Robbie Savage has wasted little time in telling Peterborough United's players what he thinks of them. The new Posh head coach, confirmed in the job last week as the replacement for Luke Williams, used his first public comments in the role to challenge the squad to change their "mentality" and stop what he regards as a pattern of underachieving.

"We've got to get rid of this mentality of let's stop the opposition, it's about them. No, it's about us," Savage told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "Let's be us, let's go and play, let's have a go, let's entertain. It's about us, it's about our fans."

The 51-year-old was speaking after his first match in charge, a 4-1 EFL Trophy win over Ipswich Town Under-21s on Tuesday in which Peterborough scored four goals inside nine first-half minutes. It is, of course, a cup tie against junior opposition rather than a League One examination, and Savage acknowledged as much, calling it "a positive start" rather than drawing any grand conclusions.

His first league test comes at the weekend, when Posh travel away for their opening League One fixture under his management. Savage revealed the club expects more than 3,200 supporters to make the trip, and he was unambiguous about what he owes them.

"I want them [the players] to entertain our fans," he said. "These players are underachieving. If we can get the best out of them, we can beat anybody."

That is a pointed message from a manager who has barely had a week with his squad. Whether it lands as intended or simply increases the pressure on a dressing room that has already changed head coach will become clearer fairly quickly. Savage, who left National League side Forest Green Rovers immediately before taking the Posh job, arrives without a lengthy track record at this level, and the directness of his language carries its own risk: it raises expectations before a ball has been kicked in League One.

What is not in question is the style he is aiming for. Savage described his approach as "high energy" and "relentless", and said he fully accepts the trade-off that comes with it.

"We will concede goals the way we play, I accept that," he said. "It's a tough way to play."

The EFL Trophy victory, for what it is worth, did carry one piece of practical value: it secured Peterborough's place in the last 32 of the competition, which the club won for a joint-record third time in 2025. But Savage was clear that Tuesday mattered mainly as a blueprint, a chance for the players to absorb his methods in a competitive but lower-stakes environment before League One fixtures start counting properly.

Posh's supporters will have heard managerial arrivals come with bold words before. The proof, as ever, will come in points. But after what Savage himself characterised as an underperforming period, few at London Road are likely to argue with the diagnosis, even if the cure remains to be demonstrated.

With a large away following already organised and a clear tactical identity being preached from day one, at least the opening chapters of the Savage era are being written loudly. Whether the players have the quality to turn his high-energy philosophy into third-tier results is the question that the League One fixture list will answer soon enough.

Frequently asked

Who is the new Peterborough United manager?
Robbie Savage was confirmed as Peterborough United head coach last week, replacing Luke Williams. He previously managed National League side Forest Green Rovers.
What was Robbie Savage's first game in charge of Peterborough?
Savage's first match was a 4-1 EFL Trophy win over Ipswich Town Under-21s, with Posh scoring four goals in nine first-half minutes.
What style of play does Robbie Savage want Peterborough to use?
Savage wants a high-energy, pressing, attacking style. He has described it as 'relentless' and says he accepts the side may concede more goals as a consequence of playing so openly.