Simon Grayson won't let standards slip as Fleetwood seek return to winning ways against Crewe

Town go into the game at Highbury on the back of Saturday’s defeat at League One leaders Hull City.

That left them 14th in the table, nine points adrift of the play-offs with five games remaining but comfortably clear of the bottom four.

Grayson said: “We want to get back to winning ways.

“We’ve been very good with results recently and we’ll work out what we have done wrong on Saturday and what we have to improve on to beat Crewe.

“It’s a different test against a different type of team who aren’t top of the table. You have to do the basics right in any game. You have to work hard, pass the ball correctly and take your chances when they come.

“It’s quite easy to be halfway up the division at this stage of the season and not do what you are good at doing in matches but, ultimately, players are paid to go out and perform.

“We keep stressing that they are playing for next year, whether they are here or somewhere else.

“I have high standards. If people are not performing, they will not be in the team next game.

“The intensity in training has been good because that comes from us as staff and we don’t want that to peter away.

“You saw how well we did (at Hull) and it has to be the same on Tuesday night and next Saturday as well.”

Grayson’s reign has seen Town perform well against sides who were looking for promotion, notably the wins against Doncaster Rovers, Lincoln City and Gillingham.

They also took the lead at Hull last weekend only for two goals in 10 minutes to give the home side victory.

The disappointment from that result is being turned into a positive.

Grayson added: “You can see why they are top of the division because they keep going and they have goals in the team.

“I’ve said to the players in the dressing room that if we are disappointed to lose to Hull City, it shows us where we are as a team and a squad, and what we have in place ready for next year.

“They are encouraging signs but, at this moment in time, I’m hugely disappointed that we haven’t got something out of the game.

“The game was very open for the last 10 or 15 minutes because we’re looking for the equaliser. There wasn’t much between the teams and that’s the pleasing point.”