DAVE Artell says Crewe's players need to understand the "gravity" of their abject home performance against Burton.

The Alex's 11-game unbeaten home run came to an end in spectacular fashion as the Brewers, rejuvenated under Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink, capitalised on defensive howlers to ease to a 3-0 victory.

Artell says lessons will be learned with video analysis and the players need to realise there are consequences after such a poor showing.

With the benefit of a week without a midweek fixture, Artell expects a big improvement at Northampton on Saturday.

"We've got to ensure that isn't the mindset going forward," said the Crewe boss. "The players have to understand the gravity of that and understand the consequences.

"Sometimes you have to be constructive with your criticism, but at other times you have to be very blunt with them and in this case they needed to be told.

"We have got to put it right and I have got to help the players. There was a lot wrong on Saturday which hasn't been for a while. We've got to make sure it doesn't happen again. They have got to show more resilience and certainly more fight than we did at the weekend."

Artell may have more room for manoeuvre with his selection choices at the back in the coming weeks if Luke Offord and Donervon Daniels come through their return to training.

Caution will be exercised with Offord, who hasn't played since mid January, but Daniels, who has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, may be closer to a return.

Daniels was three games into his return from a four-month lay-off when he suffered a similar, but not recurrent, injury.

"We've got to be careful with Luke, whereas Donervon has been out for 10 days. They are both training today so we will see how they get on," said Artell, who revealed long-term absentee Oli Finney's return from a broken leg has been delayed as the midfielder needs to wear his orthopaedic boot for another two to three weeks.

• The Alex have announced that long-serving staff member Andrew Blakemore has taken up a new role as financial director, which will also seeing him join the club's board. Andrew has been with the Alex for more than 28 years and most recently held the role of group company secretary.