Liam Manning has been left with a brilliant squad by former MK Dons manager Russell Martin.
It would come as no surprise if the new head coach said that no new acquisitions were needed, however after watching the Dons’ first four games under Manning there are some obvious areas that need improvement before deadline day next week.
Wing-back
During his time at Stadium MK, Martin craved attacking wing-backs, so much so that he would usually sign players whose primary position was on the right or left side of midfield and train them to become more defensive. This was to suit the attacking style of his football, which is a similar belief to what we have seen so far from the wing-backs under Manning.
Dons currently have Daniel Harvie a left-wing-back with no immediate cover and Tennai Watson at right-wing-back with only Josh Martin to take his place if injured. Both of which seem out of their depth in the attacking and defensive side of the role.
MK Dons should look to bring in at least one wing-back before deadline day, preferably one who has experience playing in the demanding role that is set out for them and who would be ready to jump into the starting XI if the current wing-backs continue to disappoint.
Centre-back
It is clear to see from the start of the season that the Dons have no chance of reaching their promotion aspirations if they cannot defend better. MK currently have the joint worst defensive record with eight goals conceded in their first four league games on top of the five that Bournemouth put past them in the Carabao Cup first round.
There is no experience in the MK Dons back-line. From the three that appear to be favoured by Manning, the average age is 22 – they are top defenders on paper, however the overall youth of the MK Dons defence will need sorting with Dean Lewington not starting anymore.