OPINION: January can be a crucial month for Fleetwood Town again

It has been, so far, OK for Fleetwood Town this season.
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I’d be tempted to say it has been good but I think, with the ambition that the playing squad and staff have, currently being outside of the League One play-off places is probably below where they would expect to be.

They are within reach, however, and Joey Barton has always stressed that they only need to be close when crunch time approaches to make things happen, so on that front, things are going well.

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Town’s season only started once the transfer window closed, an influx of new faces coming in right at the death, with Tom Edwards, Callum Connolly and Charlie Mulgrew among the key players that arrived at Highbury.

Fleetwood Town head coach Joey Barton  Picture: Stephen Buckley/PRiME Media Images LimitedFleetwood Town head coach Joey Barton  Picture: Stephen Buckley/PRiME Media Images Limited
Fleetwood Town head coach Joey Barton Picture: Stephen Buckley/PRiME Media Images Limited

A youthful Cod Army won their opening four matches of the campaign before four defeats followed and eyes turned to recruitment.

Once again, the Town hierarchy were successful in their business and improved the squad.

Probably the best way to describe Town’s season so far is patchy.

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They’re capable of putting a string of results together, two or three – sometimes four – but not often more than that.

Last season, they were fired up the table by a prolonged period of winning games but, most importantly, not losing.

They also picked up points from pretty much all of the teams around them at the top end of the table.

This season, they haven’t had too much trouble against the top sides; it’s putting away those that they should.

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As Barton has said in the lead-up to some of the games, they are the type that Town should be winning if they want to be right up there this season – losses to Blackpool, Accrington Stanley, Northampton Town and Rochdale come to mind.

You’ll never have a perfect season but if Fleetwood had won half of those games, they’d be second in the table and three points off the top.

Ifs and buts, I know, but these are the fine margins that can define campaigns.

Town have made a decent start, they’re positioned to push on and there’s still room for them to grow and improve, even with their current crop – but where do they go from here?

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January is generally a decider in Fleetwood’s season. They do some very good business in the winter window and last year’s dealings simply got them into the play-offs.

After bringing in the new loan signings last season – and a frank discussion after defeat at Burton Albion – Town were a force to be reckoned with.

There will, again, need to be signings made.

The elephant in the room is, of course, Ched Evans.

Barton’s recent revelation that the Welshman will no longer be considered for the team came as a surprise.

It means that Town are without one of their two main strikers, someone who has scored goals consistently at this level and is an experienced and well-liked pro at Poolfoot.

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Replacing Evans isn’t just bringing in someone to score, they must hold it up and be a foil for others, be smart on the ball and know the way Barton likes his systems to be played.

If Evans leaves, as will be the plan from the club’s point of view, it will free up some decent wages to be spent on any new faces, but Town haven’t been ones to spend too much on fees of late.

Other players can step up too. We haven’t yet seen the Barrie McKay of last season, neither the goals from Josh Morris that we’re used to.

There is certainly more to come from this group regardless of incomings, though it’s likely there will be a few if history is anything to go by.

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The forward area is obviously a focus short-term, though Fleetwood also seem to have found a bit of a formula at the back and the midfield – on paper – is as strong as any in the division.

The pieces are there, and while it’s easy to say the pandemic has meant for patchy form, I don’t think Barton and his staff will accept that.

I think their resolve will only strengthen as we get to the business end of the season, and having made moves in the market, we could be on for a repeat of the second half of last season.

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