Fleetwood Town boss expects an entertaining afternoon at Rochdale

Town will be looking to get back to winning ways, having lost consecutive league games after a strong start to the season.

Barton is pitting his wits against Brian Barry-Murphy and appreciates the style he brings to the Spotland outfit.

Barton said: “BBM has got them out playing and they’re adventurous.

“I think it’ll make for an entertaining game.

“I think it’s two good footballing sides who will go and trade punches with each other.

“Our strength is in the offensive part of the team. We’ll be setting up to try and score goals and to try and win a game of football.

“The way we set up and the way they try to play is very similar.

“I don’t think it’ll be 0-0, I don’t think it’ll be a dull encounter.

“They’ve got some young players in their side and so have we. I’m really looking forward to it.

“For me, the first six games will be a huge learning experience because we’re probably not going to have the senior bodies that we’d want to have in certain positions.

“That will always lead to some nice moments but also some bizarre moments.

“That’s what you get with young players who are learning their job. The only way they get better is by going through that process.

“I believe in them. They’ve shown in recent weeks whether it’s against Carlisle, Wigan or Burton that they can deal with it. Even Everton for some of them.

“That will bring them all on and that will give us better players in the future and hopefully that starts Saturday at Spotland.”

Barton hopes to have Paddy Madden and Wes Burns available this afternoon.

One man who is in line for a second full debut is Barrie McKay, whose loan spell earlier this year left Barton in no doubt as to whether he wanted him back again.

He said: “We had a really good January recruiting Callum Connolly, Lewis Gibson, Isak Thorvaldsson and Barrie McKay.

“That added to what we already had in the building and it moved the team into a different space.

“We went on a really good run and looked like a really difficult team to stop for anybody.

“Once we realised a player of Baz’s calibre was available again, for me it was a no-brainer. I see him as a matchwinner, a game decider.”