Stats playing big part in MK Dons form - Lindsey

Scott Lindsey guided Crawley Town to promotion from League Two last season

MK Dons boss Scott Lindsey is happy to be regarded as a 'statistics nerd' providing the League Two side's good form continues.

Former Crawley boss Lindsey has lifted them from 19th to sixth in the table since being appointed to replace Mike Williamson on 25 September.

The Dons have won their last four league games, and lost only one out of eight since he took charge.

"I probably look at it (match data) more than anyone else in the building, you get a measure of how you've performed by looking at the stats," Lindsey told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"Of course, it's not all always about stats, (but) xG differential is important, that we have a really high xG for, but also a low one against."

He continued: "Since I've been here, in the league games certainly, our xG differential's been good, it's only been in the negative twice. I always look at that and possession stats I'm always big on.

"Last weekend we were in the top 10 for possession in the country with the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Fulham."

MK Dons, who are at home to Cheltenham Town on Saturday, have not conceded more than one goal in any league game under Lindsey, and their total of 24 goals scored is exceeded only by Chesterfield and Walsall.

He accepted that some data can be misleading - their crossing accuracy is very good, but the number of crosses delivered is not one of the highest.

"We don't pepper crosses in. We pick moments to cross and areas to cross as well, we won't just sling it in from anywhere," he said.

"We're quite patient with the play, we'll wait until we're in a really good position before that happens. We work the ball in order to get good quality in. It's more about quality than quantity."

Asked about being seen as a football nerd, he replied: "I've been called worse."

Lindsey's arrival at Stadium MK came just a few weeks after former chairman Pete Winkelman sold his majority stake in the club to a Kuwaiti consortium, headed by businessman and entrepreneur Fahad Al Ghanim.

And as well as improving the team on the pitch, he has also been building a sound working relationship with the new owners.

"Every two or three days I speak to the owner Fahad, we have phone calls, text messages, about where we're going to go moving forward or about the games, how we see team selection," he said.

"I think it's important we have that relationship. He understands why I'm doing whatever I'm doing and I think it's healthy that we have these conversations."

He added: "We look at what's happening in the present, what's happening in next week and what we want to do in the long-term future. We always speak about different aspects."