DARIO Gradi had to call off Colin Cramb's transfer to Fortuna Sittard this week but still pocketed a cool £750,000.

That's the windfall Crewe will bank from Alex old boy Neil Lennon's £6 million transfer from Leicester to Celtic - further evidence, if it was needed, that Gradi is one of the most successful starmakers in football.

But he won't be "wasting" any of the cash on the transfer market.

It's already earmarked to pay for a new sports hall for the Gresty Road Academy - the jewel in Crewe's crown - ensuring that Lennon isn't the last of the carefully-nurtured talents to roll off the production line.

Gradi's been at it 17 years and this latest dividend will only serve to cement his position as the longest serving manager in the business.

Existence has long been the extent of Crewe's ambitions and, although he will do all in his power to ensure they survive in Division One for a fourth successive season, the manager can rest assured, knowing his job will be safe, if they don't.

Not that he won't be looking for victory at the Reebok tomorrow (perish the thought of a negative-minded Gradi team) and he'll draw encouragement from his last two visits.

A shock 3-1 win put the skids under Colin Todd's automatic promotion charge two seasons ago while a 2-2 draw last year prevented Sam Allardyce celebrating his birthday and first day at the Wanderers' helm with a win.

Rodney Jack scored a couple in each game to earn himself a reputation for Reebok revelry and he will surely be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

And now that his move to Holland has been shelved (Fortuna refused to pay the £200,000 asking price) Cramb is expected to partner the West Indian, having scored a cracker in last week's 3-1 defeat at Huddersfield.

Gradi is tipped to make just one change from that team - fit-again captain Steve Macauley returning at centre-back in place of young Steve Foster.

The Alex boss has a hunch that Sam Allardyce will start with Ian Marshall after seeing the veteran come off the subs' bench to play a winning role in Sunday's victory over Watford.

"I think he (Allardyce) will start with Marshall because he is a bit of a bruiser," Gradi reckons. "He came on and affected the game against Watford and I think Macca (Macauley) is the most experienced centre-half to deal with him."

Likely line-up: Kearton, Wright, Smith, Macauley, Sodje, Lunt, Sorvel, Lumsdon, Jack, Rivers.