A Full Clear-Out and Rebuild is Needed - Notes For Fleetwood Town Friday, 4th Mar 2022 15:00 by TomTheWriter As Town visit Fleetwood looking to get back to winning ways after back-to-back draws, TomTheWriter assesses the mood in the opposition camp. With the recent midweek fixtures cementing the Blues in ninth place in League One, they need to average at least two points per game to stand any chance of reaching the play-offs this season. Their weekend opponents, Fleetwood Town, have gone eight games without a win and find themselves in a relegation battle. This season, Paddy Lane has been the bright spark in a struggling side, Harrison Biggins has provided goals from the midfield with Danny Andrew the set-piece specialist in defence. Stephen Crainey“When you talk with [Stephen] Crainey first thing on a Monday morning and he still has adrenaline pumping through his body with passion, it just makes me even more confident that we are going to get through this battle”, “Deserves an extension. Been a breath of fresh air”, “Never loved this club as much as I do right now, if you ever get chance nip by and see Crainey, what a guy.” After the departure of Simon Grayson in November of 2021, Crainey took over the reins as caretaker-manager for the next month, stepping up from the U23s. “Stephen Crainey has passion running in his blood”, “Thing I always like about Crainey is if it isn’t working he changes it”, “Crainey has them playing with belief and confidence, something that has been lacking for a long while.” After a successful spell as interim manager, Crainey was appointed head coach on a permanent deal until at least the end of the season with it likely his contract will be extended whatever the outcome of Fleetwood’s relegation battle. The State of Play“We have shown we can compete against the top sides, the only side to have done the double over Rotherham”, “More chance staying up with the Oracle as manager”, “We are the most unfit side in world football.” As it stands, the Cod Army find themselves in 19th place in League One with seven wins, 12 draws and 14 defeats from their 33 games.  “A full clear-out and rebuild is needed as the performances are painful to watch”, “What I still see is a team that are fighting for points and I don’t see a team that would do that if they didn’t believe in the manager”, “All season we’ve been awful defensively so why the hell do we drop back and try and hold out.” Fleetwood sit 10 places and 20 points behind Ipswich Town heading into the fixture on Saturday, with a victory over the hosts helping the Tractor Boys close the gap on the play-offs. The Squad Currently in the Fleetwood squad they have a number of young talents pushing through into the first team with Lane being the most recent success. Their weakest position looks to be their defence, with them dealing with the fourth-worst defensive record in League One this season. Strength-wise, the Cod Army fans have found a little to be positive about this season. However, on the other hand, they have found a few things to be negative about. “Not the effort from the lads, they just weren’t good or strong enough”, “We need to do some astute business in the summer”, “We are not physically strong enough to compete with teams.” Wigan Athletic 2-0 Fleetwood Town“This is the time we need to all stick together players and fans, so Joe Garner’s actions were even more unacceptable”, “Well done to the fans that travelled to Wigan last night. Was always going to be an uphill battle”, “Let's just keep on going. Getting behind the lads the best we can.” “Just back from injury and then petulance in the 97th minute. First, he kicks out, then plants his head into McClean’s chest”, “No leaders on pitch, full-backs not good enough, signed a centre-half that be lucky to get in a Conference team”, “We played an in-form team who have been put together to get out of this league with more squad money than we have been able to use. I think we did well not to go down 4-0.”  On Tuesday night, Fleetwood travelled to high-flying Wigan Athletic looking to break a run of seven games without a win. However, they were on the wrong end of a 2-0 result in which ex-Blues striker Joe Garner was sent off in the final minute. Portsmouth 3-3 Fleetwood Town“Inevitable, not even arsed about a great point away at Portsmouth we need to hold at 3-0. Shoddy that”, “The time wasting was embarrassing, eight minutes added on nowhere near enough justice that the goal came late”, “Y’all had a two-goal lead with like 10 minutes left. Come on.” “Crainey out, clueless [chairman Andy] Pilley should never have given a defender the job because if we go ahead we defend”, “Should have gone for a fourth to kill the game off”, “Giving away a penalty before half-time was also stupid, gives them some belief. We should have appointed an experienced manager.”  On the weekend, Fleetwood threw away a 3-0 lead away at Fratton Park, conceding twice in the final ten minutes of the game. Goalkeepers“Every goal was [Alex] Cairns’s fault! Shocking”, “Cairns’s save just now is the moment the Cods stayed up”, “Is Alex Cairns better than Manuel Neuer in his prime?” Fleetwood’s number one goalkeeper for the past few seasons, Cairns racked up his 200th Cod Army appearance on Tuesday night against Wigan.  “Welcome Kieran [O’Hara] enjoy your time with us”, “Good team, I would have liked O’Hara and [Daniel] Butterworth to start though”, “Good luck Kieran, get back to playing regularly and show again what a good keeper you are.” Picked up on deadline day, O’Hara had spent the season with Burton Albion before moving on the Fleetwood on a six-month deal. Spent a short time with Scunthorpe United on an emergency loan deal. Defenders“I can’t understand why [Tom] Clarke is on the subs bench, one of our best defenders this season”, “Clarke has been better in recent weeks but overall he’s been crap”, “That’s a superb win. All without Clarke and [Jordan] Rossiter, who are key figures for us in big positions”, Senior defender Clarke has been an ever-present at the back for Fleetwood this season, having been the perfect mentor for some of the younger defenders in the squad. “Zak Jules, class”, “Also a magnificent debut for Zac Jules. Well done Zac, man of the match for me. Keep up the great work”, “Zak Jules walked so [Paolo] Maldini can run.” After the departure of star centre-back James Hill to Bournemouth, Fleetwood set about replacing him with Jules from MK Dons, who came in on a six-month loan deal. “Looks like it’s gonna be a Paddy Lane or Carl Johnston midfield job for a bit”, “Carl Johnston is a wizard”, “Carl Johnston sounds interesting, helping out on two goals from right-back and only 19!” Having spent the first part of the season on loan at Farsley Celtic, Johnston came back to Fleetwood with a point to prove and a new contract in tow. Has started 11 of the last 16 games. “[Harrison] Holgate was the only player with an inch of passion today”, “Man of the match for me is Holgate, if I had to pick one, but by no means a good performance by anyone”, “Harrison Holgate that is superb defending. Two blocks in as many seconds.” The arrivals of Jules and [Toto] Nsiala looked to have been made to cover Hill’s departure, as well as an injury to Holgate. Hasn’t featured since the end of November after leaving the Wimbledon game on a stretcher. January Departure“Nsiala is actually OK on the ball”, “6ft 3in tall defender is just what we need in Fleetwood”, “Big Toto Nsiala up and causing nuisance from a Fleetwood corner.”  Aristote Nsiala Ex-Ipswich defender Nsiala switched Portman Road for the Highbury Stadium in January, ending a tough three-year spell with the Blues. Will be hoping for a start on Saturday. Full-Back“Great to see Callum [Johnson] back from injury”, “Callum Johnson getting another run out”, “Callum Johnson had another fabulous performance today!”  Callum JohnsonOn loan from Portsmouth for the season, Johnson has been Fleetwood’s most impressive full-back since they have switched to a 4-3-3 formation. The right-back will be hoping to impress the Portsmouth staff for the rest of the season.  “Great to see both Callum Johnson and Danny Andrew getting the recognition from fantastic performances on Saturday”, “The character to come back from a goal down in awful conditions said it all to me. Every player fought for every ball. Can’t ask for more. My man of the match was Callum Johnson”, “Callum Johnson assist.” Has three goals and one assist for the season and has shown his versatility at times in both the defence and midfield. Will be hoping to add more attacking threat to his game across the final 13 games of the season. Centre-Back“His celebration looked like he’s almost bored of scoring free-kicks”, “Honest to God, if Danny Andrew scores another free-kick tonight the man deserves to be knighted”, “Danny Andrew seems to be in the best goalscoring season of his career.” The master of the free-kick, Andrew sits with six goals and six assists this season from defence. His dead-ball ability has helped the Cod Army claim a lot of points this season.  “Danny Andrew does love a cross”, “Don’t you mean ‘Ooh baby, do you know what that’s worth? Danny Andrew is the best on earth!’?” Spent the majority of the season as the left centre-back in the 3-5-2, but has moved back to his favoured left-back spot since the change to a 4-3-3 system. Will be an interesting battle between him and Fleetwood old boy Wes Burns on Saturday. Midfielders“Callum Camps at times was the best player on the pitch”, “I thought Camps was one of our stand-out performers tonight, he could have had a couple goals”, “Something definitely brewing about Callum Camps! Seems far too strange for things to be quiet!” Had a long spell out injured across November and December, but has started nine of the last 11 games. Was heavily linked with a move to Bristol Rovers in January, but it never came to fruition. “Good to see [Daniel] Batty starting again”, “We simply played very badly today, not helped by Batty being sent off”, “Attacking outlet dropped a bit when Batty came off but overall I’d say we were very good going forward.” Batty had a run of eight consecutive starts in 2022, before missing the last two games due to an ankle injury suffered against Cheltenham Town. It’s not known how long he is out for, but has been described as a “bad one”. “Midfield losing the battle against Plymouth made me wonder about Rossiter. Anybody know what's up with him and when he should be back?”, “Jordan Rossiter would snap the opposing striker in the first five minutes”, “Jordan Rossiter is nearly fit to play.” Another midfielder missing due to injury, Rossiter hasn’t featured for Fleetwood since the 2-1 loss at home to Charlton in October. “Biggest positive of the second half. Looked quick, dribbled past a couple of Shrewsbury players and wasn’t afraid to take a long shot on. More of the same please”, “Thank God for Paddy as we still seem to be lacking a natural goalscorer, can't see Dan Butterworth banging them in anytime soon”, “Dan Butterworth playing as a left forward.” On loan from Blackburn Rovers for the rest of the season, Butterworth has featured in all five games since his arrival in January, starting the most recent defeat to Wigan at left midfield. Will be itching for another start on Saturday. “[Shayden] Morris appears out of favour”, “So glad to see Shayden Morris and that energetic midfield”, “Shayden Morris loves the young Cod Army supporters. A fantastic win, last night.” One of Fleetwood’s most impressive players at the back end of last season, Morris has struggled for consistency this year. Picked up an injury mid-season, but played very well on Tuesday against Wigan. “[Anthony] Pilkington needs more game time as I feel he has something about him which is to be expected for a player of his experience”, “Pilkington might be the best player in the world. Silky Pilky strikes again”, “Anthony Pilkington walking out of Fratton Park in a boot.” Experienced midfielder Pilkington, who Paul Lambert tried to bring to Town in January 2019, has four goals this season from 18 games and left Fratton Park on Saturday in a medical boot after picking up a knock. However, he still made the bench against Wigan and could be involved on Saturday. Returning Loanee“Now we know why [Josh] Harrop signed. Sicknote obviously”, “Looks like a genuinely two-footed player which will help us”, “Hope Harrop's injury isn't too serious otherwise 90 seconds will be a world record for length of club appearance.”  Josh HarropEx-Ipswich loanee Harrop joined Fleetwood in January on loan from Preston North End, made his debut against Cambridge United, but got injured in 90 seconds and hasn’t been seen since. Winger“Paddy Lane is basically Gareth Bale”, “I felt sorry for [Callum] Morton and Lane at the end of the match. They both looked into the Memorial Stand like they were asking forgiveness”, “Lane was exasperated on the left, moved right for five minutes. Cut in, shot on target, then put back left.” Fleetwood’s most dangerous attacker over the last few months, Lane has been imperious out wide for the Cod Army this season with five goals and eight assists to his name.  “We looked great in attack with Paddy”, “I'm sure he's only capable of scoring absolute screamers!”, “I just don’t see why Crainey moves Paddy into centre midfield when he’s the only dangerous attacker we had.” Scored a screamer against Portsmouth at the weekend, but went off injured late in the game and didn’t feature against Wigan on Tuesday. Will be Fleetwood’s danger man if he returns from the knock. Centre Midfielder“Imagine the comment if [Harrison] Biggins was the one sent off”, “Wonder if our fans cheered Biggins’s name when he scored his goal?”, “For me, Biggins has never really looked like he belongs in League One.” Scored the second of the three goals against Portsmouth last weekend, but Biggins has been playing the role of scapegoat for the majority of the season.  “I smell a Biggins masterclass coming tonight”, “Four goals in three games now for Harrison Biggins, some midfield we’ve got”, “Harrison Biggins on a tear recently, keep it up.” Has five goals for the season now from centre midfield and will be someone who will have to be closely monitored by the Ipswich midfield pairing on Saturday. Attack“Ooh! [Cian] Hayes in the starting XI? Could be interesting!”, “I don’t see what others see in Hayes and why he is being used more frequently”, “Hayes reminds me of a dog in the park, running around like mad but not achieving anything.” Another young striker in the Fleetwood squad this season, Hayes has spent part of the season on loan at FC United of Manchester, but returned to Highbury in November. Hasn’t yet scored in his 11 appearances. One-Season Wonders“Anyone know what’s going on with Joe Garner? Pretty sure he’s back in training”, “Why is he not starting Joe Garner?”, “So good to hear when listening to Crainey’s pre-match that Joe Garner has been in full training all week and available for selection.” Recently returned from injury against Portsmouth, before coming off the bench on Tuesday. However, he will not be available to face his old side on Saturday after a coming together with James McClean in the final minute and subsequently being sent off. “Ellis Harrison is actually incredible, how we got him for free I’ll never know”, “Watching the game, Harrison is having another poor game”, “Ellis Harrison looks a player tonight amazing what four full games does to a player.”  Ellis HarrisonAnother ex-Ipswich striker in the Fleetwood ranks, Harrison left Pompey in January to rejuvenate his career. Has already notched two goals and two assists with the Cod Army and will be looking to make an impact against the Blues on Saturday. Striker“Why does he start Ged Garner over Joe Garner? He is just a lazy so and so”, “Given Ged Garner plenty of chances, basically, he’s Conference North level”, “I just find him lazy up front just like [Gary] Lineker. I can’t see him ending up top scorer in my opinion.”  Ged GarnerFleetwood’s current top goalscorer with eight in all competitions, Ged Garner started the season very well as one of two strikers in the 3-5-2 formation, netting his eight goals from 23 games.  “Had this ability from early, made up to see him doing it at this level. Ged Garner, certified bagsman”, “His ability to finish has been one of the few highlights of the season so far. Keep going Ged!”, “Top finish from Ged Garner that.” However, he hasn’t featured for Fleetwood since the defeat at home to Shrewsbury on Boxing Day. He limped off in that game, but there is no timeframe on when he could be back from the injury. Fleetwood Town Fans on ITFC“Shout-out to the fans who made the long trip to Ipswich. Great noise once again”, “Ipswich supporters warned us about Harrison when we bought him. They were right”, “Saturday is massive with visit of Ipswich Town. Another ex-Premier League team that has European history”, “Good luck Wes we will certainly miss you”, “Very consistent and hard-working player. We'll definitely miss him”, “Thanks for all your efforts Wes! Good luck at Ipswich.” Last Time Out — Ipswich Town 2-1 Fleetwood Town“Wouldn’t be too harsh on [former boss Simon] Grayson. We played alright”, “Oh dear me! We might only be losing by the odd goal but a loss is a loss. How many games has Grayson got before he loses his position?”, “There’s something definitely wrong and I don’t think it’s the players themselves. Not sure how many more matches the head coach has left.” “That’s Grayson. He does it all the time and we have been found out too many times”, “Now sitting fourth bottom of the league and Grayson still hasn’t been sacked”, “Think Pilley needs to have a long hard look at himself for appointing a manager that’s s*** and can’t motivate the team.”  Back in October, Fleetwood travelled to Ipswich Town in Three Lion Brett Johnson’s first visit to watch the Blues in action live. In the end, a very late Bersant Celina goal saw Ipswich take the three points. WebsitesFleetwood Town are the only League One side without a designated forum to look at, with the best area for Fleetwood fans being the Cod Army Facebook group.
Matchday Images and Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Blogs 295 bloggersIpswich Town Polls[ Vote here ] |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
