Walsall manager Mat Sadler is expecting a revitalised MK Dons when the two sides meet at Stadium MK tomorrow afternoon.
The Saddlers have enjoyed an excellent start to the new season, winning three of their opening four League Two fixtures. They’ve also progressed to the Carabao Cup third round following an excellent second round win over League One’s Huddersfield Town, setting up a mouthwatering clash against Leicester City.
They travel to Buckinghamshire tomorrow afternoon fresh off the back of a penalty shootout victory over neighbours Birmingham City and full of confidence.
In stark contrast, MK Dons have endured a torrid start to the campaign. They were one of the pre-season favourites for promotion after narrowly missing out on a place in the top three last season. However, they appear to still be suffering from a play-off hangover following their capitulation against Crawley Town in May.
Monday’s defeat at Salford City was their third in four league outings, leaving them languishing in 19th, just one point above the drop zone. Tomorrow represents an opportunity to kick start their campaign ahead of the trip to bitter rivals AFC Wimbledon next Saturday.
It’s a clash that Sadler feels will be a tough one for his Walsall side. MK Dons’ only win of the season came on home turf at the end of last month, where they demolished Carlisle United. The 39-year-old is wary of a repeat and knows his side will have to be at their very best to continue their rich vein of form:
“MK are a very good team,” he said, via MK Citizen. “We got a chance to watch them on the box on Monday (against Salford). I can see what a fantastic team they are, Mike’s a good manager.
“He, as we all saw last season, will put together a team that’s very strong and capable of winning games so we’ve got to be on our metal, diligent in our work and we’ll have to work extremely hard to get what we want to get because we know what a good team we are.
“We have to be rested, recovered and ready to go again.”
With table toppers Gillingham facing off against Doncaster Rovers tomorrow, Walsall could finish the day at the summit of League Two if they better Mark Bonner’s team’s result.
Writer’s View
Walsall’s early season form in both the league and cup competitions will mean they will head into tomorrow’s clash full of confidence and perhaps sensing blood. There’s no getting away from MK Dons’ poor start, but two of their three defeats have come on away soil.
There’s no such thing as a false position, but a win for Mike Williamson’s side could see them take a significant leap up the table. It will be interesting to see how this pans out, although Sadler is clearly not underestimating what his opponents are capable of, especially as they will be desperate to right last season’s wrongs.