This Week's Opposition: Fleetwood Town

Following on from last weekend’s defeat to Leyton Orient, the Blues head back on the road for their next fixture in League One. Highbury Stadium is the destination and it’s Fleetwood Town who await.

The Cod Army have not had the best of times in the league this season and are in a position of real danger, with relegation to League Two looking a big possibility come the end of the campaign.

Let’s take a look into the side currently fighting for survival.

MANAGER

Fleetwood are now managed by former Blackpool, Liverpool and Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam.

Adam has taken his first step into management with this role, in which he was appointed on New Year’s Eve.

The now 38-year-old announced his retirement from playing in September 2022, 4 months after his contract expired at his previous and final club Dundee.

Since taking charge of The Fishermen, Adam has overseen 3 matches, which have all ended in defeat - He is the 3rd manager to have sat in the dugout for the club this season with Scott Brown and Lee Johnson both vacating the role following the club’s continual slide down the table.

ONE TO WATCH

Scottish winger Phoenix Patterson is a threat to not be taken lightly this weekend.

The 23-year-old has made 36 competitive appearances for Fleetwood since he arrived from Irish club Waterford in January 2023 - He ran out for the first time in red and white in a 2-1 FA Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers days later.

In what has been a turbulent season all round for the club, Patterson has scored just 1 goal in 18 league appearances, recording 2 assists as well. The tricky winger has also registered 1 goal in the EFL Trophy this campaign.

Phoenix Patterson was supposedly named after the late American actor and musician River Phoenix.

TOP SCORER

29-year-old forward Jack Marriott is currently Fleetwood’s leading scorer this season.

The former Luton Town, Peterborough United and Derby County striker, who wears the number 14 shirt at the moment, has found the back of the net 5 times in 23 games in the league since the start of the campaign in August.

Marriott has also featured 5 times in cup and trophy this season but has not recorded a goal in any of those 3 other competitions.

CURRENT FORM

The Cod Army are without a win since the 11th of November, when they beat fellow strugglers Exeter City by 3 goals to nil at Highbury Stadium.

Since that victory Fleetwood have suffered 8 defeats from 10 league matches, drawing the other 2.

They have lost each of their last 4 matches and have dropped to the very bottom of the League One table as a result with just 18 points on the board, 8 behind the final safety position with 20 games remaining.

The reverse of this fixture only took place last month, where 2 days before Christmas Colby Bishop’s first half penalty was cancelled out by a second half goal from Josh Earl, as the points were shared in a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park.

Can the Blues get the better of Fleetwood this time around?

Pompey Live will have all of the unmissable action from the Fylde Coast this Saturday (January 20th) afternoon from 2pm. Connor Moseley presents with Jake Smith and Ryan Honey alongside to provide build-up and reaction.

Kick-off: 3pm!