MK Dons Season 2 (The championship)

Ok so i'm actually writing this blog after I have completed the season so it may turn into more of a season summary.

TRANSFERS

Ok so i'll start with who got chopped after the step up to the championship

Carl Regan RB - FREE
Ali Gerba ST - FREE
Nathan Abbey GK - FREE
Willy Gueret GK - FREE
Mark Wright RM - 80k to Carlisle
Miduel Llera - 16k Castellon
Sam Baldock - 150k Norwich.

I also sent out on loan new signings Harry Arter DM to Southampton, Luca Ficarrotta CM Shrewsbury and Brett Prescott GK to Aberdeen.

Ok so signings I decided I would have to bring in a number of players to compete in this league.

Daniel Parejo AM - 4k from Real Madrid
Youssouf Toure ST - FREE Tours football Club
Darius Vassell RW/ST- FREE
Bradley Wright Philips RW/ST - FREE
Nathaniel Clyne RB- 1.6m Crystal Palace
Matthew Bates CB/DM- FREE
Tom Heaton GK - FREE
Medhi Benati CB - 925k Clermont Foot Auvergn
Amaury Bischoff DM - LOAN Arsenal

Future young prospects
Dieter Hect ST - FREE
Jean-paul Capdevielle MC- FREE
Joao Silva AMC- FREE
Luca Ficarrotta MC- FREE
Hasan Ali WBL - FREE Kaiserslauten (would figure a bit in first team plans)

I don't usually like making this many signings, as it is hard to keep all players happy so i set off with a bit of a squad rotation system to take me up until january and then I would look to offload a few more fringe players. The youngsters were just going straight into the reserves.

I had managed to pick up a number of really decent Free transfers, was excited about my new attacking force Toure and Vassell, with bradley wright philips slotting in at right wing interchanging with vassell.

Nathaniel Clyne a decent right back was the big expense knowing he was english and had a future made me choose him over a cheaper foreign right back. the other money being spent on Benati a morrocan international who looked pretty solid.

Pre season went ok 2 wins and 1 loss to Birmingham, but Vassell and Toure had both scored.

Opening game of the season was Charlton at the Stadium MK.

MK Dons 3 - 0 Charlton

Toure 2
Vassell 1

Everything had started pretty well.

I was drawn against Hereford in the league cup and i picked a reserve team to keep my fringe players happy and have a look at a few of the youngsters we came away comfortable 2 - 0 winners.

Our second challenge in the league was Nottingham forest away, twenty minutes into the game we were cruising at 2 - 0 and then reality set in as we conceded 4 to end up loosing 4 - 2, I blame myself not making tactical changes after going up away from home.

August results
Burnley (H) 1-1
Hull (A) 1 - 2

Ok so August had seen me get two good wins one against newly relegated Hull away from home and giving Charlton a spanking. I learnt a valuable lesson whilst playing Forest to shut up shop after scoring two early goals.

September
Swansea (H) 1-1
Sheff Wed (A) 0 - 1
Blackpool (H) 2 - 1
Bristol City (A) 2 - 0
Norwich (H) 2 - 0

I was still cruising a draw against Swansea at home I was happy with although the way the game went I could have taken all the points. I was completely out played when i went to Bristol City, but i bounced back the following week to beat Norwich.

October
Fulham (A) 5 - 1
Cardiff (H) 3 - 0
Wolves (A) 2 - 0
Leeds (A) 1 - 0
Derby (H) 1 - 0
Ipswich (A) 1 - 1

Fulham are a strong outfit along with wolves and this was made very clear to me after loosing 5 - 1 and 2 - 0 respectivly. I was still unbeaten at home though I was turning Stadium MK into a fortress.

November
Sheff Utd (H) 0-0
Pompey (A) 1- 0
Barnsley (H) 0 - 2
Preston (A) 1 - 1

A poor month for me, loosing my first points at home to Barnsley of all people.

December
QPR (H) 3 - 2
Southend (A) 1 - 1
Crystal Palace (H) 2 - 3
Coventry (A) 1 - 1
Charlton (A) 0 - 1
Hull (H) 2- 1

So I had got to January with the following stats, pretty much half way through the season and I was 9th with 37 points. I was very happy with this, I had been picking up draws away from home and my home form was pretty good.

Played 25
Won 10
Drawn 7
Lost 8

January Transfers

Players Out
Bart CB - 30k Sheff Utd
Alan Navarroo DM Free Shrewsbury
Jaoa silva LOAN sheff utd
Jean-paul LOAN Walsall

IN
Daniel Nannskog ST - FREE (Bought in as cover due to injuries and Wilbers not being able to perform at this level)
Mirko Savini DLC 85k Palermo extra cover at left back and a very good cb

January
N Forest (H) 3 - 1
Burnley (A) 3 - 1
Swansea (A) 0 - 0
Sheff Wed (H) 2 - 1

February
Blackpool (A) 1 - 0
Norwich (A) 1 - 0
Fulham (H) 0 -0
Bristol City (H) 7 - 4 (yes i know this was rediculous so many errors but what a game Toure picked up 3)
Cardiff (A) 1 - 2

I had gone the whole month unbeaten and got some very good results this was the turning point of my season all of a sudden I was looking as if I could make a play off position! Youssef Toure had turned out to be a supurb signing and he was top scorer in the league at this stage. I found another free transfer to help out at RM as Jemal Johnson wasn;t performing.

March
Wolves (H) 2 - 1 Beating top of the league just showed the form my team were in.
Derby (A) 1 - 1
Ipswich (H) 3 - 0
Leeds (H) 4 - 2
Sheff Utd (A) 1 - 0
Pompey (H) 0 - 0

Another brilliant month unbeaten getting draw away from home at derby and then a win at sheffield Utd and at home to pompey!

April
Barnsley (A) 0 - 0
Preston (H) 1 - 0
QPR (A) 2 - 1
Southend (H) 2 - 2
Crystal Palace (A) 2 - 2
Coventry (H) 0 - 0

I couldn't believe it after a predction of just consolidating in the league hoping to finish mid table I had actually come 4th joint on points with third place!


Pld 46
Won 21
Drn 15
Lst 10
For 65
Ag 51
Pts 78

Youssouf toure had finished with 28 goals in the league!

I WAS IN THE PLAYOFFS AGAIN!

Fulham vs MK Dons

Toure was injured my top scorer, and was not scheduled to be back until the final so I decided to adopt a slightly defensive approach away from home as Fulham are a very strong outfit.

on 23 minutes Kamara danced around 3 of my defenders and then slotted the ball in past the keeper, 3 minutes later we had left big sami hypia un marked when they had a free kick on the edge of the box he calmly slotted the ball home. We went in 2 - 0 down at half time, I knew this was going to be a big ask to get back into this game, I didn't want to concede anymore but still wanted to get atleast one goal back. On 51 minutes bradley philips was bought down in the area, he took the penalty and smashed it in the bottom left.
5 clear cut chances fell to both Vassell and bradley wright philips, but they just coulnd't find that equaliser, but atleast I had not conceded another.

result 2 - 1

MK Dons vs Fulham

We got off to a flyer with Planus curling the ball into the top corner after great approach play by Parejo on 11 minutes, this was then followed up by thumping header from a corner by Benatia. We were 3 - 2 so i decieded to sit back a bit. on the 43rd minute a huge mistake by Bouchard in goal after a simple passback played it to Kamara who just had to put the ball in from 10 yards, I was furious at half time and let them know about it. disaster 66 minutes in and they scored another from a long ball and a mixup in my defence both leaving it only for Murphy to put it in the corner. The clock continued to wind down 15 minutes left i bought on the big Swede Nannskog to go up front. He only managed to equalise rising the highest to put away a header the scores were level!

Extra time both teams sat back and it was a really cagey game it came down to penalties. I have a rule with penalties i pick compusure over penalty taking obviously if they have both they go first it paid off my boys held their nerve and scored every penalty I was in another final!

result
MK DONS 3 (4)p - (4) 2 Fulham

THE PLAY OFF FINAL

Two seasons running i had made it to the final last year I sat back with a rather defensive approach I decided I wanted to try and fire up my team and attack early.

I was playing Sheffield Utd I had drawn at home with them and beaten them away, both games had been quite tight. Youssef Toure was back from injury although was lacking a bit of fitness, but I decided to pick him all the same for the final, which was a bit of a gamble. After 34 minutes he was stretchered off and Nannskog took his place.

The first half was MK's as we managed to create a number of chances and limit them to very few, but still we had not managed to create a goal. The pressure was on and I knew my players could do better a number of them came out again at half time fired up and in the 64th minute nannskog put away a 1 on 1. I then decided to sit back, but almost immiedetly Billy Sharp leveled the score with a wonderful solo effort. My euthoria was short lived, the game had started to even up a little with sheffield utd creating a few more chances. Things were looking like extra time was going to decide this contest, until the 84th minute where I was awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. Parejo stepped up and scored the goal that was going to take us to the premiership!

I couldn't believe it I had managed to get MK Dons promoted two seasons running.

I don't think MK Dons are ready for the top flight I will have to make some serious moves during the transfer market and hope that Arsenal want to loan out some better players to me I'm going to have to scrap for survival until I can get my squad up to the right standard.