As Crewe prepare for Macclesfield friendly, Morris says that it will be another chance to expose his young players to competitive action.
Alex Morris says that the club’s friendly at Macclesfield this evening will allow him to assess a number of the club’s younger players and expose them to more senior football.
Morris will use the next two nights of fixtures (Crewe face Kidsgrove tomorrow night) to give his fit and available squad more game time in readiness to the new season kicking off on July 30th at Rochdale.
He will select a Crewe Alexandra XI side tonight that will feature some players on trial.
The Crewe Alexandra manager says that the experience of more competitive action will serve his young contingent well as they try to make an impact in his first-team squad this season.
Morris told us: “The game will give us a chance to look at a few things. We want to see the younger ones and how they cope with their roles and responsibilities. If gives them a chance to get more game time, but also to use these type of games as a good learning curve going forward.
“They are only going to benefit by undergoing the pre-season and being involved in these types of games. It is all great experience for them.
“I played a number of them in the second half at Nantwich and they would have learnt a great deal from it. Matus (Holicek) and Owen (Lunt) did fine in midfield but in their keenness to get more touches of the ball they vacated their position at times.
“In those midfield roles they have to understand the importance of their roles and responsibilities because they are vital for when we are out of possession. They have to pick up good positions to protect the back four and at times they wandered away from that. They have to accept that they are not always going to be on the ball and having touches but instead understand the role for the team.
The Crewe boss concluded: “The front four can roam and try and get on the ball if they have had a spell without having a touch but we cannot have the two in midfield doing that too. It was a great lesson for them and they would have taken plenty on board. They are good lads and good players and they are 16 and 17 respectively, so it was a great experience for them going forward.”