Barry Nicholson: Fleetwood Town should be relishing the job of facing Ipswich Town

Assistant head coach Barry Nicholson feels that Fleetwood Town should be relishing their upcoming challenges as they look to maintain their League One status, with Ipswich Town their next opponents.
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The Cod Army go into their third of four huge games in their season, all against sides that have been tipped to be in the top six.

Fleetwood are two points clear of the drop but have been struggling to win games, they have been drawing – five of their last seven – and slowly picking up points, but not quite getting over the line.

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Town welcome a fellow Town, in Ipswich, who have high aspirations this season and have picked up since Kieran McKenna was put in charge at Portman Road.

Former Fleetwood Town winger Wes Burns is in fine form ahead of his reunion.Former Fleetwood Town winger Wes Burns is in fine form ahead of his reunion.
Former Fleetwood Town winger Wes Burns is in fine form ahead of his reunion.

“This little run of games that we've had, Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic, Ipswich and Sunderland on Tuesday night - these are the games that you want to play in,” Nicholson said.

"These lads are going to thrive off going to these places. I just hope that our performances can turn into good points that will give the lads confidence.

"Ipswich have got a really good squad, they have fire power at the top end of the pitch.

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"At the weekend they had James Norwood playing, Sone Aluko in the hole and the people sitting on the bench - Bersant Celina, Conor Chaplin, Joe Pigott.

"It's something we've got to look at and be aware of and block them out, then on the other hand we have to play our stuff and do what we can and try and hurt them going the other way.

“We watched them against Morecambe the other day, they're certainly in a position where they can push for the play-offs.

"It's a different kind of pressure, they have the pressure of trying to make the play-offs, we have the pressure of trying to get away from the other end of the table. If both teams are at it, it should be a really good fixture.”

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There will be familair faces for both camps this weekend, as Ellis Harrison and Toto Nsiala prepare to face the former side and so too do Wes Burns and Janoi Donacien.

The latter spent the second half of last season on loan at Highbury whereas Burns spent four years on the Fylde coast.

The Welshman, who lit up the right wing for Fleetwood, only lacked goals in his time at the club but having netted his ninth of the season at Morecambe on Saturday, that is no longer an issue.

“Wes did a lot of work on his finishing whilst he was here, I know he's transformed himself into a wing back but with his pace and power getting into the top end of the pitch, it's something we have to be aware of going into the weekend,” Nicholson said.

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"He's done a lot of work on his end product so it doesn't surprise me to see him scoring goals.

"When players are working here at Fleetwood you want to make them better, if they go on to bigger moves to better their career I'm quite happy to see that happen.

"Hopefully he doesn't do too well at the weekend. If he's on an off day on Saturday then turns it on again next week then I'll be happy.”