David Artell expects his players to be ready to go when they return to full-time training next week. The Alex boss has encouraged his squad to come in twice a week to work on their fitness and strengthening during the summer and the players have taken full advantage of the training ground facilities to keep them ticking over.
The Crewe boss says the work load will step up when the squad returns to full time training on 28th June with double sessions introduced as we prepare for the big kick off against Mansfield Town on 5th August.
Artell told the club’s official web-site: “The days of letting yourself go for six weeks and then using pre-season to get fit are over. It has changed dramatically, even during my time as a player. It is a lot different to many years ago.
“The players are even more professional now and they have to keep ticking over. They cannot spend the summer doing nothing.
“They have got a duty to their profession to keep their fitness levels up and I’m sure they have. They have to be right for 12 months now, not 10 and a half. That is the right way to be and it is up to us to make sure they are in peak condition for the when the season kicks off.
He added: “It is important that they are right for the next nine months, not for the first four or five games in August. It is about getting that balance right. We want to avoid peaking too soon and then fading away."