{"id":799033,"date":"2026-10-11T10:06:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T10:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/799033\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T10:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T10:06:10","slug":"robbie-savage-the-panto-villain-puts-scepticism-aside-to-leave-leicester-reeling-peterborough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/799033\/","title":{"rendered":"Robbie Savage the panto villain puts scepticism aside to leave Leicester reeling | Peterborough"},"content":{"rendered":"

It felt as though the stars had aligned when Robbie Savage\u2019s first League One match in charge of Peterborough<\/a> \u2013 his first EFL managerial role \u2013 happened to be at Leicester. He made his name here and forged a divisive and enduring reputation that has kept him a permanent fixture in English football.<\/p>\n

Savage has long been a joker figure \u2013 an image born in his playing days, when he hurtled around midfields with long blond hair bouncing, launching into challenges that at one point made him the most booked player in Premier League history. A pantomime villain, a prankster and an eccentric who was once fined \u00a310,000 by the Football Association<\/a> \u2013 and two weeks\u2019 wages by Leicester \u2013 for using referee Graham Poll\u2019s toilet before a match (Savage blamed an upset stomach brought on by antibiotics.)<\/p>\n

That persona followed him into the media after retirement and it hardly screams management material, yet Savage has quietly built a more serious reputation<\/a> on the touchline in recent years.<\/p>\n

At the phoenix club Macclesfield, he was handed his first chance in the dugout<\/a> by his mate Rob Smethurst, the owner, and won promotion to the National League North with a mammoth 109 points \u2013 winning 35 of 42 games. Last season, he guided Forest Green Rovers<\/a> to the National League playoffs, losing to Boreham Wood.<\/p>\n

Perhaps because of his personality, scepticism has shadowed the 51-year-old throughout his fledgling managerial career. In a lengthy interview with the Peterborough board, he won them over with his passion and ideas for restoring confidence in a young, talented, but struggling squad. Darragh MacAnthony, the club\u2019s chair, suggested Savage\u2019s character and work rate were required from \u201ctop to bottom\u201d at the club.<\/p>\n

Even so, when Savage took the Posh job he immediately addressed \u201cthe doubters\u201d before anyone had really expressed any doubt. He pointed out he was told he was not good enough when he was released by Manchester United \u2013 one of the forgotten members of the Class of \u201992 FA Youth Cup winners \u2013 and that he had battled his way into the Leicester team.<\/p>\n

At the King Power Stadium on Saturday, he was so animated on the touchline it bordered on parody. He approached the travelling Peterborough fans and pumped his fist towards them \u2013 a gesture most managers save for after a victory, but Savage performed before kick-off. He was equally lively when the game started, dressed in baggy dark grey trousers and jacket, if not crouching on the edge of his technical area then shouting instructions, clapping his hands, pointing his fingers. There was a lot of pointing.<\/p>\n

Robbie Savage gees up the Peterborough fans before kick-off with a few fist pumps (top left), then runs through a gamut of emotions during the match. Composite: James Holyoak\/Shutterstock; Michael Zemanek\/Shutterstock; Jez Tighe\/Prosports\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

His exertions were so energetic the jacket came off within 10 minutes. \u201cI\u2019m exhausted,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I\u2019ve done 10k in the technical area, kicking every ball for my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is no surprise he was handed a two-match ban last season for yellow cards received for over-exuberant celebrations and overexuberant discussions with officials. When Lucca Mendon\u00e7a crunched Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Savage leapt and punched the air with as much enthusiasm as he celebrated Owura Edwards\u2019s opening goal.<\/p>\n

Quick GuideLeague One: Plymouth on top; dream start for SavageShow<\/p>\n

Plymouth came from behind to beat Wimbledon 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal from substitute Xavier Amaechi which put them clear at the top of League One.\u00a0Jayden Stockley had put the Dons ahead in the 16th minute, with Caleb Watts equalising ahead of the break.\u00a0It looked like the points would be shared before Amaechi swept the ball home in the fifth minute of added time.<\/p>\n

New Peterborough manager Robbie Savage had a dream start with a 3-1 win at Leicester, to pile more pressure on Foxes\u2019 manager Russell Martin.\u00a0Posh took an early lead through Owura Edwards and Harry Leonard before an own goal from Warren O\u2019Hora made it 3-0 just before the break. Emil Riis scored a second-half consolation for the hosts.<\/p>\n

Mark Harris and Cameron Brannagan scored as high-flying Oxford secured a 2-1 win over Notts County at Meadow Lane.\u00a0Bradford were held to a goalless draw by Leyton Orient at Valley Parade, slipping two points behind Plymouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huddersfield missed the chance to go second after Sheffield Wednesday fought back with two late goals to snatch a 2-2 draw at the Accu Stadium after Jamal Lowe scored a penalty deep into stoppage-time.\u00a0Kyle Wootton scored twice as Stockport came from behind to beat Barnsley 3-1 at Edgeley Park to sit third.<\/p>\n

Gassan Ahadme\u2019s late goal gave fifth-placed Cambridge a 1-0 win over 10-man Blackpool at the Abbey Stadium, where there had been a 15 minute delay to kick-off because of issues affecting supporters entering the ground.<\/p>\n

Reading are sixth after a 5-1 away win at strugglers MK Dons while\u00a0Luton were comprehensive victors at Wycombe with a dominant 4-1 display to spoil a day of celebration for Tom Hounsell.\u00a0Efforts from Kasey Palmer, Nahki Wells, Jamie Donley and Devante Cole were more than enough against a home side who announced Hounsell as permanent head coach before the game.<\/p>\n

Leon Ayinde\u2019s first EFL goal was enough to move Doncaster out of the bottom four with a 1-0 home win over Burton.\u00a0Mansfield edged home 2-1 in their first ever game against Bromley to halt a run of four games without a victory.\u00a0Wigan remain adrift at the bottom of the table after a 1-0 defeat at Stevenage.<\/p>\n

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As at Macclesfield and Forest Green, his football was fast and direct. A ball over the top allowed Bolu Shofowoke to round the Leicester goalkeeper before Harry Leonard tapped in.<\/p>\n

The Posh fans started chanting Savage\u2019s name just before half-time, then called for him to give them a wave. But he was so engrossed in the Peterborough attack that led to their third goal that he didn\u2019t hear them.<\/p>\n

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That marauding style does leave them exposed at the back, but Savage doesn\u2019t care. \u201cMy philosophy is: the best players are at the top of the pitch,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I can get it there as quick as we can, by limiting the passes, but on the floor, through the lines, you can push the full-backs out. At times we were 2-1-1-6. That\u2019s how we play. We are open. But let\u2019s be brave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even then, Emil Riis\u2019s back-post tap-in \u2013 Savage, held his head in his hands as though the world was ending after conceding \u2013 took only a lick of gloss off the occasion. It was a stunning result for a side that in the league had won once all season, scored four times and gone seven weeks without a victory.<\/p>\n

Robbie Savage offers a theatrical response to Peterborough\u2019s victory at his former club Leicester in his first game in charge. Photograph: Jez Tighe\/ProSports\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just humble to come up against somebody like Russell Martin, who\u2019s managed in the Premier League,\u201d Savage said. \u201cTwo and a half years ago I was up at Hebburn and Stockton, playing in front of 200-300 people. My team have come to the King Power and put in a performance like that. I\u2019m so proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the final whistle, Savage hurried around the pitch, where he must have shaken the hand or slapped the back or hugged every player, coach and staff member from both teams. The Peterborough fans stood and chanted his name long before and well after he returned to pump his fist in celebration.<\/p>\n

Savage will be entertaining this season. And he might just surprise a few people with his football, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It felt as though the stars had aligned when Robbie Savage\u2019s first League One match in charge of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":799034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[218,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-799033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-football","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=799033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/799034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=799033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=799033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=799033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}