Artell says boxers relilence to get off the canvas is a lesson to coming through adversity.
The Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell says that his players can learn from the country’s boxing sensation Anthony Joshua.
The Crewe boss believes that Joshua demonstrated the level of resilience needed to become a true champion when he came off the canvas to stop the gigantic Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round of their recent showdown at Wembley Stadium.
Artell says that his Crewe team have to learn more about soaking up pressure and not panicking if we concede a goal in a game.
Artell told the club’s official web-site: “As a football manager you don’t have the chance to have a time out, so you cannot get the players together, calm them down and change one or two things. It is sometimes difficult to get your message across, so it helps to have some generals out there.
“We have to learn that we will be under pressure at times. There will be spells where we have to defend and the opposition is on the front foot. You have to stand up to that and come though the other side. You have to say ‘is that all you have got?’
“If you can come through then you become stronger for it. If we cope when the opposition throw everything they can at you then mentality you grow in confidence.
“We managed to watch the fight on the way back from Plymouth and Joshua came through the other side. At one stage it looked as though Klitschko had him. He was shaky but after surviving that he got stronger.
The boss added: “He stood up to it, took it and went on to stop him. That is what is about. When we are under the cosh, it isn’t about whacking it but trying to continue to do what made us successful in the first place.”