Crewe Alex: We are getting better, insists boss Gradi

By ggriffiths

by Gwyn Griffiths

DARIO Gradi is convinced his players are improving ... despite infuriating some of their own fans during Tuesday's tame draw with lowly Torquay.

And while Crewe's interim boss says he cannot guarantee good performances, he promises to make sure his side try to play football which is pleasing on the eye.

Those who jeered and moaned at Gresty Road as Crewe laboured to claim a last-gasp point against the 21st-placed Gulls would no doubt take issue with him, but Gradi pointed out: "A few years ago the crowd would have enjoyed that game.

"But there you go, that is how things are now. All we can do is keep working with the players to try to gradually improve them.

"They're all a challenge, but that's why I'm here. It's a case of trying to improve what we've got and that is why I chose not to do anything in the transfer window."

That reluctance to even contemplate entering the loan market was not shared by other League Two sides, including Torquay, who signed Chris Zebroski on a permanent basis.

The former Millwall striker fired the visitors into an early lead at Crewe, which they preserved fairly comfortably until substitute Shaun Miller snatched an injury-time leveller.

While that spared Crewe's blushes, it left them with an unsatisfactory four-point haul from a run of three consecutive home games, two of them against teams at the wrong end of the League Two table.

And ahead of tomorrow's more testing assignment at leaders Rochdale (3pm), it hints at a level of form which will see the Alex fall well short of the play-off places come May.

Yet Gradi stressed: "We're improving, although I can't guarantee we're going to score a pile of goals or stop them at the other end.

"But the boys do stick at it and that is all they can do. I had no complaints with their efforts on Tuesday.

"They heard the moans and grumbles, but they got on with it. I think that's how fans are these days.

"It would have been a blow below the belt for the players to lose two home games in succession.

"They deserved better against Bournemouth last Saturday and I thought they deserved better against Torquay too."

Without fresh recruitment, Gradi will need to find the right blend – particularly up front, where he is preparing to use Miller and Byron Moore if Clayton Donaldson and Calvin Zola dip below the required standard, as they have in Crewe's last two outings.

And at the back Gradi would benefit from the return to fitness of skipper Mat Mitchel-King, although he opted not to draw on the experience of Billy Jones while his long-term future was in the balance during the transfer window.

Despite everything, Gradi resolutely remains focused on the quality of the football his side are playing.

Such play helped them to share the points in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Rochdale on Boxing Day when goals from Ashley Westwood and Matt Tootle twice pegged back the visitors.

"I can't promise we'll win games," he added. "But I can promise we will try to play some football. Some of the time we'll play very well."

Crewe they will take heart from Bury's 1-0 derby success against Dale on Monday night, which demonstrated Keith Hill's side are far from invincible.

But while they have won just once this year, the reverse was still only Rochdale's first defeat in 12 games as they bid for their first promotion in more than 40 years.

Dale's prudent financial outlook meant they had to let wing prospect Will Buckley leave for Championship football with Watford last week.

But they still look far from shabby up front where they possess the division's most productive duo in Chris O'Grady and Chris Dagnall.

Yet even a 29-goal partnership can be fallible as O'Grady proved when he missed the chance of notching his 16th of the season from all of four yards out during the Gigg Lane defeat.

Rochdale were out-muscled at times by their local rivals, but manager Hill expects a different game against Crewe.

"We enjoy matches against teams like Crewe who come to Spotland to try to win rather than play for a point," he said.

"But there is no pressure on us as we've guaranteed our safety for another season, which was our main priority."