Wright insisted Fry's continued presence at the club was a positive factor. He is adamant they will work in perfect harmony, while Fry revealed that Wright will not be under pressure to deliver immediate success.

Wright said: "I will stress that I will be in sole charge of picking the team and organising the training, but I would be a fool if I didn't pick Barry's brains from time to time.

"Indeed one of the biggest reasons for me accepting this position is Barry himself. I pride myself in my preparation and in doing my homework, but I don't profess to know everything.

"All of us have to learn and I believe Barry's expertise in the transfer market and of bringing young players through and selling them on is second to none.

"It is part of the job that I need to become better at and to be able to work alongside someone like Barry and to have him tutor me is something I really wanted.

"I am really, really pleased to be given the opportunity to be manager here and I know myself and Barry will make it work.

"I am a training ground man, I find board meetings very boring so Barry will look after that sort of thing and that's fine by me

"I'm not the sort of person who will predict where we will finish, but I will guarantee the players will give 100 per cent and if that happens I am sure we can do things."

Fry is also confident in his ability to work successfully with his successor to the London Road hotseat.

Fry, who quit after a club record nine years at the helm, said: "Mark's job is to identify the players and my job is to try and get them in on the budget we have set.

"I promise that Mark and I will have no problems whatsoever working together and I have assured him he will have no interference from me in the day to day running of the team or in selection.

"I want Mark to concentrate on what he's good at and that is getting the best out of players and of getting results.

"But it won't be Mark's fault if we don't get promotion next season. He is inheriting 19 players and some of them he won't want, but won't be able to get rid of. I expect Mark to be in a much better position this time next year, but for the moment he will be under absolutely no pressure from us. If we go up that's great, but if we don't, no-one should panic."

Acting Posh chairman Steve Holt added: "Mark's three-year contract as team manager states that he will control training, team selection, motivation and fitness programmes.

"He will identify new players for the club and will assist with the disposal of those players not required, while working within a strict budget."


WRIGHT will be bringing a new backroom team to London Road. He has identified an assistant manager and new physio who will be revealed at a later date.

Last season's coaching staff of Jimmy Quinn, John Morling and Andy Legg have left the club along with physio Paul Showler.


WRIGHT will build his Posh team from the back, as befits an international class centre-half.

Wright said: "I watched Posh three times last season and I wasn't impressed at all with some of the defending. The 5-0 defeat at Tranmere was a glaring example and I won't allow performances like that.

"One of my biggest strengths is improving defences and when we won the Conference at Chester we only conceded 34 goals all season. We only conceded 31 the season before that.

"I want an organised, fit side that knows how to defend. I learnt an astonishing statistic the other day about the number of points Posh lost to late goals and that tells me fitness levels aren't what they should be."

Wright is also big on team spirit and he will insist on current and prospective Posh players relocating to the area.

He added: "Some of the players live quite far afield and I don't like that. I don't see how you can get team spirit and togetherness living so far apart and it is something we will be talking to these players about.

"We will be insisting that all players we do sign will relocate to the area. If they don't, they won't be coming.''

"I have had to make sacrifices with my children to do that and if I'm going to, the players should as well."