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Gillingham boss Steve Evans is well aware of the talented side his men will be facing this weekend – he tried to sign one of them.
Saturday’s hosts Fleetwood sit on the verge of the League 1 play-off places and under the management of Joey Barton have managed to attract some talented players, including Josh Morris.
The winger was a free agent in the summer following his release by Scunthorpe where he had spent the previous three seasons.
He was a star player for The Iron in a 5-0 rout against the Gills back in 2016, scoring twice that day. Evans was hoping to lure him to Priestfield in the summer but the player chose to stay up north.
Evans said: “We are not building them up to be Real Madrid but we know it will be a very difficult game.
“I think it will be about what we do, not about what they do, but we will be very respectful of the players he (Barton) has at his disposal.
“I tried to get Josh Morris here in the summer. I had him on loan at Rotherham; the kid is lovely.
“He was absolutely brilliant for us and he was brilliant for Scunthorpe. He came out of contract and he is a north-west boy so I suppose it made sense with Fleetwood.
“He is a technically brilliant midfielder.”
Town midfielder Kyle Dempsey is another player familiar to the Gills management team, having recruited him at Peterborough on loan last season.
With Ched Evans and Paddy Madden in their squad, too, their attacking options aren’t bad, either, but Fleetwood may well be looking at the Gills’ form and thinking likewise about who they might be facing.
Not that former Manchester City player Barton will be fearing the Gills.
“I don’t think Joey fears anyone!” said Evans. “I have enormous respect for Joey Barton. I think because he is a bit verbal and that he speaks his mind, he will never get the credit he deserved as a player. I often watched him play at Manchester City and he was just a stunning footballer.
“But because he was opinionated and at times played with aggression, then people thought he wouldn’t make it as a manager, but I always thought he would. He has done a brilliant job at Fleetwood.
“He is a big character and he will have them ready for us after getting beaten at Blackpool last week.”
Evans doesn’t mince his words and both will be vocal on the sidelines at the weekend, but the Gills boss isn’t expecting any confrontation.
He said: “We have only come up against each other once before and it was very cordial.
“I think when there is a mutual respect there it becomes easier. He will appeal for things and so will we. We won’t get involved with them and they won’t get involved with us.”
