INSIDE TRACK ON BARTON’S TACTICS
PACE, POWER AND EXPERIENCE – FLEETWOOD COULD POSE A HUGE THREAT
Joey Barton will bring his Fleetwood Town side to the Stadium of Light for the very first meeting between the two sides.
Ahead of the League One clash, we spoke to
Fleetwood reporter for the Fleetwood Weekly News & Blackpool Gazette, to get the inside track on Barton, his tactics and what Sunderland should expect. what you certainly will not see from this Barton team is a lack of work ethic or endeavor. in January but James Husband has been brought in on-loan from Norwich City and has started Town’s last three league games.
He has made a difference, building up a partnership with striker turned winger Ash Hunter on that left flank.
Town were guilty of poor game management against Rochdale, conceding in the dying embers after controlling the game.
But in a similar position at home to Bradford but with the added slight of 10-men they never looked like conceding in the latter stages – a constant cycle of improvement. Barton’s motto of ‘you win or you learn’ put in practice on the pitch. limitation and a population of just under 26,000 at the last census the club has a small but dedicated fan base.
Like Barton’s underdog team they do bring the noise, the fans praised for their cheer at Charlton in the club’s last league away clash by defender Ash Eastham.
Fleetwood are unbeaten on the road in the league and are yet to concede on the road in the league to date. With that strong base Town are far from short of firepower.
If they score, they will score more than one with the counter-attacking ability leading to gaps their experienced hitmen and pacy wingers can exploit.
Don’t believe me? Just look at that blistering 20-minute demolition of Scunthorpe at Glanford Park.
Final score: Sunderland 0 Fleetwood 2