MK Dons Head Coach Graham Alexander has full focus on the team’s performance levels ahead of the Stadium MK fixture against Doncaster Rovers.
Graham Alexander has accumulated a total of 9 points from a possible 12 since the start of the 2022/23 season. Four wins out of five fixtures has seen Dons currently place second within the Sky Bet League Two table.
Oppositely, Doncaster have struggled for positive results thus far. Seeing only a point on the board as a result of a 2-2 draw against Mansfield Town.
On Doncaster Rovers…
Despite the current form table, Alexander reassured that “This will be another tough test.
“We saw last week with Colchester, who haven't won in the league either, how tough it can be. But we don’t prepare our performance to the level of the opposition, we have to perform as high as we can to have a chance of winning.
“We cannot drop our standards, because if we do, we'll get a punch on the nose. We have to be at it in every game. We've seen it already, and we'll continue to see that.
“Our concentration and focus have to be on the levels we can get to, regardless of who we're playing.”
The Head Coach continued “I want us to be a team that others don’t want to play, home or away.
“We've seen it in the away games, where we've won two of the three, and that's been great for us and the players.
“We want to recreate that form at home. We've only had one game here, we've won it, but there is a long way to go. That's what we're trying to create.”
On MJ Williams…
Since signing at Stadium MK, MJ Williams has made a start in each game excluding the most-recent victory over Colchester United due to an injury that side-lined the midfielder. Graham provided an update on Williams’ condition:
“MJ has still not trained with us. He picked up a knock in the Crawley game, got through it, but wasn't at the level he expected.
“He told us he didn't want to let the team down, which is a testament to his character and personality. We're hopeful he'll come back on Thursday or Friday. But we've got players who are ready to step up and take the opportunity to help the team win.”
Alexander also included an insight into Dean Lewington’s recovery since the number three suffered a set-back during the pre-season preparations:
“He's getting closer, that's good. He's the only senior player not with us now, it's on the horizon just not yet.”
On deadline day approaching...
As the summer transfer window nears its end, the press questioned any possible movement prior to the 11:00pm deadline on August 31. Alexander replied “It's frustrating. It's the same answers I have to give you. We're trying our hardest.
“The players we have are trying their hardest, but we need to strengthen and help the players on the run we're on. We're working hard, it's all we can say. You think you make progress one day, then it plateaus the next.
“There will become a point next week when people have to start making decisions. So we're staying in the race at the moment, dancing away to stay relevant in agents' and players' minds so hopefully we get the right players we feel can improve us.
“We're learning each week about the group, about how they meet and react to each challenge, how they react to losing, everything. It always adjusts your mind about what you potentially need.
“We know what we need but we've got open minds if a good player were to become available and what he could do to improve us. We're still quite clear on two or three positions where we know exactly what we need.”
Finally, the MK Dons Head Coach mentioned “You could potentially lose players too, and there are players in our squad others would like to sign. We have to be aware of that as well, but we're not actively looking to do that to be honest."
***
Graham Alexander and MK Dons return to Stadium MK action on Saturday when they take on Doncaster Rovers in their latest Sky Bet League Two fixture.
Tickets are on sale from the Box Office and online, priced from £24 adults, £18 over-65s and under-25s, £6 under-21s and £3 under-14s if bought in advance of matchday, while under-7s can watch from as little as £1.
To book tickets CLICK HERE, visit the Box Office at Stadium MK or call 01908 622933. Tickets will be available to buy right up until kick-off from the Box Office, though prices will increase by £2 on the day of the game.
