DAVE Artell is confident Crewe's rebuilding programme is well under way as he prepares to unveil two key backroom appointments.

The Alex boss believes the new head of recruitment and a data analyst will help to share the load as the club look to do better in this summer's transfer market.

Last year's poor hiring has impacted heavily on a dismal campaign which could end in relegation on Saturday even if the Railwaymen win at second-bottom Doncaster to end a seven-game losing sequence.

Artell and the club's directors have been interviewing candidates for the roles in recent weeks and an announcement is set to be made before the end of the week.

The manager believes the boardroom changes which of early 2020, which saw then major shareholder Norman Hassall sell up, have ensured that more resources can be directed at areas such as scouting and game and player analysis.

They have formed part of a wide-ranging review into the failing of the 202/21 campaign including the signing of a raft of players that failed to make the mark including Terell Thomas and Callum McFadzean who departed in the January window, loan signings that failed to spark such as J'Neil Bennett and Ben Knight and the unfortunate retirements of Tommie Hoban and Shaun MacDonald so soon after the experienced players had penned contracts.

"We had a terrible summer and we have got to right those wrongs and it has seen us undertake a fairly hefty review into that," said Artell.

"So we think we're going to get it right, but there will still be some bumps in the road without a shadow of doubt. We will have to get more signings right than wrong that's for certain.

"The structure of the football club, the new lease of life the new directors have given, or more importantly the old shareholder leaving allows us to input resources where we feel they are necessary up to the value we've got.

"We're doing it our way which I think is really important as that gives us the best chance."

Of the head of recruitment and data analyst appointment, Artell explained: "We've got to make sure we share the load and we have greater resources both in terms of time, effort and knowledge specifically. We've devised ourselves a process that allows more rigour in it with more checks and balances."

Meanwhile, there is some better news with the return of Billy Sass-Davies to full training after the centre-half's recovery from a deep vein thrombosis in a calf muscle which threatened to rule him out for the rest of the season.

Welsh under-21 international Sass-Davies has been able to manage some low-intensity training during his rehab and could yet be pitched in with five games left to play.

"We couldn't raise Billy's heart rate too much until he had a secondary scan at the end of last month. But his fitness has never gone to zero, although we have had to be careful," said Artell.

"We might have to gamble in that sense, it's a bit too early to tell. But we'll have a discussion about it this week and the real good thing is that he's back on the football pitch."

With an eye on next season, Artell says he will monitor the progress of a young striker who notched a hat-trick in the under-23's 4-1 win at Colchester last night (Weddnesday).

The frontman is without a club, but has experience in the full-time game.

"We'll see how he does in the next game he plays and we'll go from there. He's been at a professional football club and he'll probably say he's underperformed," revealed Artell. "

"Maybe he's learnt a bit and matured a bit and he's got a good grounding at home as his dad has been in the game for a long time.

"We'll see how he gets on in the next week or two and we'll go from there."

One shining light during the Alex's poor run of form has been the form of midfielder Tommy Lowery, whose contract wrangle early in the season saw him left out of the matchday squad by his manager.

The 24-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the campaign and it appears unlikely he will be at Crewe come August, particularly if relegation follows.

Lowery only made his first league appearance of the term at Wycombe on October 23, but he has been a consistent performer since, walking off with a string of man-of-the-match awards in recent home games.

Boss Artell praised the Holmes Chapel-raised player - who joined the club as an eight-year-old schoolboy - for his professionalism.

"Tom has always been a good professional," stressed the manager. "He's played 150 odd games for this football club and he's seasoned whereas a lot of our players are not at the moment.

"We've got to make sure that is the blueprint going forward."

Where that takes the club could become clearer after the trip to the Keepmoat Stadium (K.O 3pm) where only a win will do. Tuesday night's defeat (1-2) at MK Dons - when Bassala Sambou scored his first goal for the club late on - has left Crewe 13 points off safety with only 15 points to play for.

"We've had to win for the last few weeks and the games are running out. If we don't win then the inevitable happens and we don't want that to happen and we've got to make sure we fight to the last kick of the ball at Lincoln," added Artell.

"Doncaster will be in a similar boat to us in terms of outlook beforehand and we've got to make sure that we're psychologically resolute and strong to get over the line.

"We've got to make sure we win the game. There is no alternative - it's the last chance saloon and we've got to delay walking into it.

And the manager added: "It is always important to win games. If we win all five then we might stay up, but if we win all five we might still get relegated – lose all five and we will get relegated.

"The fact of the matter is that at some point we've got to turn the corner. Hopefully that will happen this Saturday. If it has to happen in the summer, if the worst happens, then we've got three months to get over it if you like.

"We've just got to make sure we keep improving as that gives us the best chance of winning games of football."