Zak Jules feels he’s adapting to MK Dons’ unique style of play with every match he plays in.
The defender recently made the switch from left-wing back to occupy the left-sided centre half position in the Dons defence – and it’s a switch Jules says he’s enjoying.
Such is the way Russell Martin’s side play they see the majority of possession in most matches. The Dons have boated over 60% possession for the last nine Sky Bet League One games in a row.
Jules, meanwhile, has had a big role to play in the recent fixtures, with the defender touching the ball over 76 times in each of his last three starts.
“It's good – it has taken a little while to get in there and it's good to be playing in a position where I'm most comfortable,” Jules told the local media. “It's very different. It's enjoyable but it takes a lot of getting used to.
“There is a lot of pressure on the backline to produce and build-up play. In other teams I've played in, you only have a handful of actions in possession. So here, it's a case of keeping concentration all the time because you have to be ready to take control of the ball. It has taken some getting used to but I feel I'm getting used to it game by game.
“In a lot of teams in the Football League, you have that option of hitting it into an area. Under Russ, that is unacceptable, you have to find a solution and keep possession. That's great because it puts pressure on us to come up with our own solutions quickly. Getting more minutes in the team and getting used to the system is helping me get better. “
Jules, how arrived on Deadline Day in the January Transfer Window has had to wait his time for a starting position. He says even though he wasn’t starting games, he was eager to learn and analyse how Martin set his team up.
The 23-year-old also reserved special praise for Dean Lewington for constantly providing help and guidance to the young defender.
“I'm learning on the job. I started in the team playing at wing-back which isn't my position but it was good to get some minutes. Watching the way we play from out there compared to being in the backline is completely different. I've made mistakes but the manager has made it clear he's not going to get angry at any of us for making mistakes if we're doing the right things.
“He's well respected, he's the captain and a legend at this club. Without question, he's a brilliant player. He has been brilliant with me too, passing on his knowledge, giving advice. And you saw him come back into the team on Saturday and put in a great performance.
"Deano knows he's a brilliant player, but he's someone I'm still learning from, as are the rest of the defenders."
