Can Peterborough United’s FA Cup run help them in their relegation battle?

Peterborough United have had a torrid season, but the Posh have seen some form of reprieve in this season’s FA Cup.

The Posh were promoted to the Championship with a renewed sense of optimism, having been stuck in League One for eight seasons before returning to the second tier last summer. Since then, everything has gone downhill. A lacklustre transfer window preceded a run of five losses in their first seven league games, including a humiliating 6-2 defeat away at Sheffield United.

Little has improved since then. In fact, Peterborough have won just four Championship games all season. They’ve got the second-worst attacking record in the division and the worst defence, having conceded an astonishing 59 goals in 28 games. That is a rate of over two goals per game.

The only glimmer of light at the Weston Homes Stadium has come from their FA Cup run, with the Posh reaching the fifth round for the first time since 1986. Darren Ferguson’s side entered the competition in the third round, seeing off League Two outfit Bristol Rovers before beating fellow Championship side Queens Park Rangers. Their reward is yet another home tie, this time against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

Some fans still are not happy, however. Peterborough are in the midst of a fierce relegation battle, sitting in 20th place. But their league campaign is far from over. The Posh are just two points off fellow strugglers Reading, with a game in hand on the Royals as well. Furthermore, the two sides will face off next week in what could be a season-defining match at the bottom of the table.

There are concerns that the players will have on eye on their match against the Cityzens, which could prove to be fatal in their overly congested fixture list. Progression in the FA Cup means that the Posh will play 11 games in the next five weeks, including nightmare trips to Fulham and AFC Bournemouth, who are both in the hunt for automatic promotion.

But unlike the league, the FA Cup has given Peterborough a taste of winning games of football. A third of all their wins this season have come in the competition, and fans will be hoping that their positive performances will give them a boost in their relegation battle. So far, however, that has not been the case.

The Posh followed up their impressive 2-0 win against QPR with a trip to fellow strugglers Cardiff City, who themselves were sat perilously near to the relegation zone. The Bluebirds strolled to a comfortable win, scoring four goals without reply in a performance that Ferguson labeled as a “humiliation” and “a complete embarrassment to the club”.

Less than 24 hours after the defeat, Peterborough announced their ticket prices for the FA Cup tie against Man City, with non-season ticket holders having to pay as much as £42 for a regular ticket. While chairman Darragh MacAnthony went on to publish an Instagram video saying that he would be reevaluating the pricing strategy, the incident has soured the already despondent mood at the Cambridgeshire club.

If anything can get the fans back onside, however, it’s a big performance against an imperious Manchester City. Peterborough will undoubtedly sell out the Weston Homes Stadium for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side next month, and Posh fans will hope to see their side pull off a remarkable upset. While there are fears that the Posh could end up on the wrong end of a trademark Man City battering, a competitive performance against the Premier League champions would help to build confidence amongst the players and staff.

The tie will precede a run of tough games, with five of their next six against after hosting Man City coming against sides in the top half of the Championship table. Of those five, two are still competing for automatic promotion,  while the other three are aiming for a place in the playoffs.

While hosting one of Europe’s best teams is likely to end in defeat, the immediate impact could end one of two ways. Either they can harness the momentum of a positive performance to give them a much-needed confidence boost ahead of their run-in, or they could be on the wrong end of a thrashing that further destroys their self-belief and momentum in front of their own fans.

If it’s the former rather than the latter, then Peterborough stand every chance of maintaining their place in the Championship.

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