IN the week after the five-year anniversary of Mark Cooper’s appointment at the helm of today’s opponents Peterborough United the Town boss has described football management as like ‘playing snakes and ladders’.

Preparing to face his former club, Cooper insists he will not be fazed by any abuse he gets from the stands at London Road. The 45-year-old former Posh chief is remembered less than fondly in Peterborough after overseeing one win in his 13 game tenure from November 2009 to February 2010, as his United side struggled in the Championship.

In article mpu However the passing football and successful start to this season has brought him acclaim from the Swindon faithful. Town fans have really bought into his tactical philosophy and been buoyed by wins over the likes of Sheffield United, Preston and most recently Bristol City.

It is for those graphic contrasts in fortune that Cooper has seen it appropriate to compare his line of work to a board game of chance.

Reflecting on his management career, Cooper said: “It’s like snakes and ladders. One moment you’re on top of the board and the next you land on a big cobra and you’re all the way down to the bottom and you have to start again.

“That’s certainly what happened to me. I had a couple of years where I was out of the game because of the Peterborough experience I got my little bit of luck coming to Swindon and I tend to make the most of it.”

Asked if there was one thing he would learn from his post-playing career so far the Town boss stated: “You have to pick your jobs wisely.”

Cooper will not be bothered by any harsh words coming his way at London Road, he believes it focuses him more on the job at hand but think the Posh fans will be more concerned with getting behind their own team.

“It’s five years ago I'm sure they’ve completely forgotten about me,” he added in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

“They’ve got a good manager who’s done really well there and I’m sure they’ll be concentrating all their efforts on their team and getting behind them rather than abusing me.”