David Artell says that his Crewe Alexandra side have set the standard with their performance at Elland Road last night.
The Alex rode their luck at times but remained in the EFL tie until the last five minutes of our Carabao Cup tie when Leeds United’s Jack Harrison added two more goals to go with Kalvin Phillips’ opener from a corner on 77 minutes.
Artell was pleased with his sides all round contribution to an engaging cup tie and Crewe managed to frustrate Marcelo Bielsa’s side until the closing stages.
Artell told the club’s official website: “Leeds are a magnificent Premier League club and to go to Elland Road and survive a couple of blocks and a header from Phillips in the first half and then a couple of blocks in the second half until the 77th minute is good going.
“I think you would take that before the game, so to concede the goal from a set-play, is so disappointing because I didn’t think we deserved it.
“We gave a good account of ourselves and on another day, if the corner isn’t given because I actually thought it shouldn’t have been then that clock goes into the last 10 minutes.
“What we have to do now is make sure that it kick starts our season. They have set the standard and it doesn’t matter where we go, Charlton, Shrewsbury or whoever next, we have to play like that. If we play like that in League One then we will be fine.
He added: “Yes we have lost some players. Some very good ones but we have also signed some very good ones. Some of them are still finding their feet with us and that includes some of our own younger ones but we will get there.”