David Artell believes that it ‘is more to do with players than systems’ as he looks for a winning formula tonight to get the better of Neil Critchley’s in-form Blackpool side.
Like the Alex, the Seasiders, will have designs on breaking into that top six and they host us tonight on the back of a superb 3-0 away win at Charlton Athletic at the weekend.
In fact, Critchley’s side have won five of their last six games to move them up to 13th and just a point behind the Alex. They also have four games in hand after having a flurry of games recently called off due to the weather.
Crewe though will also be hugely encouraged following an excellent display against Sunderland at Gresty Road on Saturday. It took two fantastic strikes for the Black Cats to deny us all three points.
Artell has the luxury of being able to freshen up his pack this evening or use other formations to get the maximum from his players if he chooses to. The boss says that the work constructed over pre-season and at intervals in the fixtures this season, means he has the flexibility to change things if needs be or alter things in the midst of the action.
He said: “Yes we have a few systems we can play because we worked hard on having a few options in the pre-season. The players worked hard on a few of them and like I’ve said, we have tweaked it recently and the players have picked it brilliantly. They deserve the credit for that because they obviously take things on board.
“We have revisited a few options, knowing that this period of games was coming up and the players know what they have to do to accommodate a particular formation.
“I believe it is about the players and not the formation. They have to do what you ask them to do and over the last few weeks they have done that particularly well I must say.
The Crewe boss added: “We have those options and it is about getting the best of the players and being as effective as we can be however the formation looks.”