Fleetwood Town boss happy to be back on home soil after successful Hungary tour

Barton’s squad flew back yesterday following wins over Slovakian second tier side STK Fluminese Samarin (4-1), a Rotherham development side behind closed doors (5-0) and Hungarian outfit Zalaegerszegi TE (2-0).

Barton said: “It has been a really good week. We got lots done that we needed to do.

“It is always nice to get back to the familiarity of your own training ground and the lads get back to their own beds.

“But the upside was that we got more time with the players to get to know them a bit better on and off the training pitch, so all in all a really positive week.”

Conor McAleny and Jack Sowerby returned for the Zalaegerszegi game after knocks, while newly appointed captain Craig Morgan and Eddie Clarke were rested.

Barton said: “It was not ideal playing a side that wanted to get behind the ball and did not show an awful amount of ambition on a dry and sticky pitch, but the lads figured a way round it and managed to get what we needed out of the game.

“We should have probably won a little bit more comfortably. On a drier pitch I would expect us to put another couple of goals in.”

Barton brought his squad in for training a week before most League One clubs to get “football fit” and he said: “We are exactly where we wanted to be. We have got a body of work into the team that we wanted to do. They have come back in a lot better shape and a lot more open-minded in terms of the new ideas and that new way we want to play. They have really taken that on.

“We have played five games, won five, conceded two goals and scored 18. I know it is only friendlies but they are really good indicators.”

Keeper Alex Cairns is yet to concede in pre-season and is reported to be a target for Championship Bristol City.

Barton added: “Al has not had much to do and hopefully that continues for the 46 League games. It is the team’s job to defend and make his job as easy as possible.”