Next Permanent Peterborough United Manager: Top Five Candidates

Peterborough United are once again on the lookout for a new manager, following the dismissal of former Notts County manager Luke Williams at the weekend. Williams was sacked as Peterborough United manager following a 2-0 home defeat against then-winless Doncaster Rovers, bringing an end to his 11-month spell in charge at the Weston Homes Stadium.

The loss was the Posh' third in a winless five-game run in the league, which has them just one point above Wigan Athletic at the foot of the table.

Despite the miserable run in the third tier, Williams managed to guide Peterborough into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2009 after overseeing a 7-6 penalty shootout win against Barnsley in a game that finished 3-3 just four days earlier.

In this article, we take a look at the top candidates for the vacancy at the Weston Homes Stadium, as well as a collection of our free betting offers!

You know how the old saying goes...

"Fifth time's the charm?"

It is no surprise that Darren Ferguson is the name linked with the vacant position at Peterborough United. The Scot enjoyed four spells at the Weston Homes Stadium, to which he achieved four promotions at the club, as well as three successes in the EFL Trophy.

However, despite the early rumours, Darren Ferguson has reportedly ruled himself out of the running when speaking to the local press. Darren Ferguson and Peterborough Chairman, Darragh MacAnthony, appear on paper to have a good working relationship, but going down the same route for the fifth time is not on Ferguson's agenda at this stage, with the Scot looking for a director role in his next job in football.

Michael Duff was the first managerial casualty in League One this season, when Wycombe Wanderers decided to relieve the former Barnsley manager of his duties. Since the decision to remove Duff, the Chairboys have moved up to 14th in the league standings.

Duff has experience in the EFL, having won the League Two title with Cheltenham Town in 2021, and then the former Burnley defender moved on to former Premier League side Barnsley. His time with the Tykes saw Barnsley lose narrowly to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final in 2023, and he spent time in charge of Huddersfield Town in the Championship.

On 9 March 2025, Duff was dismissed at Huddersfield Town after a run of four defeats in five matches, which saw the Terriers fall out of the play-off positions with ten fixtures to go.

Matt Bloomfield has been without employment since June, when he resigned from his position at Oxford United, following their relegation from the Championship. A position he only took back in January.

Bloomfield is known for his tenure at Wycombe Wanderers, where he led the Chairboys to the automatic promotion places before leaving to take charge of Luton Town. Bloomfield's decision was an ill-fated one as Bloomfield failed to steer the Hatters out of the relegation zone.

Matt Bloomfield posts a modest win rate as manager with 41% and a return to surroundings in League One where he found his success, could be the route for Bloomfield.

Paul Heckingbottom makes this list, as the Barnsley-born manager was sacked a week before Luke Williams. Heckingbottom has managed at a higher level, with him being the only manager on this list to have managed in the Premier League during his time at Sheffield United.

Heckingbottom was dismissed as Preston North End manager having dragged them to the bottom of the Championship, with the Lilywhites winless in the league. Heckingbottom guided Barnsley to promotion from League One via the play-offs in 2016, before a brief spell at Leeds United and a stint with Hibernian in Scotland.

Compared to the other four managers on this list, Heckingbottom is the most high-profile, but with a lavish spend on sub-par acquisitions in the summer, money might be tight at the Weston Homes Stadium.

The last manager on this list, and what would be an ambitious coup for Peterborough United, is Dave Challinor, who is currently available.

Dave Challinor's time at Stockport County was excellent, as he led the Hatters from the National League all the way to the Football League. Challinor led Stockport County to back-to-back third-place finishes in League One and a play-off run to Wembley before resigning by mutual consent in June.

Whether Challinor takes an extended break remains to be seen, but an appointment like Challinor would align with the requirements set by Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony.