Gaffer says Alex have to work smarter with systems this season

David Artell has told the club’s official website that playing three at the back is in en vogue at the moment - but that the flexibility of that system is nothing new in the game.

Crewe have played various formations already this season and Artell says that the players have worked hard out on the training ground to know and understand each system he elects to play.

Ahead of this evening’s clash at Home Park, the Crewe boss told us: “We have worked hard on various systems and we have played differently over the last couple of seasons. The flexibility of that is down to the players and them taking things on board.

“Three at the back seems to be en vogue at the moment. We went that way on Saturday and we might use it again depending on the opposition. Playing that way is nothing new. I remember as a kid, Bobby Robson playing three at back with England at Italia 90. It all goes in cycles and it has been around a long time.

“We will use it again? I would think so. Will that be every week? Then I would say no.

“Paul (Warne) asked why we decided to go that way against Rotherham and I explained to him and I asked him about how they lined up against us. He told me that they did it because they weren’t sure which way we were going to go. I think that helps us when we can be flexible with our systems.

“We have got to be smarter this season and making us hard to work out is one way of doing it.”