WITH GLENN WHELAN contributing a man-of-the-match performance in midfield, Fleetwood Town boosted their promotion hopes with a big win on Saturday.
Joey Barton’s side are now just two points adrift of a play-off place following their 2-1 victory against League One’s most in-form side.
Fourth-placed Peterborough United were aiming for a seventh win on the trot, but they came up short against a Fleetwood outfit who also find themselves in a rich vein of form.
Fleetwood, who hadn’t won in the six games prior to Whelan’s arrival last month, have yet to taste defeat in the six games they’ve played with the veteran Irishman in the team.
They have jumped from 11th to eighth place in the table since signing the 36-year-old Dubliner, who had been a free agent as a result of his premature and somewhat acrimonious departure from struggling Scottish Premiership club Hearts.
Saturday’s win was their fourth in succession. An extension of that run at home to fellow promotion chasers Portsmouth this Saturday could be enough to push the Lancashire club into the play-off spots.
Liam Lawrence, who played alongside Whelan for Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland, spoke about his former team-mate’s impact while appearing as a pundit on Quest TV’s EFL highlights programme over the weekend.
“He’s one of the most professional footballers that I’ve played with – his character, how he trains, how he plays, how he prepares,” Lawrence said. “He’ll have a big influence on that dressing room and the people around him, especially the youngsters.”
Fleetwood, whose leading goalscorer is Irish striker Paddy Madden, have never reached the heights of the Championship. The club, whose Highbury home ground holds just over 5,000 spectators, were promoted to the Football League for the first time in 2012.
Whelan has experience of promotion from League One from his time at Sheffield Wednesday, with whom he tasted play-off success back in 2005.
Before making his Fleetwood debut on 25 January, Whelan hadn’t played a game in five weeks. However, he has not missed a minute of action yet for his new club.
Despite dropping down to the third tier of English football, Whelan looks likely to retain his place in the Republic of Ireland team for next month’s Euro 2020 play-off against Slovakia.
“Glenn, for me, who has been probably the star man in three or four of our games, he has the edge on those, without any doubt,” Ireland manager Mick McCarthy said last week when asked about the selection prospects of players like James McCarthy, Jayson Molumby and Jason Knight.
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So many are quick to slate Glen but he has been consistent for Ireland and has always given his all. He’s far from blessed with ability but no doubting his commitment to the cause. Stoke fans know what he brings to a midfield, the only shame is that it took so long for him and Hoolahan to play together in midfield, and now we’re stuck with that waste of space Hendrick ” who was good in the euros”
@Jason Oliver: Hendrick is a good player he just doesn’t have the right mentality to utilise his ability, hopefully he has an Adama Traore like turn where he gets the correct mindset and ups his game to a new level.
@Jason Oliver:
He always gives 100% however 100% of nothing is still nothing.
He’s carved a decent career out for himself with commitment but very limited ability.
Let’s not pretend that he’s a great footballer.
@Michael Anthony Murray: I don’t think anyone has said he’s a “great footballer”. He is definitely a very good pro though and can do a job no matter how limited that is. I’d have him over Hendrick 7 days a week
@simplysuperman69: traore just worked on his drinbling and crossing he always had the right mindset
@Jason Oliver: Hendricks not good enough to be a waste of space
Lads if any of ye try to convince me that hendrick has been better for Ireland than Hendrick then I give up. I don’t think Whelan is brilliant far from it but he has been far better than Hendrick
@Jason Oliver: I’d say Hendrick has been just as good as Hendrick to be fair.
@Jason Oliver: Hendrick is equally as good as Hendrick in my humble opinion
@Jason Oliver: one day maybe we’ll see Hendrick play Hendrick while drinking Hendricks and listening to Hendrix
@Andy O’B: You’ve overplayed it a bit there I think Andy – the lads had it well covered.
@Jason Oliver: Hendrick is not in the same leave as hendrick
Great to see him back playing again. It’s a lower level but it’ll give him confidence back. That hearts manager had no right to slate him the way he did. Whelan is too good for that Scottish league anyways. Not an amazing player but he was very very effective in our home game against Georgia in wgat turned into a narrow win. I think he’ll be effective against Slovakia too
Nice Jersey that. Denmark 84 vintage.