Baker says bringing in new players over the summer gives everyone a huge lift

Crewe Alexandra’s diligent assistant manager Neil Baker says he would welcome a repeat performance in the transfer market to take the club forward again. Crewe won promotion via the play-offs, but then lost their influential players Nick Powell and Ash Westwood to Premier League clubs. In replacing them, Baker and manager Steve Davis improved our options with the signings of Mathias Pogba, combative midfielder Abdul Osman and centre-half Mark Ellis.

Pogba finished as the club’s leading scorer with 16 goals and both Osman and Ellis had such consistent seasons that they were many in supporters eyes their choice for player-of-the-season.

With the fear of losing other promising young players such as the highly-rated Luke Murphy and Max Clayton, the work is already underway in improving the squad in case and to increase the quality and competition heading into the new season.

Baker told the club’s official web-site: “It is always good to bring in some new faces and as soon as possible as well because it gives us time to integrate them into the group. It is good for the fans to see new faces and lifts the group.

“We don’t get too excited when the PFA list comes out because we tend to only get what’s left, but we only target what we think we can bring in.

“We did that last season and Pogs, Mark and Abdul did really well for us. We would be absolutely delighted if we could repeat that level of business again because they came in and did as we hoped they would. That is all you can ask.

“If we could do the same again and bring in three players playing at that consistent level then that would give us all a lift again.”