Artell increases work load as the Alex look for first win in 12 games against Grimsby this weekend.

David Artell will introduce double sessions to make sure his players are as prepared as they can be for the remaining months of the season. The Crewe Alexandra boss wants to see an improvement in his players and says that working on aspects of their game, shape and mentality will only help in our quest to move up the League Two table.

Crewe will be searching for their first win in 12 games when Grimsby arrive in South Cheshire at the weekend.

Ahead of our meeting with Marcus Bignot’s Mariners, David said: “Doing extra work is not a punishment. If the players see it as punishment you can get a bad reaction. What it is is hard work.

“It's righting the wrongs. Whenever you're not very good at something, I don't care whether it is football, playing the piano, spelling, the harder and longer you practice the better you become.

“So today we have trained in the morning and again in the afternoon, then they'll do weights and then hopefully they will watch the other lads in the Cheshire Senior Cup against Stockport.

“That all makes you a better footballer. Does it make it a long day? Yeah, so what? That's what needed.

“Training for an hour in the morning then going off shopping will not make you a better footballer.

Artell added: “We need to work for longer. Not necessarily run the socks off them, that'll be part of it, but it is understanding that we have to right the mistakes and that comes from practice.

“We're a team aren't we? I gave them the option when we played Stalybridge in the last round, I think four or five did.

“They'll get the option again tomorrow, and we'll see. It won't go unnoticed who comes. You're either with us or not. We had a couple last month who weren't with us. Well thanks very much, off you pop.

He added: “If you're not for the fight and you don't want to be here just let me know, because we are all in it together. If we're not we will have problems.”