Pals ready for touchline fight

Fleetwood head coach Uwe Rosler says he admires his friend Karl Robinson's style of play as the duo prepare to do battle on Saturday, when Robinson brings his newly relegated MK Dons side to Highbury.
Uwe RoslerUwe Rosler
Uwe Rosler

Rosler has come up against Robinson’s Dons side as Brentford boss and Leeds manager.

But despite their friendship, Rosler says they are both competitive and will be fighting it out tomorrow.

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The Town boss said: “I know Karl very well. He is a good friend of mine. He plays the game in the right way. I have always admired his style of play. He has shown that he could go up into the Championship with that style of play.

“I think the team did very well in the Championship. They competed very well over long spells and over the years he has done a very good job for them.

“We know how they will play. Karl is very consistent in how he plays football and I like his style. I like the way he sets up his team but we also know how to deal with this.”

“He is a scouser and I am a Mancunian and we are very competitive but I think we like each other in general.

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“We have big respect but you will see us fighting on the touchline, though afterwards everything will be forgotten.

“He has consistency in his beliefs of getting the ball down and playing a certain way, and I appreciate his work and like him as a person.

“We are friends but in the 90 minutes we will have a go at each other in a competitive way.

“Afterwards we will have a drink and we are always on the phone to each other with support.”

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Rosler’s men are seventh in the League One table and are yet to be beaten at home in the league, while Robinson’s Dons side are 17th after eight games.

But Rosler expects the Dons, as well as Town’s next opponents Bradford and Sheffield, to be battling it out for automatic promotion come the spring.

He said: “I think you have to watch the table after 10 or 15 games.

“Some teams et recruitment later in the transfer window and sometimes that means they need a little more times to gel.

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“When that happens they may not get results immediately but will eventually, so in the end I think, yes, they will be there.

“The next three games we face – MK, Bradford and Sheffield United – are against three teams I believe will be challenging for automatic promotion.

MK Dons eventually will get a run together. There is no question about it because they have the players who are top League One and even Championship-proven players. They will be there.”

Fleetwood’s away game at Bristol Rovers on October 8 has been rearranged for Tuesday November 1 (7.45pm kick off) due to international commitments.