Peterborough United have picked up six points from six in League One this season, beating two difficult opponents in Reading and Charlton Athletic 1-0.
Darren Ferguson and the club as a whole are hoping to put the disastrous disappointment of last season’s playoff semifinal behind them and have started the campaign very strongly.
What’s more impressive is how young the squad is right now. This was a conscious decision made by Ferguson and those working behind the scenes.
Speaking to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire at the end of July, the Posh head coach revealed:
“We put a lot (of players) on the list at the end of the season, we are changing things, we want to go a lot younger, which we will be.”
Peterborough United certainly have gone a lot younger. Chairman Darragh MacAnthony revealed that on the opening day of the season against Reading, the average age of the squad was just under 23, claiming it to be one of the youngest teams in League One history.
On the latest episode of the ‘Hard Truth‘ Podcast, the 47-year-old admitted that the club’s new transfer policy has ‘invigorated’ him [quotes via Peterborough Today]:
“I’m invigorated by it and the manager and his staff are excited by it.
“It didn’t get spoken about enough after the win at Reading on opening when we fielded one of the youngest League One teams in history. The average was just under 23.
MacAnthony also stated his desire for the fanbase to buy into this new youth policy too:
“I’ve fully bought into our new way of doing things as have the management team and I hope all the fans will as well.
“We are not going to dash out and buy 19 new players. Not because we don’t have the money, but because we have chosen a different route this season.”
Writer’s View
Fielding a team with an average age of under 23 is very impressive for a club in England’s third tier given the usual impulse for managers is to always have a blend of youth and experience.
However, there will be ups and downs again this season. The Posh have started the campaign brilliantly but there are going to be times when the supporters question the club’s decision to bolster such a young squad.
Nonetheless, it’ll all be part of the process as the young team learn and grow together from their successes and failures.
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