Clark shaking up the season

Rosler has been crowned as manager of the season by the EFL for his revolution on the Fylde coast with Fleetwood Town third in the League One table as they head to relegation battling Bury.

Clark has had his own impact at Gigg Lane; the ex-Blackpool manager took over in February when Bury were in the bottom four and has averaged two points a game since his arrival with four wins, two draws and one defeat from his seven games.

The run of one defeat in seven has seen the Shakers climb out of the drop zone to 17th but Town head to Greater Manchester on the back of their own fine run with just one defeat in 21 league games.

Town have kept 12 clean sheets in that run and Clark was full of praise for Rosler.

He said: “Uwe has done tremendously well and what he has done with Fleetwood challenging at the top of the table is probably the story of the season.

“His team does not concede goals. I’m sure they’ll be very respectful of us as we’ll be to them.

“Both teams play the same system, 3-5-2, so it will probably come down to who can win the individual battles on the day. They will be without Conor McLaughlin, who has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad, but I wish Uwe all the best, I just hope he’s not too happy when we share a cup of tea after the game.”

But it is not only Town’s ability to shut out teams that Clark needs to be wary of.

A goalless draw in the reverse fixture is one of only three league games that Town have failed to fire in.

McLaughlin was named in the EFL’s team of the season alongside Bury forward James Vaughan.

Vaughan has fired 21 goals in 33 appearances since joining from Birmingham City on a free transfer in the summer.

The former Everton and Leicester City man is the first Shakers striker to hit the 20-goal mark for a season since Ryan Lowe notched 28 in the 2010/11 League Two promotion campaign.

Speaking about the national recognition for Vaughan Clark said: “(Vaughan’s inclusion in the League One team) doesn’t surprise me, it’s one of the easiest decisions they could have made.

“The thing with James is he’s not only a goalscorer, he has a great work ethic and attitude, which really fits well with our pressing game.

“He has everything that you want from a striker – pace and power. What he has done for a team that has struggled in the bottom half is phenomenal.”