19 December 2020

Joey Barton reveals striker Ched Evans has no future at Fleetwood

19 December 2020

Ched Evans will soon leave Fleetwood for a “change of scenery” as manager Joey Barton revealed he has lost patience with the striker.

Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wigan, which saw Latics substitute Oliver Crankshaw cancel out Danny Andrew’s opener for the hosts at a blustery Highbury, Barton admitted it was time for the Wales international to move on.

“I like Ched, I’ve got enormous respect for him, but it’s got to the point where you have to act if someone keeps crossing the line,” said Barton.

“I’ve decided as a manager that there has to be a change of scenery for him now.

“What has happened will stay in our dressing room. It’s nothing major, it’s just a number of things that have gone on recently.”

Barrie McKay had twice gone close for Fleetwood before a super strike handed them the lead in the 28th minute.

Paddy Madden touched the ball to full-back Andrew and he smashed home low and hard into the corner past Jamie Jones from 30 yards.

However, Wigan bossed the second period and nabbed their point when Crankshaw nodded home a predatory rebound.

Of the game, Barton said: “It wasn’t a corner for the lead-up to their goal, so we’re aggrieved about that, but credit to Wigan, they really pushed on in the second half.

“I thought they deserved a point because we just weren’t good enough in the second half.

“It just wasn’t to be today, off the back of a tough week when we’ve still picked up five points from three games.

“A good week would have been a great week had we managed to see those last few minutes out.”

Wigan interim boss Leam Richardson admitted his battling team fully deserved a point.

“I thought we thoroughly deserved to get a point out of the game,” said Richardson.

“I was beginning to think it wasn’t coming, but the lads deserve that because of the energy and the endeavour they showed throughout the game.

“That was a fantastic thing for me to see, and it gives us all hope as we look ahead to the remainder of the season.

“We had a bad result during the week of course, so it today it was about trying to reinstil that belief and freedom into the lads, and to get them going again.

“We seemed a bit reserved in the early stages, but credit to every one of them, they gave it everything and in the end we got what we deserved.

“Everybody knows it’s been tough times at the club, but we’ve just got to get on with our work on the pitch.

“Don’t forget Fleetwood have been going well again this season, but at times in that second half we really took the game to them.

“Credit to the lads for their response to what was a big disappointment in midweek.”

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