Fleetwood boss Joey Barton says run of results can make all the difference

Town got back to winning ways in League One in style last time out, beating Bristol Rovers 4-1 to make it four wins from their last five in the league, a run blighted only by the loss at Charlton Athletic.

A quarter of the way into their season and Barton’s players sit eighth in the table, two points off the top six and only five adrift of second-placed Hull City.

Barton, however, is taking a longer-term view when it comes to current form – and his side’s form in general.

The Highbury head coach knows to expect the unexpected in the third tier.

It is a division where all sides have shown that they are capable of beating each other on any given matchday.

Last weekend’s results alone backed up that observation with promotion hopefuls Sunderland and Peterborough United both suffering what onlookers might have deemed as surprise defeats.

Barton said: “It’s a very competitive league, we saw MK Dons win at Sunderland and Crewe beat Peterborough.

“It’s a very competitive division and everyone can beat everyone.

“It’s about getting on those little runs. We had one just before the Charlton game where we won three on the spin.

“It’s important to get those three-game streaks together but it’s also important that you go on little spells and little spurts through the season where you might go 10 unbeaten.

“You can shoot up the table if you get that kind of form.

“I always think it’s nicer to do that, although it’s always nice whenever it happens, it’s better to do it when the finish line is in sight.”

Barton speaks from personal experience with memories of last season.

Town had put together a lengthy unbeaten run as they aimed to gatecrash the automatic promotion places.

Instead, they had to settle for a play-off spot once the points-per-game method was chosen as a way of finalising the table following the suspension of the season.

Then, after the best part of four months off, they returned to action with defeat over two legs against Wycombe Wanderers.

Barton said: “I think we were 10 or 12 games unbeaten before the coronavirus stopped the campaign.

“There was this nice feeling where you were arriving at every ground ready to rock and roll whichever XI you select.

“Whoever is on the bench also gets that feeling.

“We can feel that slowly building in our group and, hopefully, over the next few weeks and months the lads start to emerge and mount a promotion challenge.”

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