Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says that he is preparing his squad for 46 games in League Two rather than just Morecambe on the opening day of the season.
The Railwaymen kick off against Artell’s former side on Saturday 4th August and Artell believes that too much emphasis can be placed on the curtain raiser.
Artell told crewealex.net: “All the work and preparation we do over the pre-season is to make sure that we are equipped for the next 10 months and not just Morecambe at home.
“It is a 46 game season and we are aiming to be consistent over the whole season. We started the season well and were right up there in August but then we fell away in September, October and November. We have to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
“It is a marathon and not a sprint and there have been plenty of teams who have had a successful pre-season and then cannot buy a win when the serious stuff starts. We are building up to the new season and hopefully we do not suffer any injuries in the next couple of weeks.”