DAVE Artell admits Crewe's difficulties have been "too much" for some of his younger set.

Tuesday night's home reverse (1-3) at the hands of Portsmouth was the Alex's ninth in their last 10 games and during it Artell spotted several of his younger players were flagging.

A significant injury list as well as January departures has left a youthful look to the defence and middle of the park. Academy scholar Connor O'Riordan has enjoyed an extended run at the back, while the relatively inexperienced Regan Griffiths and Josh Lundstram have been pressed into action in midfield and on the flanks.

But the Crewe boss insists he will stick with his young players as they move along the learning curve during difficult times with the club bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety with 10 games to play.

"It is where they are on their journey and we have got to help them. It was too much for one or two of them on Tuesday night. But it is hard for them to play Saturday/Tuesday and that sort of schedule is not something that is easy to replicate in Academy football," said Artell.

"But every single player is getting better and is on the right track and while we do want that improvement to be quicker we have to make sure the players are looked after and cared for because that is our DNA."

While the Alex boss has not sought to blame the current predicament on a busy treatment room - which has left him without striker Mikael Mandron and transfer window defensive signings Tariq Uwakwe and Ryan Alebiosu - he has highlighted the poor recruitment of last summer as an area where the club need to make improvements.

He says a review has been undertaken, which includes the club's scouting methods and the roles of backroom staff.

"We've never sold as many players as we did last summer. We have got to learn our lessons from that and get the right resources into the right areas and make sure that people are in the right jobs," explained the manager.

"It is difficult when you have to do that recruitment and train the players and manage. But we are at the end of that process now. One bad summer doesn't mean we need a revolution, but it's making sure we've got the right skill sets doing the right jobs."

Crewe's onerous March continues at the Stadium of Light on Saturday (K.O 3pm) where Artell will cross paths with Alex Neil, who spent time before joining Sunderland as head coach advising the Alex management team from the sidelines.

While teenage defender Zac Williams was back to feature off the bench against Pompey, Artell doesn't expect to be able to call on any more fresh faces on Wearside.

Dan Agyei won't be travelling as he has been added to the injury list and needed a scan on the leg injury suffered in midweek. Striker Scott Kashket is the closest to making a return.