Two home defeats in quick succession will always rattle MK fan’s nerves, especially after a summer of optimism and visible investment in the squad.
Yet early September is rarely the moment that decides a promotion bid. What matters now is whether Paul Warne uses those setbacks to sharpen the structure, restore defensive clarity and settle selection in the right areas. The second-half responses have already hinted at character and conditioning, the issue has been the opening 30 minutes where shape and personnel choices left too much grass unguarded and invited pressure that strong League Two sides ruthlessly exploited.
The fix is not a grand reset, it is a re-balance. This squad is built to play with intensity, athleticism and direct speed in wide areas, but those strengths only tell if the middle of the pitch is protected. On a large surface, two central midfielders can be stretched from touchline to touchline, so a consistent three in midfield should be the default. That gives the full backs cover to engage higher, allows a 10 to connect with the front line, and prevents opponents from walking through transitions. The second halves have shown the legs and belief are there. Start with that platform and the tone of games changes quickly.
Defensive clarity starts at full back and with the centre-back pairing
The most expensive mistakes have come from square pegs in round holes. Pushing a centre-half to right back against pace and overloads interrupts both flanks and the heart of the defence in one move. When available, Gethin Jones should anchor the right side, and Joe Tomlinson’s return will normalise the left. Kane Wilson offers thrust going forward, but the structure around him must be tidy and the holding midfielder ready to slide across if he joins attacks. On the left, Jon Mellish can deputise, but he is more natural centrally or in a back three. In short, stop moving multiple pieces to cover one absence.
Just as important is reunifying the preferred pairing. Luke Offord and Jack Sanders read each other well, they win first contact and manage the line with authority. Breaking them up removed leadership from the middle and created uncertainty on set plays and second balls. Restore that axis and the team immediately regains its reference point. With Craig MacGillivray behind them and a settled screen in front, the first-half storms should subside.
League Two 
Use the squad’s firepower, but feed it the right way
There is more than enough threat to win tight games at this level, provided the ball arrives in the right moments and zones. Aaron Collins works best when he can drift and receive to feet between lines, not chase isolated channels. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing is devastating when attacks are timed, not rushed. Jonathan Leko and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy stretch defences, while Callum Paterson offers variety, aerial presence and back-to-goal hold-up in a more direct spell. The instruction should be simple, win midfield first, then release pace and one-v-ones around the box instead of forcing early crosses with numbers short in the area.
That also means set pieces must become a weapon. With the centre-backs, Paterson and the delivery of Daniel Crowley or Alex Gilbey, there is no reason corners and free-kicks are not worth a handful of goals by winter. League Two margins are often decided by restarts. Turn them into repeatable chances, and the points column moves without overhauling the open-play blueprint.
Midfield balance will decide the autumn
Paul Warne’s football is at its best with a dogged six, a runner who can break lines, and a technician who makes the last pass. Will Collar’s energy is valuable when paired with a sitter and a creator, while Gilbey can tilt matches with short combinations and late penalties-area arrivals if the holding role keeps him high, not chasing full backs. Asking two to do the work of three left the team exposed and the centre-backs facing waves without traffic control in front. A 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with a genuine 10 achieves the same attacking output with far less defensive risk.
Rotation should be purposeful. When the front three are asked to press, fresh legs on 60 minutes keep the line high and stop the side collapsing into its own third. That is when late goals come, not when the team is pinned and forced to kick long.
Context matters: injuries easing, fixtures tough, runway long
The recent run came against sides expected to contend, and it coincided with disruption in both full-back slots. That combination will hurt almost any team at this level. The return of Aaron Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to full tilt, plus the restoration of natural full backs, will change the picture. A point or better away to an in-form Chesterfield calms the noise and validates the tweaks. Even if that becomes a hard-earned draw, the key is to look like MK Dons from minute one, not only after a shock to the system.
There is also no need to apologise for ambition. This is a talented League Two group, assembled to push the top. The table is compressed in September, and runs of three or four results move a club half a dozen places. Panic invites short-termism, short-termism invites more square pegs, and the cycle repeats.
Calm invites clarity, and clarity usually brings points.
