Crewe coach says players have to try and remain in games for longer.

Crewe Alexandra’s first team coach James Collins believes that this group of players are very capable of turning our season around, but that they perhaps have to become more ‘streetwise’ to remain in games.

The Alex coach was disappointed with the manner in which we conceded the three goals against Millwall on Saturday, especially as we had worked hard to draw ourselves level going into the half-time interval.

Collins believes that even at 2-1 down, we had to remain in the game in order to come again and perhaps snatch a draw, but we conceded a sloppy third goal after Aiden O’Brien was allowed to evade a couple of challenges on the edge of our penalty area.

Collins told the club’s official web-site: “I felt we were okay in the first half without being penetrating enough. The second half was probably our worst half of the season so far and we lacked that spark in attack and some of our defending was poor.

“We didn’t play with the same intensity and energy that we had shown in the previous two games and there is plenty of work to do.

“Before the second half on Saturday, the players would probably be thinking that they had been playing well but have had nothing to show for it but their attitude has been good. We thought that perhaps they would need a pick me up on Monday morning but we went out and trained and they were electric. They are working hard.

“What we need to improve on is trying to get all of our players playing to their potential. There is no point having six or seven close to it and then having them to carry the others.

“The players can become more streetwise and what I mean by that, is that they have to remain in the game for as long as possible. When it went 2-1 on Saturday they lost a bit of heart and that is the first time we have seen that this season.

“They have got to remain in the game and if we can then there is no reason why we can nick a goal to take it 2-2 and pick up a point. You only have to see the Leicester Vs Aston Villa game at the weekend to see how things can turn around with some momentum.

He added: “We have just got to keep going and we do have a terrific group of players, who will keep doing that.”