DAVE Artell insists Crewe's tailing form should not define their first third-tier campaign in five years.

The Alex have endured a tough April, winning only one game of their five fixtures so far, while failing to score in their last three games, including Saturday's trip to Wigan (0-2).

Among those games, they also suffered their worst home defeat since 1973 when succumbing 0-6 to Oxford United.

But the Crewe manager says the dip in form should be put into context of how well they have performed previously, rising close to the top six, while also conducting strong business in the transfer market.

He says the impact of the pandemic on sport as well the fall-out of the investigation into child sexual abuse in football, which focused heavily on the club, needs to be taken into account too.

Artell said: "We've had a poor month. But I was asked if it had been a disappointing season, which I find remarkable.

"We've sold two players into the Championship. We've got one of the lowest budgets in the league, but we're playing some good stuff and developing more players and not once have we been looking over our shoulders which is in the middle of off-field issues and a global pandemic.

"That's the brutal reality that we are at. There are teams in League One that can afford [to pay their players] five or six times what we can afford to - we're overachieving.

"There maybe one or two, for example Accrington will be getting more value for their money. But we've had a decent season and we don't want to finish with a damp squib. But the last four or five games don't define our season."

Crewe travel to Fleetwood Town tomorrow night (K.O 7.45pm) with Artell challenging his players to "be better than they were" at the DW Stadium at the weekend, where a freak goal and Omar Beckles' sending off summed up a bad afternoon.

At least one change will be needed at the back as Beckles serves out his ban with the Highbury Stadium fixture. Meanwhile, there is still a question mark over Ryan Wintle's fitness, with the out-of-contract midfielder, who has missed Crewe's last two games, again a doubt.

Artell accepts the Covid-hit football season has been tough for many in the game, but he wants his players to show some stiffer resolve in the remaining games to what they have mustered recently.

"This season has been tough mentally. It can be used as an excuse and that is not to say I'm underestimating mental health because I really am in tune with it, but I think it's easy to say 'I'm tired in my head'," said the manager.

"Let's address the problem, it's a health issue and we've got to keep working on that; that's the same with fitness or any other challenge that we may encounter. We've got five games to go and we've got to embrace this challenge and give a good account of ourselves.

"We can't go up or down, so we've got the freedom to work on things. We've got a great opportunity to learn a hell of a lot about our players in the next games."

Meanwhile, the Crewe boss has joined in football's general condemnation of English footballing elite's announcement they have signed up for the controversial new European Super League, although he believes it will have little impact on Crewe.

With Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal enraging their own support with last night's news, Artell says the root of the problem is "money".

"It sticks two fingers up to the fans, who are the lifeblood of any football club. But these big corporations believe they can do without local fans. They feel they are big enough as a brand to take it across Europe. It boils down to one thing, and one thing only, money. Add in a bit of power and a few egos and you have a problem."