Fleetwood have good players and are a good side says Alex boss ahead of Boxing Day encounter.

Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell says Joey Barton’s Fleetwood Town side are a well-established League One side and that the club are well run.

Crewe host the Trawler Men on Boxing Day aiming to make it four straight wins in the league, but Artell knows it will be a tough encounter against a good footballing side.

Ahead of our festive fixture at Gresty Road, Artell told us: “Fleetwood are a really good club. They are well run and have been established in League One for a while now.

“They are a good side and have some really good players. Joey is experienced enough as a manager. He played at the very highest level and he is a young and hungry manager.

“It will be a challenge and a really tough game. They have players such as Mulgrew, Madden and Whelan who have played International football and they have really good players. You are not a poor team if you are as established in League One as much as they are.

“People will talk about the players at Ipswich, Charlton, Hull, Sunderland because of their history and heritage and perhaps some of them at the likes of Fleetwood, Wimbledon and Crewe don’t get talked about that much.

The Alex boss added: “We came up against Longman and Pigott at Wimbledon on Saturday and they are very good players. Fleetwood will be the same and it will be a test for us.”