Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton welcomes 'real coaching hours' as frantic pace eases

Joey Barton says the relentless fixture schedule forces Fleetwood Town to prioritise

Callum Camps on the free-kick he'd been waiting for

Having played on four successive Tuesdays, Town now have a break from midweek action before a hectic December.

For the Cod Army’s head coach, it’s a chance to get to grips with training at Poolfoot Farm, something which isn’t always possible when the need for rest between matches restricts the squad to light sessions.

Barton’s immediate task is to prepare his side for the League One visit of Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Argyle pulled level with eighth-placed Town after playing out a 2-2 draw with Portsmouth on Monday.

Barton welcomes the chance to do some more coaching and knows Plymouth will pose a tough test.

He said: “It’s nice we can rest. We obviously want to win every football game but in terms of the relentlessness of a League One campaign we’ve got a free week, which is a rarity.

“It will allow us to get on the training ground and coach them, and get some real coaching hours into the team.

“They benefited from that last Thursday because a lot of them didn’t play on Tuesday (in the EFL Trophy win over Sunderland), so we could prep for the game on Saturday (a 4-1 win at Bristol Rovers).

“It sets us up nicely for Plymouth, which will be a tough test at our place. I think they are on a good run themselves,”

Town are again earmarked for four midweek games next month, and with such a congested schedule Barton admits he has to prioritise.

The league comes first for the Town boss , who also has his eyes on a Wembley appearance in the EFL Trophy after his side won their regional group.

Barton added: “We managed to rest some of the bodies last Tuesday and we still managed to beat Sunderland (2-1), so that was nice and to progress in a cup competition which we feel we can win. The ones you think you can win you should prioritise.

“The FA Cup is normally prioritised because of the financial impact it can have. But with the revenues not being what they were and fans not being in the stadium, you look at the fixture list and think, ‘It’s great if we win but if we don’t our bread and butter is the league campaign.’

“The EFL Trophy is a legitimate shot for us to get a Wembley cup final and win one. You have to prioritise what your aims and ambitions are.”

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