Bell 'really clear' on what Crewe need next season

Lee Bell's Crewe are nine points shy of their points total from last season

Crewe Alexandra boss Lee Bell says he is "really clear" on what the club needs to move forward next season after seeing their hopes of promotion from League Two all but end.

The Alex still have a mathematical chance of making the top seven but need to win their remaining two games against Tranmere Rovers and Walsall and hope results involving four other clubs above them - Chesterfield, Salford City, Colchester United and Grimsby Town all go their way.

In reality, though, Bell says attention will now switch to making sure they are contenders again next term.

"Results haven't been good enough and I hold my hands up to that," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We've had come really positive meetings as staff in terms of ramping up what we need for nest season.

"I'm really clear in terms of what we want to look for and what we need."

It has been a frustrating final end to a season for that had looked so promising at the start of the year for Bell and Crewe.

In late January, the Railwaymen were in the automatic promotion places and there with a buoyant mood around Gresty Road in the wake of Bell's decision to turn down an approach for him from another club.

But after dropping out of the top three on 28 January, a run of three wins in 16 games not only scuppered any hope of getting back there but also all but ended their play-off chances as well.

"It's been a really testing time," Bell added. "It's the first time I've really gone through something like this - it's lasted longer that I wanted it to.

"I was hurting 10-12 games ago after defeats and it has been testing but it will only make me stronger."

Bell said he is keen to work on "getting the feeling back" that Crewe had in the early part of the season that had seen them recover from losing their first two league games of the campaign to keep pace with the leaders with one defeat in 13.

"I know what we need to do to make it move forward," Bell said.

"I'm so determined to make sure my end goal is what I want it to be and I'll do everything in my power to make sure it looks like that.

"I'm really clear in terms of what we want to looks for and what we need. I know what type of players we need.

"I wont back down - from it going through seven to 14 games with it not looking how I want it to. We will turn it around."