Darragh MacAnthony has issued the following statement to announce the new management team.
I am delighted to finally announce that David Robertson is our new first team manager with Grant McCann joining him as assistant manager. They have both signed 3 year deals which I have no doubt will lead to 3 of the most successful years since I have become Chairman of the football club.
The recruitment process was a long one that I embarked on back at the start of May, one I took my time with and analysed from top to bottom over the last couple of weeks. It involved me speaking to four other candidates extensively as well as our new management team. I of course took into account the 14 games they were in charge for and the work they have put in since day one and allowed them to present their vision for the future of the football club and their goals on and off the pitch.
Throughout the rigorous interview process with all potential candidates, the key for me was hearing people's vision for not just the success of our first team, but recruitment ideas, scouting, coaching, fitness and injury prevention methods, pre-season plans and ultimately how far can a club like Peterborough United go in the Football League whilst working within the confines of Financial Fair Play. Style of play was also a big part of the interview process with all candidates, as was consulting many of our more experienced players currently at the football club.
Probably the most important aspect of all the interviews was hearing the ideas from candidates on our current youth team, its players, its future success and how our club can ensure these young promising players make breakthroughs into our first team. After a season that saw one of our youth products sweep all local football awards across the board and another of them winning Young Player of the Year, its crucially essential to our club this ongoing success continues and prospers year on year.
Truth be known, I always wanted to hand over the reins full time to both DR & GMC based on my experience of working with them for the short period of time last season, but felt it my duty to the club and its supporters to take my time with the process and interview other candidates to 100% make sure my decision was the correct one. Hiring a good management team is easy to do as there are many available and many who will promise the world, but a few months down the line have their heads turned very quickly and leave the club back at square one, whereas hiring a great management team who genuinely care for the club top to bottom, work 24/7 to make it successful and who genuinely have a long term plan for it is what I ultimately wanted and what I feel I have now put in place. I ask our fantastic fan base to now fully support the new management team in place and give them the time and space to back their hard work up with results and to bring Championship football back to the ABAX Stadium once again.
Last season after 32 games, all the issues in the world came to a head and it was obvious staleness had set in as had complacency and inconsistency and above all else we had a squad who were not fully fit and a long list of players constantly injured or unavailable long term. If you could devise a perfect storm of problems, we found them. The only shining light for me was the progress of our younger players and the fact that it was a great year of experience for them all and one that will serve many of them well for seasons to come. Giving the new management team a proper full pre-season with their new phenomenal sports science team also in place, backing them with the incoming recruits I’m already working hard to secure which will enhance our young squad, I’m very excited about what we can achieve over the next three seasons and after.
The new management team are well aware I yearn for winning a title, yearn for healthy cup runs, yearn for goals galore and ultimately to be entertained with the style of football we play. The club has invested nearly £200k in a new pitch for the upcoming season, one I’m told will be up there with the best of them and with our recruitment process well under way, I have no doubt success will follow and next season could and should indeed be one of our best yet.