Added intensity will be key for MK Dons in clash with Fleetwood Town

Intensity will be the name of the game for MK Dons when they take on Fleetwood Town at Stadium MK on Saturday as they look to make it three games unbeaten.

After the hugely disappointing performance against Port Vale two weeks ago, leading to a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Darren Moore’s side, Ben Gladwin has been eager to emphasise a drive and desire from his side. It has resulted in a much improved week, beating Cheltenham last Saturday before drawing 2-2 against Carlisle United on Tuesday night.

Heading into Gladwin’s second home game since taking over, coach Ian Watson said the message ahead of the visit of Fleetwood has been to continue where they left off at the EV Charger Points Stadium and Brutnon Park.

“Our identity has to be about intensity now,” he said. “The talent is there and we want an exciting performance that people want to come and watch.

“We want to dominate the football, and sometimes when you're a ball-dominant team, you lose your style out of possession. We're trying to bring our focus back to how we want to score goals. We want the ball, we don't want to just kick it long and flip a coin, we want to work the ball to get our players at the top end of the pitch into good areas to attack. But you've got to have intensity to do that.”

Playing at home just twice in their last nine games, a return to Stadium MK will be greatly welcomed, not least by Watson, who has only been back in the dugout once since his return from Carlisle earlier this month.

Ahead of taking on Pete Wild’s midtable Fleetwood, Watson continued: “We're looking forward to being back at home, we've only had one since Ben took over.

“Fleetwood are a good, organised team. Pete is a really good manager, he always sets them up really well. They'llgive us problems, but for us, we have to go out there and look like an MK Dons team, playing with intensity and purpose, and that wants to attack, dominate the ball and look to hurt the opposition.

“We know what Fleetwood will bring, but we have to focus on what we do.”