Boss looking to retain possession better with new-look midfield.

Steve Davis is set to experiment with the same 4-3-3 system that proved so successful towards the end of the season. With the recent signings of midfielders Billy Bingham and Adam King, the Alex boss believes that he has the flexibility to gain more control in the midfield area and he wants his young team to play more football.

With Marcus Haber away on International duty with Canada at the Gold Cup, the Alex boss does not have his number one target man available for the opening games of the pre-season and so will look for his side to play more of a retention game when in possession.

Ahead of the club’s first pre-season encounter at Congleton this evening, the Crewe boss told the club’s official web-site: “It will be interesting to go with three in midfield because I feel we need some more bodies in there. I thought we were second best in the middle of the pitch on a few occasions last season.

“I think it will help us defensively as well when we don’t have the ball and we can still play with the three if we play with wing-backs as well. It won’t affect that. We have the right-back to do that and we will get a left sided one in.

“I think we need that versatility to change things. We need to be able to adapt and change to catch teams out. I think we need to keep trying to find those little advantages.”