Love the headline Bill.

I don't think Robbo would have said that he is staying without Winkie's approval so it good news for the Dons.

I believe the main change to get and play established the centre halves. As I have said before even Barca need Puyol and Pique, Real Madrid have Ramos & Pepe, Man U have Ferdinand and Chelsea have John Terry. When we got promoted we had O'Hanlon & Danny Swailes. All the great teams have great centre halves, as well as needed for defence they can score from corners etc.

Players need to stop getting sent off and we lost our way too many times. Against the smaller teams Robbo should consider 4-4-2.

George Baldock and Flannagan need a chance, as well as Ali and Rasulo. We also need a bigger squad to cover injuries and to make training meaningful, but Winkie said at the start of the season budgets will be cut if we don't get promoted, so I don't hold out much hope.

We desperately need a chief scout even if we have to cut the club staff or coaches.

Are you saying Cheif scouts require sacrifice, or just maniacs who shouldn't be alowed near sharp objects?

As soon as it is certain a playoff spot is out of the question, I would like Robbo to start trying new things - try the youth players for a few games just to see how they shape up. Get rid of the dead wood and the old men and really build for the future. If it goes pear shaped then Pete can decide what he wants to do in the Summer or at Christmas.

One thing Pete must do is buy Kay a dummies guide to the rules of football.

I do think the Chief Scout is a necessity and if he hated all midfielders so much the better

I do find football scouts work better with balls than sharp objects so perhaps we needn't cut at all, especially the office staff who look lean and hungry at the best of times

In Kay's defence Robbo has started to play a very high defensive line and I'm not sure the players are ready for it and with the lack of cover defenders do make desperate acts.

A chief scout who could pick excellent defenders and strikers would be a good acquisition.

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I think Robinson is a good manager, however this season is becoming a disaster, I still believe we are one of the best teams in this division, 3-0 wins over Doncaster and Tranmere are testament to that, yet we lose to teams that are below us in the table.
The problem is if we dont go up this season, and we were 2nd favourites, we will struggle next season.
We have been hampered by having a small squad, and yet again red cards are costing us dear.
Winkleman has shown little investment this season, to be honest I feel we need new owners, because I think Winkleman has taken us as far as he can.
I still dont see what Harford and Wright are adding to the mix.
We could only name 15 players against Crewe, and yet we are still loaning out players, Gills fans at work tell me Flanagan was their best player.

Superdons, I don't know if he is such a good manager. He doesn't chnage the system when it isn't working, he certainly isn't giving the strikers confidence to take chances. His loan signings haven't been very inspired, and although there is a small squad, he has a tendancy not to put loanees straight in.

Also, I think it is more than a coincidence that when players who can't get a regular slot in the Dons side, suddenly become the best player in their new side, that surely must point to the manager.

Winkie has invested (assuming all the Loanees require paying) but I am afraid that Robinsons love of midfield really hasn't seem a return on investment.

I think the squad size is a bit of a red herring, because it is not as if there was a massive squad last season.

I agree that the Red cards haven't helped nor have the injuries, but a lot of the blame must fall with Robinson.

I'm not sure it is fair to say players have "suddenly become the best player in their new side". Strikers are prone to score for their new club, with some exceptions of course and no doubt Jabo will score against us on Saturday, but has Charlie or Jabo carried on scoring after their initial strikes? I see Charlie was sub for Orient last week.

I had forgot that Robbo's win ratio is still 45% which is a good return and worth keeping hold of the manager who achieves it.

It shows a manager in decline.

In 2008-09 MK Dons had win percentage of 57% (52% home, 61% away)
In 2009-10 it was down to 37% (43%H & 37%A) (when Ince left)
In 2010-11 It was 50% (61% H & 39% A)
In 2011-12 it was 48% (52% home, 43% ayay) ,
Current season it is down to 37% (53%H & 21%A)

So even if they win all four of their remaining away games, it will still be the worse in the last 5 years

Significantly and with a little tolerance he has only been a poorer away manage this season and if he can learn from his mistakes, assuming home form continues, we will be up there challenging for promotion next season.

But thats the point, he didn't learn the lessons from last season, he hasn't learnt the lessons from earlier this season.

Even if they win all their remaming games the overall win percentage wil be 47%

He didn't have much to learn from last season. We made the play offs which most thought was a good effort. Home wins has be comparable while a 43% away win ratio was 2nd best in the seasons you quoted.

An old adage if that you learn from your mistakes and we had made a lot of them this season especially away. The crux of the matter is what has Robbo learned from them and will it make a difference or is he in a state of denial? I think & hope he has learnt from them and he will be a better manager because of them (and that goes for Pete Winkelman & the club as well)

True, but the lessons he should have learnt from the end of last season - Strikers not scoring, Teams knowing how to play against the Dons, so needing to change the game plan - he hasn't.

Having said all that, and given that the side is now mid table wth no real chance of promotion this season, and the fans are not shouting for his head, he must be doing something right.

I believe it's called managing expectation. For example if you phone a call centre and they are playing slow music you know you are going to be sometime.

Interesting article.

People expect football managers to make all the difference to a season when they are not in direct control of the outcomes of a match. Football is a 'lucky' game (in the sense that it is low-scoring, so one goal, one decision, or one mistake can swing a game, a season, or a career).

These things mean that managers make the best long term decisions they can, but are too often judged on short term outcomes they can't influence.

We are making long-term progress. We made the playoffs last year and are not in the play-offs now, but we have acheived above our weight for medium sized club, got noticed, beaten some very good teams and above all we believe we can get to C'ship when mnay clubs are just aiming to hang in to L1, let alone get promoted.

Robbo has been a good long term appointment for this. It's not all his doing but he's played his part and continues to do so. This year, it hasn't been a disaster, just a disappointment. We'll bounce back.

Lets also not forget he has shown loyalty and not (yet) given up on us (compare Mr Ince). I reckon he has as good a chance as any manager we could get next year, and probably better. Be careful what you wish for if you want him to go.

We should stick with him.



There, I've said my piece. Have a good weekend folks

I cant see why Flanagan has been loaned out, he played really well at the end of last season, we are now short of defenders.
Mcloud has been a disapointment, doesnt look like he is going to score for us, I thought he would have done a lot better.
Gleeson is a class act I cant see him being with us next year.
As for tomorrow I have no idea if we will win or not, but it wouldnt surprise me if Jabo scored.