MK Dons may be sliding down the League Two table, but interim head coach Ben Gladwin is adamant that his side are not part of the relegation battle.
With just 12 matches left to play, the Dons currently sit in 18th place, ten points clear of the drop zone. However, with their upcoming clash against Morecambe – who are fighting for survival in 23rd – that gap could shrink to just seven points if results go against them.
Despite enduring a dismal seven-game winless run, yielding just a single point, Gladwin remains confident his team will not be dragged into a scrap for Football League survival.
‘Not a conversation for this club’
The Dons’ rapid decline has seen them drift further from the promotion aspirations they once held earlier in the season. But Gladwin refuses to entertain the idea that his squad could be facing a crisis.
“No, I don’t, and I hope that doesn’t come across as arrogant,” he said when asked if the team were in a relegation battle. “I know the results haven’t been great recently, but I believe we just have too much to allow ourselves to become a part of that conversation.
“My idea is to take all the pressure off the players, but to let them know that a relegation battle cannot be anything they can be involved in. They’re too good a group, and they have to make sure, sooner rather than later, that conversation is nowhere near this football club.”
While confidence in his squad remains high, Gladwin is under no illusions about the intensity of the challenge ahead. Facing a Morecambe side fighting for their survival, he stressed the importance of matching their opponents’ desperation.
“I was unfortunate enough to be in a battle with Crawley a few years ago, the first time I’ve experienced that in my career, and it is horrible,” he admitted. “These guys have families and bills to pay, so we need to know they are going to go out there and be willing to die out on that pitch. We have to match that as a bare minimum and then we have to bring our quality through.”
The Dons may have a cushion above the bottom two, but with their dire form and the teams below them fighting for their lives, the upcoming fixtures could determine whether Gladwin’s confidence is well placed or merely wishful thinking.
Writer’s View
MK Dons may not be in the drop zone yet, but their recent form is alarming. Confidence can be a crucial factor in football, but so is reality. A ten-point cushion can quickly evaporate if performances don’t improve. Gladwin’s words will be reassuring to fans, but unless results start to turn, the Dons could find themselves in the very battle he insists they are not part of.
