Football Season Guide

Milton Keynes Dons

In


Jamie Cumming (r) (Goalkeeper, Chelsea, Loan), Ethan Robson (r) (Midfielder, Free Transfer), Darragh Burns (Midfielder, St Pat's), Dawson Devoy (Midfielder, Bohemians), Will Grigg (Attacker, Sunderland, Free transfer), Bradley Johnson (Midfielder, Blackburn), Nathan Holland (Attacker, West Ham, Free Transfer), Conor Grant (Midfielder, Rochdale), Matthew Dennis (Attacker, Norwich City), Jack Tucker (Defender, Gillingham), Louie Barry (Attacker, Aston Villa, Loan), Henry Lawrence (Defender, Chelsea, Loan).

Out


Conor Coventry (r) (Midfielder, West Ham United, End of Loan), Theo Corbeanu (sp) (Attacker, Wolves, End of Loan), Troy Parrott (r) (Attacker, Tottenham Hotspur, End of Loan), Kaine Kesler Hayden (r) (Midfielder, Aston Villa, End of Loan), Peter Kioso (sp) (Defender, Luton Town, End of Loan), Max Watters (sp), (Attacker, Cardiff City, End of Loan), Harry Darling (k) (Defender, Swansea City), Hiram Boateng (sp) (Midfielder, Mansfield Town, Free Transfer), Aden Baldwin (sp) (Midfielder, Notts County, Free Transfer), Scott Twine (k) (Midfielder, Burnley), David Kasumu (r) (Midfielder, Huddersfield Town), Connor Wickham (sp) (Attacker, Released), Brandon Mason (sp) (Defender, Released), Jay Bird (sp) (Attacker, Released), John Freeman (Midfielder, Released).

MK Dons looked great for large periods last season. Eventually, they'd lose to Wycombe in the League One play-off semi-final. A sad end to a season filled with positives. The summer has been filled with turnover. Key faces Darling and Kasumu have departed, as have loan stars including Coventry, Parrott and Kesley Hayden. Several fringe players have also moved on, meaning the squad will look very different. Keeping ahold of both goalkeeper Cumming and midfielder Robson is key, while acquiring Grigg on a free transfer could be an astute piece of business. Midfielder Johnson is another veteran who'll bring plenty of experience. Attacker Holland joins on the back of an excellent season for Oxford United in League One, while Aston Villa's Barry is another who'll be keen to impress. The squad still looks pretty good depth-wise, with manager Manning trying to replace as many of those departures as possible with genuine quality. It'll be interesting to see how these new signings settle in. Inconsistency and familiarity could be a problem, particularly in the early stages as the players try to get familiar with their new teammates. Darling's departure is another big blow. He not only defended like a warrior but also scored goals. In terms of strengths, Manning is amongst the best managers in the division. MK Dons also boasts some genuine quality in pretty much every area of the field.

Target


Promotion. They suffered playoff heartbreak last term, though MK Dons would be happy with making it into the Championship by any means necessary.