Alexander will not rigidly stick to ‘the MK Way’ of playing to win games

Graham Alexander says the ability to adapt in games will mean more to MK Dons than sticking rigidly to a style of play.

Known for their ‘MK Way’ approach to playing in recent years, Dons’ style of play has given the club a mixed bag, going from nearly reaching the Championship to relegation to League Two in the blink of an eye.

With previous incumbents Liam Manning and Mark Jackson both brought in to continue the way of playing, Alexander said his methodology focused more on the best way to win a game, rather than making a style work the other way around.

“My approach is quite clear, and it's not one way,” he said. “I'm adaptable, and that's what I said in my interview (for the job). I'm aware of MK's reputation having seen it from afar.

“But I didn't come here telling the board I would do it their way, but about what I'd done in the past. I assess the players, I have an idea of how I want to play, but I'm not dyed into that philosophy.

“If I have to adapt to the quality of the players or the level, we do what's needed to win.

“I want to play attacking football, and wherever I've been, we score goals. We've always attacked teams. We've never sat back, ground games out. We have a front foot, attacking mentality. It's what supporters want to see, it's what I wanted to see and how I wanted to play and that aspect won't change.

“If you wanted to pin me down to a formation or a style of play, I'd be lying to say ‘this is how I'd do it and I'm sticking to it' because you have to adapt.

“You have different players, different opponents, conditions, pitches, confidence levels. It's about getting the best out of the players on the pitch.

“I'll try and create the best frame work for the players to work in. And if players are better on the ball, athletically, have more height, whatever it is, we play a system that suits the players.”