Didn't watch the game so only going from the listening to Rad Ox, the extended highlights and the "Moments you missed".
Not sure how anyone can blame Eastwood for either goal. First one was a gimme 6 yards out and the second came from a central position where Eastwood couldn't close the angles, and it went bottom corner. Keepers are only saving that 1/10 times so no blame on Eastwood.
The defence looked really nervous in the opening 30 minutes or so, but did settle and didn't let Atkinson going off affect them. Still work to be done, but not quite the shambles many feared.
Marcus McGuane looked much more like a player that will make a difference at this level. I'm still not convinced that wide left is his position and would love to see him more centrally like Baptiste last season. But hopefully a little run and more confidence will help him show what the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona once saw.
Sam Long once again came on and did a job for this team. I'm amazed at how often he is singled out for criticism but very rarely gets the credit when it is deserved. Defensively sound and scored from a set piece when we really needed a goal. Scoring from cb's has been poor, last season, Dickie, Moore and Mous gave us only 3 goals. Longy will score more than that this season if he continues to get game.
Dan Agyei looks like an almost player. He has done well in the last few games on the left without ever really making the position his own. I know he was blatantly fouled against Peterborough, but he either needs to be strong enough to throw the defender off, or smart enough to go down. Last night, I don't have an issue with him letting the ball run on to his stronger foot, but once he's done that he either needs to lift the ball into the roof of the net, or take another touch knowing that the defender will have already committed himself. Like McGuane, there is definitely a good player there, but we need to see him really make an impression in this league.
Mide Shodipo (not Paddy please
@bazzer9461 !) showed a good touch and the confidence the team has been missing last night. Very early days, but if he can replicate that then we've got ourselves a very decent player who fell under the radar last week.
Karl Robinson has been open to criticism, but I felt that, given only one day on the training pitch after Peterborough, we adjusted well last night. We looked to press MK Dons early on, and whilst it was working, it also exposed huge gaps behind Clare in particular. He adapted and had us pressing more through midfield and looked to keep a more disciplined backline. From the 30th to the 90th minute, we pretty much contained MK Dons and I can't think of a time when they got behind us. Yes we let the guy walk through the team in the last minute, but a different scoreline or different circumstances and 3 players bring him down and stop the danger.
All in all, lots more positives than negatives and a few little tweaks to hopefully see the very best from this squad of players. Grab a cheeky 5 nil win Saturday and then we can start working our way up to the right end of the table.
Positive Bus is out, all aboard!!!