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Milton Keynes Dons: Writing History

No history? Who cares, we'll write our own. Join me as I attempt to take everybody's least favourite Football League club up the football pyramid, one home grown player at a time.
Started on 8 May 2014 by Rablador
Latest Reply on 18 July 2014 by Rablador
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Episode 15 - Bumper Update, Struggling

Trequartista, you and I cry...

TEENAGE striker Aaron Masters has signed for Championship strugglers MK Dons on what the club describe as a "long term contract".

The English hitman joins Karl Robinson's side - who have just overcome an eight game winless streak in the Sky Bet Championship - from Skrill Premier outfit Solihull Moors, where he has notched four goals in fifteen starting appearances this season.

However, perhaps the 17 year old's biggest contribution to the team he previously was talismatic at was his fabulous match-winning hattrick against League One's Carlisle United in the first round of this season's FA Cup, a match so uncharacteristic of a non-league side with just two league wins all season.

And, with faltering striker Luke Moore having ended months of speculation about his future at a Dons team he only linked up with back in the summer by signing for Yeovil Town on a loan deal, Masters may well find himself sneaking into the starting line-up on a number of occasions for the remainder of the campaign as MK Dons prepare to fight for their life in the second tier.

Goalkeeper Stephen Henderson is the Dons' only other winter signing so far, having joined from West Ham for an undisclosed fee as competetion for long-serving David Martin.

Sky Bet Championship

2 - 2

Chris Kirkland (OG) 37, Ryan Hall 54 - Jérémy Hélan 21, Gary Madine 52
Jérémy Hélan

3 - 0

Leigh Griffiths 19, 54, Cameron Jerome 44
Leigh Griffiths

0 - 0

None
Joel Ekstrand 63
Lee Wallace

1 - 3

Ian Harte 9 - Daniel Powell 3, Jason Holt 58, Darren Potter (pen) 62
Dele Alli

3 - 1

Ryan Hall 3, Jason Holt 16, Lewis Milne 46 - Sam Byram 28
Daniel Devine

2 - 0

David Rodriguez 17, Leanardo Ulloa 23
Leanardo Ulloa

2 - 4

Daniel Powell 6, Ben Reeves 47 - Andrew Keogh 9, Lawrie Wilson 20, 24, Johnnie Jackson 80
Lawrie Wilson

1 - 1

Lee Hodson 55 - Harry Kane 69
Hogan Ephraim

1 - 1

Daniel Devine 50 - Chris McCann 19
Daniel Devine

1 - 0

David Jones 14
Danny Lafferty

1 - 4

Luke Moore 60 - Rudy Gestede 22, 51, Henrique 62, Craig Conway 87
Tommy Spurr

2 - 2

Matt Jarvis 5, Andy Carroll 65 - Ryan Hall 23, Giorgio Rasulo 29
Matt Jarvis

2 - 1

Conor Sammon 72, Johnny Russell 79 - Lewis Milne 58
Johnny Russell

2 - 0

Tom Flanagan 35, Daniel Powell 47
Tom Flanagan



The FA Cup, Third Round

1 - 2

Sean Scannell 20 - Dele Alli 50, Giorgio Rasulo 88
Oliver Norwood 88
Giorgio Rasulo

1 - 3

Giorgio Rasulo 43 - Roberto Soldado 85, Moussa Dembélé 86, Sandro 90+3
Moussa Dembélé

The win against Huddersfield was absolute relief, the loss to Spurs, a team with no other highlights except from their goals, utter shock. We're out of the FA Cup, and I simply cannot comprehend how.

Name: Giorgio Rasulo
Date of Birth: 23 January 1997
Previous Clubs: Bloxham Boys (Youth)
Coach Report:

An awful run of results sees Giorgio Rasulo really start to shine, stealing the show against Huddersfield as well as grabbing goals against West Ham and Spurs. With the transfer window open Giorgio is once again the centre of attention for a number of Italian Serie A clubs, with Napoli, Fiorentina and Inter among those interested in the £8M rated player.


“We even competed for the acne cream when we were younger. Obviously, I won that one."
- Scotland manager Gordon Strachan on his old friend and teammate Alex McLeish.
Damn, that wasn't too good! Not a great position in the league either, you can pick it up in the next month I am certain. :)
1

Episode 16 - Change in Formation, Change in Fortunes

Luke Moore, Learn from your Masters

It was a day of departures at Milton Keynes Dons on transfer deadline day, although no new arrivals were disclosed.

Attacking midfielder Ben Reeves was first to depart. Having shined in the Dons' 2013-14 League One title campaign, with 14 goals and 10 assists to his name, former Southampton youngster Reeves looked somewhat out of place in the higher level Championship.

So, when bids began to arrive from Ian Holloway's Wolves, it looked inevitable that the 23 year old would be bidding farewell to stadium:mk. Reeves instead chose to stay in the English second-tier to help struggling Blackpool beat the drop, on an initial loan - which will cost Blackpool a reported £350,000 - before a proposed move in the summer.

Next it was time for another out-of-favour player to leave; this time ex-Irish U21 international defender Rob Kiernan departed for League One newbies Portsmouth having made just 7 starts for Karl Robinson's side all season, and none since late October due to the improving form of fellow centre halfs Daniel Devine and Tom Flanagan. MK Dons were unable, however, to recuperate any of the £120,000 they paid Wigan Athletic for his services back in 2013 and Kiernan left on a free transfer.

Finally, promising right winger Callum Cooke left Milton Keynes to sign for Premier League outfit Everton for £350,000 compensation, although that figure could eventually rise to just under a million based on appearances.

When asked about the move, soon-to-depart Toffees boss Roberto Martinez said, "Callum is a very talented young player and we are delighted to have him here at Everton. We know that Karl [Robinson] wanted to keep him but was more than willing to discuss a possible transfer with us and we are very thankful for his continued co-operation." Wigan's FA Cup hero would last just two more weeks, though, before being replaced by Dane Michael Laudrup.


Sky Bet Championship

0 - 3

Steve Morison 57, 81, Brek Shea 90
Steve Morison

1 - 1

Rory Donnelly 57 - Giorgio Rasulo 35
Cyrus Christie

1 - 1

Dele Alli 71
Dele Alli

0 - 1

Aaron Masters 23
Elliot Ward

1 - 0

Danny Batth (OG) 56
Jack Hunt 46
Cyrus Christie

1 - 0

Lukas Jutkiewicz
Craig Alcock

0 - 1

Giorgio Rasulo 48
Giorgio Rasulo

2 - 1

Daniel Powell 63, Jason Holt 73 - Darren Pratley 55
Cyrus Christie

3 - 1

Ryan Hall 48, Daniel Powell 50, 90+2 - Daniel Devine (OG) 67
Giorgio Rasulo

0 - 0

None
Cyrus Christie




Name: Cyrus Christie
Date of Birth: 30 September 1992
Previous Clubs: Nuneaton Town, Hinckley United (Loans), Coventry City
Coach Report:

Giorgio Rasulo's continued form puts him a close second but it's Cyrus "I can never spell his name right at the first attempt" Christie, signed from Coventry after their relegation for £550k, who wins Player of the Episode this time out. After the aforementioned formation change Chrisit...fuck it, Cyrus was given a lot more attacking freedom, something he had struggled to do while Lee Hodson was acting as a limited full back. He still needs to work on his finishing a lot, but 4 man of the match accolades can't go wrong.

“We have a bow and arrow, and if we aim well, we can hit the target. The problem is that Bayern has a bazooka."
- Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund manager on rivals Bayern Munich..

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