Robbie Savage takes Peterborough job with attacking football pledge

Robbie Savage was confirmed as Peterborough United’s new manager on Friday, 2 October, taking charge of a League One club second from bottom. It is his first managerial job in the Football League, and his promise of attacking football now faces an immediate test with a side seeking to recover from a difficult start to the season.

Savage has left National League club Forest Green Rovers and signed a long-term contract with Peterborough. He succeeds Luke Williams, who was sacked last month. The appointment moves Savage into League One after a rapid rise through non-league management, but neither his previous results nor his stated style can establish how Peterborough will perform under him.

What Savage says Peterborough supporters can expect

At his unveiling, Savage said he believes in ‘entertaining, attacking football’ and would rather win 5-4 than 1-0. Speaking about the chance to manage Peterborough, he asked to be judged once his team starts playing. He described himself as passionate and emotional and said he wanted the young side to play an ‘explosive’ style.

Those are intentions, rather than a forecast of results. Savage made a similar statement when Forest Green appointed him in July 2025: he wanted to develop an aggressive, fast and exciting attacking team, while saying that winning games was the most important thing. Peterborough supporters can therefore expect an emphasis on attack in his own account of the job, but its effect remains to be seen.

What his Macclesfield and Forest Green records show

Savage began his management career in 2024 at Macclesfield FC, a seventh-tier club formed after Macclesfield Town was wound up in 2020. League One is the third tier, four tiers above the level at which he began. In his only season in charge at Macclesfield, his team won promotion to National League North with 109 points and 109 goals.

Forest Green appointed Savage on 1 July 2025. In his only full season there, the club reached the National League play-offs but lost to Boreham Wood. That campaign gives Peterborough supporters a more recent example of his management, although it came in a different league and with a different squad.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire reporter Paul Furley described Savage’s favoured formation as 4-2-3-1. Furley said Forest Green scored 82 goals in Savage’s full season, compared with 69 the season before. The defensive figure moved the other way: goals conceded rose from 42 to 52. The figures offer evidence of a more prolific attack at Forest Green, alongside more goals allowed.

Furley also said Savage rebuilt much of Forest Green’s squad and pointed to reducing the wage bill as one of his tasks and achievements. Some recruits came from lower levels, he said, and needed opportunities to establish themselves as full-time professionals. Peterborough’s position near the foot of League One makes the question of how quickly Savage can work with his new squad especially relevant.

How supporters describe his previous spells

Forest Green supporter Damian Ockham told the BBC that Savage was good at meeting and speaking with fans and would face up to results, whether good or bad. Ockham said the side generally played good football, but also described a difficult period of transition with players arriving and leaving. His assessment reflects both the connection Savage made and the disruption around the team.

Macclesfield supporter Mark Sharpley praised the record-setting promotion and Savage’s willingness to speak with supporters. Sharpley also said the manner of his departure left a sour taste. These accounts suggest Savage’s public presence has mattered at his previous clubs, while showing that supporters did not view every part of those spells in the same way.

Savage’s first days at Peterborough

The Press Association reported that Savage was expected to meet Peterborough’s players on Sunday before taking charge of Tuesday’s Football League Trophy tie against Ipswich Under-21s. Those are the first reported steps in his new role; the available reporting does not specify a contract length beyond ‘long-term’ or establish what transfer plans the club may pursue.

The BBC reported that Savage is set to continue co-hosting BBC Radio 5 Live’s 606 football phone-in alongside managing Peterborough. For now, the clearest measure of what changes on the pitch will come from his team’s performances. His previous sides’ scoring records and his comments explain the approach he wants, while Peterborough’s league position shows the challenge he has accepted.