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"I've seen some really good football from us in the last two games. The first 45 minutes at Charlton and the first 45 minutes at Southend we played some sublime stuff; we just need to get to the stage where we can sustain that.
"In some ways, the last two games have been a bit of a reality check for us. We've been mixing it with some of the big sides, which has been a fantastic effort from the lads, but it's early doors and expectation can get out of hand when you start as well as we have.
"I've been saying from the start that most of the teams up there will be the ones that have spent the money, we haven't done that but as long as we can hang in there we should be in the mix. The expectations I put on this team are to perform well and play football the way it should be played, but we've got no God-given right to finish where we did last year because it's a much tougher league.
"We're disappointed to be losing games, but we need to take check of the situation and realise what a tough league this is. I think the fans understand that, I hope they understand it and the whole of Milton Keynes must understand it. If we can be around the mix come March, I'll be more than happy.
"It's not about getting back to winning ways or anything like that on Tuesday, we're playing some great football and we just need to capitalise on it a bit more. I wouldn't put too much pressure on winning games, at the moment it's about performing.
"Carlisle are one of those teams that can be getting beaten one minute and the next they pull off a great result so it's hard to know what to expect, but they'll come here under no pressure and we're expecting a tough game."
In team news for the home side, they have this morning completed the loan signing of former Scotland international midfielder Nigel Quashie. The West Ham man, having trained at stadium:mk over the course of the last week, now plying his trade with the Buckinghamshire outfit until the 3rd of January.
Elsewhere in the squad defender Sean O'Hanlon is still out after having a knee operation during the summer, while centre-half Jude Stirling has only just returned to light training following a groin injury. Right-back or central midfielder Luke Howell is expected to feature this evening though despite breaking his nose in a 2-1 defeat at Southend last Friday night.
The referee for tonight's match is Gavin Ward from Surrey, and he will be assisted down the lines by Glenn Hambling from Norwich and Gary Jerden from Grays in Essex. Meanwhile the fourth official is Gary Evetts from Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire.