MK Dons boss Graham Alexander has issued a resilient response to calls for his sacking amid a run of seven League Two games without a win.
MK Dons would have been hoping for more success after dropping from League One. They went from the play-off spots to relegation in the 2022/23 campaign and while the aim will be an immediate return to the third-tier, the early signs aren’t great.
The Dons are without a win in seven consecutive League Two games. That run leaves them down in 16th place, five points away from the play-off places and nine from the top of the table after 12 outings.
The run has seen new boss Alexander come under fire in the early stages of his reign at Stadium MK, with some calling for his sacking before they lose too much ground. Now, Alexander has responded to the calls.
As quoted by the MK Citizen, Alexander said that while he’s well aware of the disappointment, he’s determined to earn the support of the club’s fans in their bid to turnaround their fortunes. He said:
“I’m not defending the lack of wins, or change the supporters’ reactions. I know it’s not everybody and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It takes time.
“I’ve been with my wife for 35 years, but I guarantee she didn’t love me straight away even though I wanted her to. I had to earn the right over time.
“I hope and I want the supporters to get behind me and my team, but I cannot demand it. I have to act, have to produce to get that. I know where respect is earnt and it’s through actions, not words.”
He later went on to say:
“I don’t expect supporters and others to be ecstatic about our results of late, I’m not an idiot, but we have to win more games to get the feel good factor we had a month ago.
“That’s the game, that’s life, that’s what we’re trying to bring here.”
Can Alexander turn the tide?
It’s no secret that pressure is piling on Alexander from fans. There are people still supporting the boss but while the start to the season was positive, recent weeks have exposed just how disjointed the squad looks on tough days.
That isn’t an easy thing for a manager to overcome but frankly, the most important thing is results. When MK Dons were towards the top end of the league it wasn’t as much of a problem but now, they’re being made to pay for their poor displays and with results falling away, so is faith in Alexander’s ability to turn it around.
He’s managed at a decent level before and has promotions to his name but it remains to be seen if he can turn the tide and prove he’s the boss to lead MK back up the league.
