Peterborough appoint Forest Green boss Robbie Savage
Peterborough United have appointed Forest Green Rovers boss Robbie Savage as their new manager at the Weston Homes Stadium, the club announced on 2 October. Savage, 51, replaces Luke Williams, who was sacked on 19 September after a poor start to the League One season that left Posh 23rd in the division.
Savage played as a midfielder for Derby County, Birmingham City, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers. He guided Forest Green to seventh in the National League last season but they were beaten in the play-off eliminators. This season Forest Green sit 13th after 11 matches, with four wins, three draws and four defeats. Savage was appointed by Forest Green in July last year and had previously managed Macclesfield.
Posh have struggled for goals and results this term, scoring only four league goals so far and winning just two of their past 23 league fixtures stretching back into last season. Key players have been sold and the summer replacements are yet to convince, the club said. Those problems left the team second from bottom of League One prior to the change of manager.
Savage has signed what Posh describe as a "long-term" contract and told the club's website he had been attracted to "the size of the club, the philosophy, working with young players and making them better". He said: "I am really looking forward to getting out there on the training ground, but I am a manager - I will be there for every session, but I believe in trusting the coaches in delivering the messages and the session. "I am not a manager who is going to want my teams to pass the ball around the back and chalk up 600 passes every game, we are going to go for it and attack and if we are 1-1 at home with five minutes to go, I want my teams to go for the winner. "I understand there will be people out there with reservations. We all know the modern world has changed with social media. I understand it. I have been around for a long time. I will stand on that touchline and protect my players, it is a brilliant squad, I can't wait to get going, it is going to be fun."
Caretaker boss Ryan Harley will be Savage's assistant. Chairman Darragh MacAnthony said: "Excitement is the word I can use to describe the appointment of Robbie Savage as our new manager. A word I personally haven't used about our football club for too long. "His personality, character and mindset is something we need top to bottom. Nobody will work harder to get us up and running again than Robbie. The board were blown away by him in an extensive interview and his hunger to fix our issues and get confidence back into our talented squad is what I am most excited by." Darragh MacAnthony has been chairman of Peterborough since 2006.
The report described Savage as an "extremely surprising appointment" for Peterborough United and noted his managerial record to date is modest by League One standards, with question marks over his ability to handle Darragh MacAnthony's famously hands-on style of ownership. It added that after two years of stasis at the club, a "Robbie Savage-shaped curveball" might be what Posh need. Job security has been limited for recent managers at the club: Luke Williams lasted nine months, Grant McCann the same and Steve Evans reached 10 months, the article said, with Darren Ferguson the notable exception.
Savage will take charge of Peterborough for the first time when they host Ipswich Town Under-21s in the Jersey Mike's Trophy on 6 October, before Posh resume their League One campaign with a trip to Leicester on 10 October.
