MK Dons had a solid summer transfer window under Russell Martin, however they only signed one player in the final month under Liam Manning.
The squad has since lost just two games all season, against promotion-chasing Sunderland and relegation-threatened Doncaster Rovers and the Dons currently sit 6th in Sky Bet League One.
We are at a point now where we have all seen the Dons’ good qualities this season and have seen the bad ones too. The next few months are going to be crucial in deciding whether Dons will be in the top six come May. Here are just a few of the decisions that Liam Manning needs to make regarding the upcoming January transfer window.
More goalkeeping options?
Andrew Fisher has had an okay start to the season however not the greatest. He has two goalkeepers behind him that don’t appear to be making any further steps towards challenging for the number one shirt, so the question facing Manning is whether the Dons need another goalkeeper come January.
Fisher is just 23-years-old and has already prove his ability to stop shots so saying that he should be removed from the starting XI is a bit harsh. However he does need someone behind him to continue pushing him to his best. A prime example of this is last season when he took the number one spot from Lee Nicholls, however Nicholls continues to impress as backup. He pushed Fisher to become on of the best goalkeepers in League One last campaign.
Re-evaluating loan players
Of the five players on loan at MK Dons this season, some have failed to make the impact that Dons fans expected of them. The likes of Max Watters, as shown above, has failed to get a string of games together due to injury however has since returned to full fitness and failed to convert numerous chances.
Josh Martin featured a few times last time for Championship champions Norwich City however has failed to record a single league start for MK Dons. His first start for the Dons came on Tuesday night against Wycombe in the EFL Trophy. The game ended in a victory for the Dons however a mediocre at best performance from the young Norwich midfielder. Decisions to be made by Manning as to whether his loan boys are up to the standards of a promotion push.
Sell Kasumu?
David Kasumu was linked with numerous Championship moves over the summer, including a bid from Huddersfield Town which was turned down on deadline day. The midfielder had been injured since July and in that time had been replaced in the midfield by inform Blackpool loanee Ethan Robson. There is no way of justifying putting Kasumu back into the starting XI based off of merit from last season, so with his contract expiration date approaching this June, is it time for Kasumu to leave MK Dons for a transfer fee?
It’ll be a busy January for Liam Manning and MK Dons, as the club looks for automatic promotion to the Championship.
