But Steve says more is needed after club conceded 80 league goals

Steve Davis has told the club’s official web-site that after conceding 80 league goals he knows where his Crewe Alexandra team has to improve next season. The Alex boss is a strong advocate of the team ethic and has certainly not blamed his goalkeepers or defenders for the increase in goals conceded.

Having revisited all the goals we have conceded on DVD, the Crewe Alexandra boss feels that poor decision making and individual mistakes in the first half of the season proved more costly.

The Alex boss also said a switch to zonal marking at set-plays, recommended to him by new first-team coach James Collins helped the club not concede as many goals from dead ball situations.

Steve told the club’s official web-site: “I have analysed all the goals we have conceded and especially in the first half of the season it was poor decision making and individual errors that proved costly.

“That just wasn’t the defence or goalkeeper it was happening all over the pitch and it was different players making them. That is why we had to keep changing the team, looking for the right balance.

“The back four needed to be protected more and we had to be a stronger unit. We needed to be harder to beat and we managed to do that.

“We conceded too many goals from set-plays, especially in the second phase and getting out to the midfield players. James suggested we changed to zonal marking and it helped. We didn’t concede as many goals from set plays in the second half of the season. I think there was only one from Tom Pope at the Vale and we defended the second phase a lot better.

The boss added: “We sorted it out and managed to turn that around but we need to continue to improve.”