Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has delivered a firm statement of intent regarding his current boss, insisting he wants stability at London Road despite growing external interest.
Williams, 44, has guided Posh from the bottom of League One to eighth place since taking charge at the end of October, prompting speculation that rival clubs could soon test Peterborough’s resolve amid a flurry of managerial changes across the EFL.
Speaking on his Hard Truth Podcast, MacAnthony made his stance clear.
“I don’t want to lose Luke. He is still young so he has lots of time on his side. He’s been at a bigger club and he will have learnt from that experience. It would have be one hell of a club to get him.
“We are at the early stages of our ‘marriage’ but I want ‘wedding anniversaries’ with him. Only good things will happen to him. He’s a man who doesn’t have a bad bone in his body.”
MacAnthony contrasted Williams’ approach with other managers who actively court vacancies through agents, insisting his current head coach “doesn’t play games” when it comes to speculation.
The chairman also revealed he had little interest in survival talk when making the managerial change earlier in the campaign, despite the club sitting at the foot of the table at the time.
“When I spoke to Luke I told him not to obsess about the league table. I didn’t even know we were bottom as I don’t look at tables. I just told him to put a smile on the players’ faces and to develop our youngsters.”
Results since have backed up that faith. Posh have recorded eye-catching victories away at Mansfield, Port Vale, Rotherham and Wycombe, combining expansive football with what MacAnthony described as a “steely resistance”.
He acknowledged concerns about playing surfaces and fixture congestion, particularly ahead of the trip to Bradford City, but believes the team’s attacking output keeps them firmly in the promotion conversation.
Peterborough have scored 45 goals in 31 League One matches, the fourth-highest tally in the division behind Cardiff City, Lincoln City and Huddersfield Town.
MacAnthony added:
“I keep saying if we are in touch with the play-off places with 10 games to go and the pitches become better we have a chance. We have the pace to expose tired defences on better pitches.”
With injuries limiting squad depth but younger players gaining valuable minutes, Peterborough’s hierarchy appears aligned behind their manager, and for now at least, any potential suitors are being firmly warned off.
Good choice
Peterborough deserve praise. They have been seen as a big money side in the past, but a lot of that has been generated by sales. They’re at the bottom end of the division for wages, and they still try to play good football.
MacAnthony isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no smoke and mirrors with him. He’s open, his podcast is, at times, controversial in terms of how he speaks about his club and players, but he never hides.
In the modern game of shady owners, people like him are few and far between. Yes, he’s larger than life, but he’s been great for Posh and now he’s got off the Ferguson/McCann cycle, he might just have found the perfect manager to implement his vision.
