Revell wants Stevenage to use FA Cup game with Dons to wipe the slate clean

Stevenage manager, former MK Dons striker, Alex Revell

Stevenage manager Alex Revell says his side are desperate to bounce back from a 5-0 thrashing last weekend with a good performance against MK Dons in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Revell, who made 17 appearances for Dons in the Championship in 2016, has seen his side struggle in League Two this season, sitting 21st with just three wins to their name in the fourth tier.

Their last outing, the rout at Rodney Parade, was the fourth game in a row in which Boro failed to score too, as pressure mounts on the manager.

Like Dons’ head coach Liam Manning, Revell said the FA Cup affords his side a chance to wipe the slate clean after last weekend’s disappointment with a one-off game.

“We’ve had to lift the belief and the confidence after Saturday,” he said. “We all know it’s an FA Cup game, so points aren’t at stake but prestige is. There’s no greater game than the FA Cup, it’s something we all look forward to.

“The FA Cup brings moments of magic, it’s a date in the diary we all look forward to.”

Looking ahead to the game against his former side, Revell said Dons have established their identity again over the last two years, admitting Stevenage’s identity has been lost over the last few weeks, contributing to their slump.

He said: “They’re a tough side, they’ve got the most possession in the EFL, they’re flying in the league and they’ve had a really good identity for a while now, with Russ and now Liam. They’re a possession based side, and we know it will be tough. But we have to show our qualities.

“They want to pass the ball, they’re winning games through building out from the back. We have to stop them from doing that, stop them from having those attempts and when we get the ball, we have to show calmness and enjoy what we do.

“We’ve lost our identity in the last few weeks, and we need to get it back. That’s where we got our success last year, and when we go away from that plan, it comes down to luck and things have to come off the cuff, which you don’t want. We have to get back to being us. Ultimately, you have to put pride back into the shirt after last week.”