Joey Barton: No hard feelings on manager of the month award but I hope 'curse' strikes

Fleetwood Town head coach Joey Barton says he doesn’t mind missing out on the Sky Bet League One manager of the month award.
Joey Barton says Coventry's Mark Robins deserved the manager of the month accoladeJoey Barton says Coventry's Mark Robins deserved the manager of the month accolade
Joey Barton says Coventry's Mark Robins deserved the manager of the month accolade
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Barton said: “It’s nice to be nominated but there are some good managers in there, who are also on good runs. We’re not the only ones on a good run.

“For me, at this stage of the season there is also the old curse of the manager of the month. When I saw the nominations the other day, I was thinking, ‘Hopefully it’s not me!’

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“The last thing I need is another bookend. I’ve got one from earlier in the season and it keeps my books up quite nicely.

“They’re lovely awards to get and it’s nice to get recognition, but Mark’s team are top of the table and in a really good run of form. It’s totally deserved for them.

“Hopefully he gets what normally comes with it – a defeat on Saturday! We need everything we can to try to catch Coventry.

“We were disappointed not to win at Portsmouth on Tuesday because that’s two points, added to the two (also dropped) against Sunderland and Blackpool. We’re looking at it thinking we could be a point behind Coventry with all to play for.

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“Credit to them – they have lost only three games all season and deservedly sit at the top. It’s up to the chasing pack to get our finger out and make it difficult for them.

“Hopefully this disease (coronavirus) doesn’t put paid to what looks like a lovely finish to League One, but if it does I suppose there are bigger things than football.”

Fleetwood visit Gillingham tomorrow and Barton said: “They need to win to give themselves a chance of the play-offs. Steve (Evans, Gills boss) knows how to set a team up in this division. It will be 4-4-2, a diamond. They tend to let you have the ball in certain areas and try to start attacks by winning the ball off you. They are a very tricky opponent on their patch, with long throws and physicality in both boxes.

“The signing of (John) Akinde bulks them up and it’s going to be a thorough examination of us. It will probably be as tough a game as we’ve had in this last period or at least as tough as all the top sides we’ve been to.

“We’re under no illusions that this is not going to be all Fleetwood. They’re fighting for their lives to keep themselves attached to that group chasing the play-offs.”