Bell keeps Crewe's festive break brief
Bells' Crewe go into the festive period just three ponts outside the top seven
- Published
Crewe Alexandra boss Lee Bell has given his players one day off as they prepare to play four matches in 11 days.
The Railwaymen are currently 10th in League Two, three points adrift of the top seven, and eight points adrift of leaders Walsall who host them on Friday.
"Unfortunate for everyone, there's going to be minimum time off this Christmas", Bell told BBC Radio Stoke.
"They'll get one day off, and then we'll be in all the way through to the back end of January.
"We feel its important. They accept that as footballers. Some of them have got kids, and we'll look after them when we get out of this congested period.
"What we've learnt from in the past is making sure that the players that aren't getting the minutes are right up to speed and doing their work. I know every club works different.
"I know of one club that is just coming in for their games, that's the reward their players are getting, but we feel its best to get the players in and do plenty of recovery with them."
Successive league wins against Notts County and Harrogate took Crewe up to fifth in the table heading into October. Just three wins in the next 10 matches have has meant they have slipped to 10th.
"Its about consistency", Bell added. "People will be bored, I keep going on about it. Its about consistency, having the temperament and the mentality to keep striving to get these performances as a collective."
Crewe's away game at Walsall is followed by a key trip to south Wales to take on bottom side Newport County, and a New Year's Day home encounter with Cheltenham Town.
Bell is confident of getting their run of games off to a good start at the Saddlers' Bescot Stadium.
"We're going to a really good team," he added. "Mat [Sadler] is doing an excellent job again. He's proven how good a manager he is, and a really exceptional person.
"They're a really good team, physical, full of energy, goals that you see, a really hard nut to crack.
"We'll go there, I'm sure they're fearing us as well with what we offer, and our attacking threats."
