Mike Williamson has eluded to future transfer dealings with the start of MK Dons’ League Two campaign edging ever closer.
The Buckinghamshire side open their campaign against Bradford City following a promising transfer window, bringing 10 new faces through the door. The latest is Brighton and Hove Albion keeper Tom McGill who arrived this week, but plenty of business has come from their league rivals.
Striker Callum Hendry was poached away from Salford City, whilst Accrington Stanley pair Tommy Leigh and Joe Pritchard have also been signed by the former Gateshead manager. Whilst youth was mainly used in their 1-0 win over Chelmsford City last night, a few senior faces, including Leigh, featured at Melbourne Stadium.
Speaking to the Milton Keynes Citizen, Mike Williamson did hint that he was looking for more new players to arrive before welcoming Bradford on the opening day, adding: “We’re always looking to improve, that’s the brutal truth of this industry.
“There’s a possibility. We’re working our socks off off the field.
“We’ve got a few things we’re looking at. We’re just waiting to see. We’re working to get potentially another one or two through the door before the season starts. But we’ll have to wait and see.”
The League Two side have had a fairly strong pre-season, with two wins and one loss to National League side Barnet. Dons had travelled to Germany for their pre-season overseas camp and had beaten Hannover 96’s under-23 side 4-1.
The standout star across their warm-up games has been Matt Dennis, who has scored four times across the three games and netted the decider against Chelmsford yesterday. The 23-year-old played 17 times for MK last season, with five goals to his name.
With the sale of Max Dean to Belgian outfit KAA Gent, Williamson has urged the former Sutton United loanee to stake his claim to a first-team place. He said following the win: “We know what he can do, it’s all clear for everyone to see but he has to keep working, keep improving and find his consistency in games. Once he finds that, will go to another level.
“As players get older and more experienced, that consistency is a by-product. His pace, how he breezes past players, you can’t teach that. It’s important for him now to keep working, chipping away and when he gets an opportunity, do what he has done, and to make things difficult for me.”
Writer’s View
MK Dons are one of the top candidates to seize the League Two title next season, with Port Vale their main competitor. The business Mike Williamson’s side have done has been brilliant, and with the addition of a new goalkeeper, they probably boast the strongest 11 in the division. Whilst a few new faces would do no harm, it would likely only be additional squad players that come through the door.
The main worry is who will occupy that place in the squad, with McGill having only played five senior games across his career for Crawley Town. Craig MacGillivray was loaned out to Stevenage in the second half of last season, and Michael Kelly did have some weak performances at the backend of the campaign. It is the latter who is likely to start the season but McGill could cause an upset with Brighton probably wanting to see some game time for their loanee.
Another concern will be who starts up front. Max Dean’s departure leaves the striker spot in Dons’ 3-4-2-1 open. Callum Hendry would be the most logical choice, being a standout for Salford, but injuries and a resurgent Matt Smith meant his time as the clear number nine was limited.
Mo Eisa and Jonathan Leko were both loaned out by Mike Williamson in January, meaning an in-form Matt Dennis could be the option to lead the line when Bradford City arrive on the 10th of August. However with Wealdstone, Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth all coming up before playing The Bantams, one of those names could beat the rest to earn the nod before kick-off at Stadium: MK.
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