Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth made clear his admiration for Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton ahead of a Boxing Day clash between two in-form teams at Adams Park.
Wycombe and the Gas are seventh and ninth respectively in League One, with neither side beaten in their past three games as they edge closer to the play-off places. Both teams picked up impressive wins on Saturday, with the Chairboys holding out for a 1-0 win against promotion-chasing Ipswich Town, while Barton's Gas came from a goal down to beat Charlton Athletic at The Valley.
Rovers' recent fine form, losing just one of their past 12 league games, has got Gasheads wondering what they can achieve this season and Ainsworth – the second longest-serving manager in the EFL after taking over at Adams Park in 2012 – has said he admires Barton and the work he is doing at the Mem.
"Joey’s done a great job, he really has," he said in his pre-match press conference. "He has his critics and he has his fans. I am a fan. I think he speaks his mind and he’s not afraid to upset people and I think that’s a rarity in the world.
"He has definitely got Bristol Rovers in a good place. They are playing some good football, they are looking solid and they are scoring goals.
"They are very similar to Wycombe. We can’t compete with the top, top teams in this league (financially) but we can get those un-buyables (sic) that mean so much and we make them count. I’m sure it will be a good game on Boxing Day. They're one of the form teams and one of the unsung clubs in the division. They could be right up there."
Ainsworth has always built his Wycombe sides on a strong defensive foundation and they have one of the better defensive records in the third tier, conceding 24 goals in 22 games.
His team had to spend a lot of time in their own third against second-placed Ipswich, but they defended manfully to keep a clean sheet for the third straight game. They have the makings of a team that will be tough for Rovers to break down and Ainsworth believes his team are in a good place as the new year approaches.
"You automatically get points with clean sheets and that’s something we talk about," the Chairboys boss added. "We’ve got some proud defenders and Alfie Mawson coming in has given us a new impetus at the back.
"I’m pleased with the attitude we’ve got at the moment and everything that’s going on here. It’s a nice place to be and hopefully we can have a decent festive period, which is something we’ve struggled with over the years, but we have a plan for that.
"We’ve got three big games coming up in six days and we’ve got to be ready for them. I’m sure Bristol Rovers will bring a bumper crowd and hopefully the Wycombe fans turn up with little else to do on Boxing Day other than nurse a few hangovers or work a bit of turkey off and they get down Adams Park and watch the boys because we’re in a decent run of form at the moment and I’m pleased with them."
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