Max Sanders believes he’s made significant strides during his loan stint here, but there’s been one thing missing so far – a goal in blue and yellow colours!
The 20-year-old midfielder talked positively in the build-up to Saturday’s game at Tranmere about improving his game, staking a claim for first-team football at Brighton, and the support he’s received from our fans.
His 12 appearances for Wimbledon have shown his ability in the centre of the park and included demonstrations of his prowess from set-pieces, one of his free-kicks leading to a goal at Bolton recently. However, he believes there’s plenty of room for improvement.
“Nick has helped me a lot since he came in (as Assistant Manager),” said Max. “The training sessions are good and everyone is at it. Personally, I think I can still improve on everything. I want to add goals to my game and get into the box a bit more. I still need to improve upon my all-round defensive game too. There are always things I’m looking to improve upon and I am just aiming to do my best for the team.
“I work on set pieces and it’s a plus of my game that I’m able to deliver the ball. You have to work on them because it can be a big plus for the team. It’s an opportunity to score and that’s what the gaffer has been saying really. The set-pieces are opportunities and we managed to score through one at Bolton with Marcus getting the goal. Set pieces make a big difference at both ends of the pitch.
“I’m getting a lot of feedback from Brighton. They always have someone watching my games. They have been happy with how I’ve done, saying that I’m playing good. They are keeping an eye on me. Obviously, I look at Brighton’s results because I’m interested in how they are doing. They are playing really good football at the moment and the manager has made a big difference with the way that they play. It does suit the way that I play. I spent pre-season at Brighton, but we decided that a loan was the best thing to do. I’ve just been focused on doing my best here at Wimbledon. I’m really enjoying it and I just have to wait and see about my future there.
“A few of the younger lads I know well are playing, so it’s great to keep an eye on them and watch their games. I speak to people there, just to find out what’s going on. I keep in contact with a lot of people at the club.”
Playing football at Christmas is a new experience for Max, but the prospect of a hectic schedule is something that is far from daunting.
“I’m looking forward to playing a lot of games in a short space of time. It will be good and we want to pick up as many points as possible. It’s the first time that I won’t be at home for all of Christmas, but I’m looking forward to the games coming up.
“So far, it’s been exactly what I wanted when I came here. I wanted to play as many games as possible, I think I’ve settled in well and I’m really enjoying it. The last few results have been very good, it was a shame we didn’t beat Bolton as it would have been three wins on the bounce, but I think we’ve taken that confidence forward and we are showing that in the games at the moment. I’m buzzing to be playing all of the time and I’m really enjoying it.
“It’s the first time that I’ve had that interaction with the fans, this is my first professional club of being in the first-team environment all of the time. We were not at it in the first-half against Doncaster and we were lucky to only be 1-0 down, but in the second-half we stamped our authority on the game. They are a top team and I think we can beat anyone in this league. The fans have been brilliant to me. I try my best on the pitch, they always back us as a team, and it’s great to have them supporting us, both home and away. My Dad comes to every game, he even came up to Bolton a couple of weeks ago. My parents always come to the games and a lot of my family come to the home matches. They really like the club and enjoy watching me play.”
If you missed the update yesterday from Glyn Hodges ahead of Tranmere, see our previous article.