James Collins says management team will come back stronger following disappointing campaign.

James Collins says that the Crewe Alexandra management team are doing everything in their power to make the forthcoming season a successful one for the club. The club’s first-team coach admits that there were some ‘dark days’ last season as we slumped to relegation back to League Two but Collins feels he has benefitted from the overall experience since stepping up into the senior squad.

Collins, who recently passed his FA UEFA Pro Licence, told crewealex.net: “You have to take the downs with the ups and it has to make you stronger, you don’t survive in this game if you haven’t got some character.

“I’ve spent many years at the club and we’ve been on the up, constantly almost, until the last couple of years.

“All of a sudden I am getting a bit of pressure and a bit of stick, but that comes with the job.

“If you can get through bad times and you can imagine there were some dark times last season you do become stronger and I think that’s what we’ve done.

“Now we sit here in the close season and feel excited about the new season. Last season has gone now.”