Peterborough United owner Darragh MacAnthony has issued a bold ultimatum over the club’s struggling season, promising to put his shares up for sale if the team fails to break into League One’s top 10 by February.
The Posh are facing a difficult campaign and currently sit 21st in the third tier, eight points behind 10th-placed Mansfield Town. Their latest setback came on Tuesday, when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bradford City in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Despite the disappointing results, MacAnthony remains convinced that new manager Robbie Savage can turn things around. Savage has won one of his four League One matches since taking charge, leaving Peterborough with significant ground to recover as they attempt to climb the table.
The club’s recent struggles have also intensified criticism of MacAnthony’s recruitment philosophy, which has often focused on building squads around young and hungry players.
Following the Bradford defeat, one supporter took to X to question whether that approach was capable of delivering success at the current level. Tagging the Peterborough owner, the fan wrote: “Boys against men, not Robbie’s fault. It’s down to @dmac102 and his young and hungry idea that just won’t work at this level.”
MacAnthony responded by defending the strategy he has followed during his time in charge, while acknowledging his responsibility for the squad’s performances.
“Yep Dave that idea (which we’ve had for 20 seasons) just won’t work at this level as it never has right.
“But being serious for a moment; I take full responsibility for all the squads built over my 20 years owning Posh. For some reason I have a lot of confidence in the current one.
“RS will bring the best out of them & we as owners will support him in doing so. My promise to you the fans is always honesty, So I make a promise that if this squad isn’t top 10 by February, I’ll put my share of the club up for sale & let others take the baton with our wonderful club.”
The statement puts immediate pressure on Peterborough’s players and coaching staff to produce a sustained improvement over the coming months. With the club eight points outside the top 10, the challenge is not simply to collect occasional wins but to build the consistency needed to close the gap.
MacAnthony, who took over Peterborough United in 2007, has now tied his own future as an owner to the squad’s league position. His pledge also signals the strength of his belief in Savage, whom he expects to get more out of the players already at his disposal.
For Savage, the priority will be translating that backing into results and lifting Peterborough away from the lower reaches of League One. The February deadline gives the club a clear target, but failure to meet it could trigger a major change in ownership.
With criticism growing and the league table offering little room for complacency, Peterborough’s next run of fixtures could prove crucial in determining whether MacAnthony’s confidence is justified.
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