The Cods (Fleetwood) apply the brakes ...

[daib0]

Today's Blackpool Gazette:

"Promotions cannot continue to be the measure of success at Fleetwood Town, says the man who led them into League One.

Manager Graham Alexander says the club will continue striving to succeed but will be relying on "unproven" players next season. He revealed that the days of big spending to fire Fleetwood through the ranks of English football are over - after six promotions in 10 years took the club from the North West Counties League to the third tier of the professional game.

Alexander is now hoping to lead Fleetwood into a new era, with Financial Fair Play regulations and the sheer cost of bagging top talent in League One forcing a major rethink at Highbury. Town will operate on a reduced budget next season and this week released eight top-earning professionals.

Alexander believes success in the future should be measured against the club's ability to bring on young talent. "The success of this club has been measured by promotions, but with the best will in the world there are only two left the club can do. The second one of those would be extremely, extremely difficult. You see the size of the clubs at the top of the Championship, the millions and millions they have to spend and it still doesn't guarantee success. Is there one promotion left for this club? Possibly, yes, but then where does the club go? There has to be a different direction, a different measure. There has to be a solid foundation, a different identity."

Alexander accepts that matching this season's top-10 finish in 2015-16 will be tough, though he insists the will to win will not be diminished despite an increasing reliance on homegrown talent. He added: "We can't let go of our aspirations to be successful, to win games and produce entertainment. We have to strive to do that but there's a question mark over the players we will bring in because they will be young and unproven. We're going to have to work hard to produce what we need to produce."

And he admitted Town exceeded their aims and expectations for the past season. "I thought this season was successful because we finished in the top 10," said the Fleetwood boss. "To do that again would be extremely difficult, but it's something we want to do. If anyone had said we'd be in with a chance of the play-offs with four games to go, it would have been a massive plus point. We didn't aim for it but once you get there you have to go for it."

Do you think that's sensible policy? Seeing as you are relatively near it'd be interesting to have your opinions. They've done amazingly well over the last few seasons, but now's the time to take stock and try to simply consolidate where they are now?!