Grant McCannknows the task at hand is not a small one after watching his Peterborough United side capitulate at the hands of his former employers Hull City.

Tyler Smith’s first Sky Bet Championship goal and a brace from young star Keane Lewis-Potter took The Tigers 14 points clear of the relegation zone with just 11 games to play.

  • “We gifted them the three goals”

It was a disappointing return to Cambridgeshire for club legend McCann who was starting his second managerial spell at The Posh.

“It was really frustrating,” McCann said after the game.

“We have only had a day or so to work with this group after Fulham on Wednesday evening, it is a long trek back.

“But that wasn’t the excuse today, we gifted them the three goals.

“Keane Lewis-Potter is a great player for this level,” McCann said of his former player.

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It was a very unconvincing performance from his new charges, who took more than 80 minutes to register a shot on target.

“These are things we have got to learn from, things to get better at because there is a lot of potential in this group,” he said.

“That losing feeling that is around the place at the minute and try and replace that with a positive mentality.”

McCann alluded to the fact that his squad contains multiple promotion winners from last season so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue to do that.

He masterminded the Tigers to the League One title ahead of Posh last season, so knows what it takes to get a winning feeling back at the club. 

“I thought we did start quite well, we started on the front foot but the goal knocked us a bit.

“There are loads of things for us to get better at and improve.

“I just said to the boys to be better at transitions, quicker on reactions but these things take time for the players to adapt to me,” he said.

  • Not a happy return but McCann delighted to be back

After being sacked by Peterborough in 2018, the former midfielder has had a good managerial career away from the club.

“It was lovely but it was a bit strange to be honest with you being back.”

That is now 11 Championship games without a win for Peterborough United, who slumped to the bottom of the table after the defeat and the former Doncaster manager thinks there is a lack of belief in the air at London Road.

“You have got to get over it,” McCann said.

“That’s my job, to carry the burden and that is going to take a while.

“It is about belief, it is about confidence in your ability and they are a really good group of boys but nobody in there is believing it.

“These things are going to take a bit of time to get right, but we will get it right.

“Today hurt everybody but we are going to move quickly, it’s not a quick fix but does that mean we are going to win? No.

“It is going to take time to get to a consistent level.”

  • City tie a welcome distraction

McCann’s second game back at the club is the unenviable task of taking on Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup on Tuesday.

“It will be a fantastic game for the club and for the city, and the players I am sure,” the Posh boss said.

“They are one of the best teams in the world, and we look forward to it.

“We have to make sure we recover the players right and get enough sleep, have enough rest and get to it in training.”

After the dream cup tie with  City on Tuesday, Posh travel to Huddersfield on Friday evening looking to climb off the foot of the table.