Steve on the benefits of playing 3-5-2 again with the players at this disposal.

Steve Davis has told the club’s official web-site that he will continue to adapt his playing system in order to try and get a result from tight encounters. The Alex boss and his coaching staff have worked hard on bring flexible in their formations and the team demonstrated that by successfully switching to a 3-5-2 system for the second half away at Shrewsbury. Crewe successfully defended their 1-0 lead, given to us in the opening minute by in-form midfielder Adam King.

It meant that Brad Inman had to be sacrificed at the interval for tactical reasons, with Jon Guthrie coming on to make it three centre-halves and a wing-back structure. It is something we successfully deployed last season when the experienced Alan Tate was the master of stepping into midfield if needs be.

Ahead of this weekend’s trip to Walsall, Steve told crewealex.net: “The 3-5-2 formation was something that worked well for us last season. It made us very solid and it something we can go back to you and use if needs be.

“As a manager you have to do what is right for each game, we have to learn to adapt more to get results.

“People say that you are putting an extra defender in when you play that system but you are actually not. You are taking one away because the wing-backs are encouraged to push on and provide that width.

“It can be as positive as you make it. You have three big lads at the back who can defend the box and that is what we needed in that second half at Shrewsbury.

 The boss added: “It is certainly something we can go to if I feel that the best way of playing for us because we do have the players in our squad to do that.”