Town boss keen to keep Christmas tradition

Rosler came over to England from East Germany in the 1990s and soon carved his name into Manchester City folklore but says the yearly Boxing Day and New Year games were alien at first.

While Rosler has grown to love the Christmas fixtures and says the ‘unusual’ festive fixtures in England need to stay, he says a continental-style winter break could come in handy later on in January.

He also sees the back-to-back home games against Bury on Boxing Day and Oldham Athletic on New Year’s Eve – as well as the game ay Shrewsbury two days later – as a way of picking up points quickly and rising up the league.

He said: “For me as a foreigner it was unusual to play over Christmas but I really enjoyed it because it is a special day for families to go to football.

“I think with a good run over Christmas you can make up a lot of ground and put yourself in a very good position.

“It is unusual, the Christmas programme in England, but I think that is the fascination. I would always keep this Christmas and New Year period of football; a winter break would making more sense maybe in January.”

Fleetwood host Bury on Monday and Rosler wants his players to enjoy the special family occasion without letting their peparation slide.

He says: “I don’t think we need to have a special way to prepare the team because it is Christmas. I think it is very important that the players realise the 25th is a day of celebration; it is a family day, but it is also a day of preparation.”