PETERBOROUGH co-boss Jan Staechmann is confident his team can upset the odds when they begin their Elite League campaign on Good Friday.

PETERBOROUGH co-boss Jan Staechmann is confident his team can upset the odds when they begin their Elite League campaign on Good Friday.

The Readypower Panthers face local rivals King’s Lynn twice during the day, with their league-opener getting underway at the East of England Showground at 2pm and then the return fixture in Norfolk just a few hours later at 7pm.

But their title hopes have already been questioned before a wheel has been turned by Speedway Star magazine’s panel of experts, who list them as just eighth in their pre-season predictions.

Poole are not surprising fancied to emulate their 2011 title success, but Panthers are still listed below some less glamorous names and once again the publication’s rankings has created a talking point.

Early season results around the league have made the bookmakers have a bit of a re-think with their original listings, with SkyBet cutting their odds to equal fifth best at 9-1 to win the end of season play-offs, but Staechmann is quietly confident the club can also prove them wrong and achieve an eventual top four finish.

He said: “We may not be odds-on favourites to win the Elite League, but I think we can certainly cause some damage along the way.

“The play-offs are our target and it is a realistic goal I think we can achieve.

“Some people will always be quick to judge, but we’re not overly concerned what the ‘experts’ think and we hope to do our talking on the track.

“We can’t be too concerned with what other teams are doing, we can only do our own job and the potential for us is certainly there.

“The riders like the Showground and it is important we again make it a fortress – plus of course also pick up some points on our travels.”