, perhaps most importantly, is the fact that George Boyd, a club hero and a star performer since his arrival from Stevenage, has signed a three year contract, becoming the highest earner at ‘The Posh’, shows that Peterborough United are a club playing in League One with a budget that is fitting of a higher league.

For supporters though it is difficult not to look back. Last season hurt. It was supposed to be brilliant. In the end it was awful. Watching the team you support fall apart, gradually, undoing anything achieved in two back-to-back promotion season’s, is hard to bare. At times it was almost impossible. It seems though that those times will be a distant memory again soon, if the team performs to its potential, much like the happy recollections of promotion are now. One good season and Peterborough United are back, last season will be un-done, and it will all be forgotten.

However, it won’t be as easy as it seems. There is an argument that the division is stronger this time round than it was before. All of a sudden the third tier of English football is becoming a home for fallen giants, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Leicester, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton have all played, or are playing, at this level in recent times. This season Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton are the biggest clubs in the division, and like us, both will be expecting promotion. Indeed, both their squads look strong. Back this up with a Huddersfield side that are normally around the play-off’s and are continuing to strengthen and a Charlton team who need to be promoted with the club’s finances looking ominous and gaining promotion will not be easy for anyone. Brentford, Swindon and Plymouth also seem capable of reaching a higher level of football. League One will be one of the most competitive in England, if not Europe, for the 2010-2011 season.

There is little evidence to gauge just how good this squad is though, of course it looks terrific, but it hasn’t played together in a competitive match and it’s easy to get carried away. The hammering to Leicester in the most recent of the pre-season matches, although the score-line – 5-1 – somewhat flattered ‘The Foxes’, is a signal of just how far the club need to progress to be able to compete at Championship level. However, a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest the week before and two good performances against Premiership opposition in West Ham United and Aston Villa shows the potential that the Peterborough United squad of 2010-2011 has.

It is early to say but promotion is within this Peterborough United squad’s grasp. The current group of players have a chance to re-write, and effectively erase, history. They have the potential to put themselves firmly amongst Peterborough United legends. It is possible for them to build the foundations that this club can build upon to achieve Darragh MacAnthony, and every fans dream, a place in the Premier League. Last season was important; this season may well be make or break.