Boss delighted with role of experienced defender

Steve Davis has praised the experienced Alan Tate for providing a real steadiness to our back line. The on-loan Swansea defender has slotted into a back three at Crewe Alexandra alongside George Ray and Adam Dugdale and he has shown a real eagerness to play out from the back.

Tate helped Crewe record their first away win and clean sheet at Walsall with fellow defender Dugdale scoring the only goal of the game at the Banks’s Stadium. Tate, 32, is on loan at Crewe until early January and the Alex boss is delighted with the contribution he has made.

Steve told the club’s official web-site: “Alan brings that experience and he just makes god decisions. He very rarely makes a mistake or makes a bad decision.

“That experience allows him to make correct judgements and that is what happens when you play at the levels he has done throughout his career.

The boss added: “He wants to play out from the back and he is encouraging the other two to do that as well. It doesn’t always works but playing without a target man in the last couple of games means we have to play more football. That can improve but we are making little strides with every game.”