Outspoken Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton has praised new Ipswich Town manager Paul Cook ahead of their Portman Road clash tomorrow.

Barton, whose Rovers side are battling relegation and sit second bottom of the table, caused a stir ahead of an October 2019 clash with Town when he was Fleetwood boss, saying the Blues were "as bad a group of players as Ipswich have had for a long time."

But he was far more complimentary ahead of the Good Friday game (3pm ko).

Barton said of Cook: "Great guy, a good football guy and I’m pretty sure he will get Ipswich back to where they need to get to, which is certainly at least the Championship based on the size of the club, but again he’s coming in late to the party and trying to get the best out of players recruited by somebody else.

"They haven’t had a fantastic start. They’ve won one of those opening six games.

"In the same period we’ve both been at the club, we’ve managed to pick up seven points and they’ve picked up five, so it’s maybe not an Ipswich Town side firing on all cylinders, but it’s still an Ipswich Town side and a side managed by Paul Cook and we’ll have to be at our best to get anything out of the game at Portman Road."