Michael Smith: Peterborough United 'failure' if not promoted

Michael Smith made 47 appearances for Peterborough United last season

Peterborough United defender Michael Smith says his side must win promotion out of League One for next season to be deemed a success.

Posh finished ninth last season under caretaker manager Dave Robertson, following the exit of Darren Ferguson.

Robertson has since taken full-time charge, and has signed Joe Gormley and Jack Collison for the new season.

"There were too many ups and downs last season. Anything but promotion is failure in my eyes," said Smith.

Robertson has been tasked with taking Posh into the Championship for the first time since 2013.

And Smith says that despite the primary goal being winning matches, they need to start to play entertaining football.

"Towards the end of last season they were just trying to win games, but this season it's winning with style," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"We want to play great football and put a show on for the fans.

"If it is a scrappy game and we win, I'm not too bothered about that, but we'd love to win playing comfortably, scoring goals, keeping clean sheets so we get the crowd with us and behind us.

"The boys here are quite young and naive, so the fact we scrapped through some games last season, they'll know how to win games like that."