CREWE boss Dario Gradi has hit back at recent criticism - reiterating just how important the club is to him.

This season's slide down the Championship in conjunction with Dean Ashton's departure has sparked more dissent than normal among Alex supporters over the last three months.

Beating Leeds United on New Year's Day to go eighth in the table was a real pinnacle.

And we know what's happened since.

After close to 22 years at the helm, Dario remains as enthusiastic about Crewe Alexandra FC as ever and he'll be looking to eclipse that achievement for sure.

With what's been achieved here since June 1983, who'd bet against it.

"This club is arguably the most important thing in my life," he explained.

"I don't have an intimate family so this club is something that is very important to me.

"The club, and it is a club not just a team, is something which I have enjoyed building and we enjoy being where we are.

"We think it's a great achievement to have got here and without any modesty I'm quite happy to say that.

"It's not just me though, it's a lot of people who have done it.

"We relish being in this league and we want to stay here, even though it is hard work."

Fans aside, a familiar phrase among some in the town has always been 'They don't want to go up' or 'They don't want to stay up'.

That's rubbish.

"The year in the league below was good fun and we enjoyed it because we went up," continued Gradi.

"But we would rather stay in this league.

"To go to West Ham, Leeds and all these clubs on a par, and by that I mean in the same league, is a great achievement.

"Every week we go to these games and look around and I just marvel at the situation.

"To build a team, not buy a team, which can compete at this level has always been an ambition of mine.

"It used to be the Premiership, but this level is almost as good as that level when I was manager of Wimbledon all those years ago."