Throughout his four spells at Peterborough, the club have followed a model of looking to recruit promising players, polish their skills and then sell them on for a significant profit - while at the same time pursuing success on the field.

Prolific scorers like Aaron McLean, Craig Mackail-Smith, Britt Assombalonga, Jonson Clarke-Harris and more recently Ivan Toney have all worn the blue shirt with notable success.

Over the last two seasons, though, the impact of so many outgoings and incomings and a more direct, physical style used by several other League One teams, has made it tough for Ferguson to find the right blend and achieve a consistent level of performance.

Of the 14 players involved in the 2024 EFL Trophy final win over Wycombe Wanderers, only Archie Collins remains at the club.

At the end of that season, Ferguson lost most of his first-choice defence with Jason Knight, Ronnie Edwards and Harrison Burrows all leaving, along with forward Ephron Mason-Clark.

Although Posh struggled in the league last season, eventually finishing 18th having reached the play-offs in the two previous campaigns, he was still able to put together a side capable of...