Savage Demands Mentality Shift as Peterborough Era Begins

Robbie Savage has wasted no time setting the tone at Peterborough, calling on his squad to shed a culture of underachievement ahead of a League One trip to Leicester City.

Robbie Savage has made clear from the outset that managing Peterborough United is not a role he intends to ease himself into gently. Named as Luke Williams' successor on Friday, the 51-year-old has already issued a direct challenge to his players: change the way you think, or risk being left behind.

Speaking to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Savage was characteristically direct about what he believes has held the club back. "We've got to get rid of this mentality of let's stop the opposition, it's about them. No, it's about us," he said. "Let's be us, let's go and play, let's have a go, let's entertain. These players are underachieving — if we can get the best out of them we can beat anybody."

Those words carry both a rebuke and a promise. The rebuke is aimed squarely at a dressing room that Savage clearly feels has been operating well below its ceiling. The promise is directed at a fanbase that will be travelling in numbers — more than 3,200 Posh supporters are expected to make the journey to Leicester City on Saturday for his first League One fixture in charge.

A Statement Opening Night

Tuesday's EFL Trophy tie against Ipswich Town Under-21s provided Savage with his first opportunity to impose his methods, and the response was striking. Peterborough scored four goals in the opening nine minutes of the second half — a burst of football that secured a 4-1 victory and their place in the last 32 of the competition, which the club won for a joint-record third time earlier this year in 2025.

Savage was quick to frame the performance as a template rather than a one-off. "The lads have embraced it ever so well," he said. "It's a tough way to play, it's a relentless way to play. It's high energy." He also acknowledged that such an approach carries inherent risk. "We will concede goals the way we play, I accept that," he added, though he was clearly prepared to live with that trade-off in exchange for a more expansive brand of football.

From Forest Green to League One

Savage arrived at London Road having only recently departed National League side Forest Green, making the step up to the third tier a significant one. Yet his ambitions appear to match the occasion. The emphasis on attacking intent and pressing energy suggests he intends to bring the same high-tempo principles that have defined modern progressive coaching.

The trip to Leicester on Saturday — a club with considerably greater resources, competing in the Championship — represents a stern early examination. But with more than 3,200 supporters backing them on the road, Savage will be hoping the occasion galvanises rather than intimidates his players.

What this opening week has established, above all else, is tone. Savage has arrived with conviction in spades and an explicit belief that the talent within his squad has simply not been harnessed properly. Whether the players can match that conviction over the course of a season remains to be seen. But for now, the mood at London Road appears to have shifted — and that, in itself, is no small thing.

FAQs

Frequently asked

When is Robbie Savage's first League One game as Peterborough manager?: Savage takes charge of his first League One match on Saturday when Peterborough United travel to Leicester City.
What was the result in Robbie Savage's first match as Peterborough boss?: Peterborough won 4-1 against Ipswich Town Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, scoring four goals in just nine first-half minutes.
Who did Robbie Savage replace as Peterborough United manager?: Savage was appointed as the successor to Luke Williams, who had previously been in charge at London Road.