‘Eventually it becomes unachievable’: Peterborough owner fires warning to Portsmouth, Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley & Co over race for Championship

The Peterborough owner believes surprise league leaders Plymouth are threatening to leave the rest of the third-tier field behind, along with Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town.

MacAnthony’s side sit in fourth spot above Pompey on goal difference, with 22 points to the name.

Danny Cowley’s men crucially have two games in hand on their rivals, but there’s now a seven-point gap to Sheffield Wednesday in third.

It’s eight points which need to be bridged to reel in Ipswich in second place, while it’s a substantial 12 points to Plymouth at the League One summit.

That’s a concern for MacAnthony, who is clear about the ambitions of his club and returning to the Championship at the first attempt after last season’s relegation.

The worry for the Irishman is being caught in a chasing pack with the likes of Pompey, with the teams above them building an unassailable advantage.

Speaking on his The Hard Truth: Inside the Football Industry podcast, MacAnthony said: ‘I don’t table watch, but you don’t want the top two to get away from you either.

‘And I don’t like the fact they are 10 or 13 points ahead of us after 14 games. That’s too much and that’s not good.

‘Where we wanted to be and what we wanted to do, we’re way behind,

‘So we have a lot of catching up to do. That’s why get p***** off every time we s*** the bed like we did on Saturday.

‘Every time we s*** the bed, we’re one step further away - and there’s a lot of good teams in our league.

‘Look at Wednesday, Ipswich and Plymouth, god bless them who’ve been phenomenal out there on their own.

‘Eventually it becomes unachievable and you’re just in a melee. I don’t like that, not with the investment, the cost of the squad and wage bill we have. That’s not what we wanted or where we should be.

‘That’s the frustration with the results sometimes, but it is what it is It’s nothing seven, eight or nine wins in a row won’t fix!’