Crewe lost 3-0 at home last season and won promotion, 12 months after winnign 6-0 and not winning promotion. Boss puts first game into perspective.

David Artell says there is always too much placed on the opening day of the season and that you can never read too much into the first result. Crewe Alexandra were beaten 3-0 at home by Plymouth Argyle last season but went on to win promotion from League Two.

Crewe host Charlton Athletic at the Alexandra Stadium this weekend for our first League One fixture since 2016.

The Crewe boss told the club’s official website: “There can be too much placed on the first game. We lost 3-0 at home last season to Plymouth and were promoted. The year before that we won 6-0 and weren’t, so there is the perfect example of what the first game means in isolation.

“It cannot be an indication of how a season will go and all we can do is to make sure we are as ready as we can be for 3pm this Saturday.

“We feel as though our recruitment has gone well but the proof is in the pudding once we are into the games. We feel as though we have strengthened in areas we needed to and that it will improve us.

He added: “Now we have to improve them and the players we already had here. If that is the case and we can continue to get better then I am sure we will have a successful season however it is defined and give everyone in the league a game.”