So into September we go and I thought Id comment on the various rumours that started on twitter at the end of the month of August.
It started with an interview Karl did for MK News and he said when asked if we were getting anymore in "that there might be people going out " I was listening to the interview with a few other fans so heard exactly what he said and to be honest the reporter and the camera man from Anglia I think it was were there as much to get an interview with Jimmy Bullard as anything.
This got picked up on twitter and it then got speculated on that we were selling players and Daniel Powell's name was mentioned, a Derby fan then said they wanted him and it became Powell was going to Derby.
I was then quoting the article from the MK News but it did not the stop the rumours then a Huddesfield fan chipped in and our Daniel was linked there as well I was expecting to see Sky Sports News reporting it but that never happened the other funny one was Micheal Owen being spotted at Cranfield in his helicopter but no one fell for that.
Then next day the other MK paper the Citizen reported that "Robinson had previously hinted that possible departures could be on the cards, but now it looks set to be an uneventful day at Dons" and I wondered if that was a reference to yesterday or Robbo had given a different interview to them because he certainly said people might be going out as it turned out George Baldock went out on loan to Tamworth (who we seem to be building a link with) until 31st December when Bullard's deal is up coincidentally ! George joins teammates Charlie Collins and Jordan Ivey-Ward in Staffordshire for his second stint with the Lambs.
Anyway back to the Jimmy Bullard interview Jimmy is a funny bloke and his resemblance to the Chairman was mentioned and he said he has got that nickname amongst the players and both media outlets that were there that day joked about his hair. Jimmy was joking its insured and that he uses wash and go and both interviews were very funny especialy the one Dan from MK News did.
I can imagine Jimmy is a right laugh in the dressing room and I have been lucky enough to speak to him a few times now and he is very approachable and friendly and has that personality that reminds me of a naughty schoolboy .
On Saturday 1st we had Carlisle so technically the above news is August but Id already put that blog out so forgive my liberty taking lol
I do like Carllise and their players always seem to have time for the fans when they arrive and I even got to say hello and shake hands with Greg Abbott as he arrived I wished him luck but was just being polite and didnt mean it of course, but he is such a nice bloke I dont like to be rude.
One of the fans I hang about with on match days knows the Carlisle keeper Adam Collin and Adam came over for a chat as well, perfect opportunity for a photo I thought only to find when I took it Adam was laughing and the picture was even more blurry than my normal attempts at photography !
As for the match it was a bit like the Oldham game in that we looked comfortable and not in any danger of losing apart from a few minutes second half when the Dons fans really raised the noise level and support and
cheered the team through it and Karl was quick to give the crowd praise for it post match.
Chicksen got M.O.T.M which I thought well okay Id have probably given it to MacKenzie but perhaps the sponsors are bored with him winning it every game.
I thought all our players were good and wouldn't have wanted the job of picking one out to be honest.
Chadwick again got on the score sheet and Lowe added to the goal tally of the day which would have been more had it not been for some fine saves by Collin who I thought a good game although Abbott seemed to notice his mistakes rather than his saves in the post match comments.
It was good to see Lowe score his first goal at home from open play on 64 and hopefully he will now get a lot more .
But a surprise for me anyway was the appearance of Jimmy Bullard who I thought we wouldnt see on the pitch for another week at least and he also raised the noise level when he came on he showed some us some lovely touches and might well of scored.
The teams lined up Dons 4-2-3-1: Martin, Otsemobor, MacKenzie, Williams, Chicksen; Gleeson, Potter; Powell (O’Shea 85), Chadwick (Bullard 72), Bowditch; Lowe (MacDonald 72).
The subs not used were: McLoughlin and Kay none of the young lads and just the five on the bench
Jabo and Smith were not at the game Smith is banned so understandable but Jabo missing was a concern for me !
Goal by Chadwick was on 11 Lowe was on 64
Carlisle United lined up Collin, Robson (O’Halloran 65), McGovern (Symington 73), Murphy (c), Noble, Cadamarteri, Edwards, Potts, Berrett (Thirwell 37), Jervis, Chantler.
Subs not used: Simek, Madden, Beck, Gillespie.
The attendance was 7,227 with 381 unusually quiet away fans.
September is a busy month and we now have an extra game against Sunderland so the JPT game with Northamton is probably something Robbo could do without but it is for us fans a competition with happy memories and tickets for the game were selling well ahead of the Tuesday night game and by Monday morning we had sold our allocation according to a Northampton forum, on Monday afternoon the OS confirmed we had sold out our initial allocation of 950 tickets and received a further 300 that afternoon.
Some other news ahead of the game was that Ian McLoughlin our 20-year-old reserve keeper linked up with the Republic of Ireland U21 team on Monday 3rd September and played against Hungary on Thursday 6th September a game which the Republic lost.
Also Gary MacKenzie joined up with Scotland on Monday night and missed the MK Dons JPT clash with Northampton and also our League 1 match at Walsall but never made the bench.
Back to the Northampton game and as we know we lost to a wonder goal from Robinson that caught out Martin and although we were arguably the better team we could not a find a way back into the game despite a few good passages of play.
Mason Spence from the academy had a good game and looks to be a good prospect and did not seem fazed by the occasion.
But the JPT campaign was over and we don't have to think about that again this season.
The teams lined up
Northampton Town 4-4-2 L Nicholls, East, Langmead (c), Charles, Widdowson; Demontagnac (Wilson 71), Tozer, Moult (Nicholls 82), Robinson (Turnball 76); Akinfenwa, Mukendi.
Subs not used: Snedker, Dias.
MK Dons Martin, Spence (Ibehre 66), Williams, Kay, Chicksen; Bullard (Chadwick 66), Smith (O’Shea 69), Gleeson (c); Bowditch, MacDonald, Powell.
Subs not used: Lowe, Galloway another academy lad, O’Shea.
Booked: Kay, Spence
Referee was Carl Berry from Surrey and the attendance was 3, 444 with 1,349 loud Dons fans.
On Thursday 6th we heard that teenager Mason Spence had been called up to the Wales Under-19 squad and I thought is there another team in League One with so many Internationals in the squad ?
And so thoughts then turned to the upcoming game with Walsall, last season at the Bescott we had Beevers starting with McNamee and Balanta on the bench all three have now gone but one of the goalscorers that day Lewington was due to return from his three game ban and that triggered the memory of the game last season when we all thought we were going to score a boatload with the whole second half playing against ten men but it turned out to be a case of forty five minutes of frustration and we didnt had to our first half tally the Saddlers had veteran goalkeeper Jimmy Walker sent off for handling outside the box which meant full-back Lee Beevers went in goal and I wondered if we would fare any better this time round.
But that was then and it was back to the Bescott Charlie Burns the Academy keeper was given the day out I thought he'd get last game and there were changes from the Northampton game as the team looked more like the first team we know.
But just as we were settling in Walsall were in front after Jamie Paterson's corner was poked home by Dean Holden on seventeen minute's and it was catch up time.But despite having most of the possession we went into half time one down we made all our substitutions but nothing changed despite fourteen corners and the better possession we were again toothless in front of goal and it was Northampton all over again.
Saddlers have made changes this season but no one of any note we have made changes and the players we have brought in are supposedly better , but we did not get the result we did last season ,should we be worried ? maybe because we should be winning these games if we want Auto.
Not time to press the panic button just yet but we need to be getting something occasionally from free kicks and corners but we don't.
Understandably most fans were disappointed some angry and Robinson said after the match “The boys will go away and it’s their duty of care to the badge and the Chairman to put a performance in and that’s me included, I have a duty of care to the Football Club to up my game as well.” which I thought was at first hearing a bit OTT but afterward thought it is the thing a fan would have said and actually quite good to hear a manager say it.
The teams lined up Walsall: Grof, Butler (c), Holden, Featherstone, Cuvelier, Paterson, Hemmings (Taundry 86), Purkiss, Bowerman (A Williams 90), Baxendale (Jones 77), A Taylor.
Subs not used: C Taylor, Benning, Downing, Jones.
Booked: A Taylor
Goal: Holden 17
MK Dons the unsuccessful away from home on small pitches team lined up 4-2-3-1: Martin; Otsemobor, Kay, Williams, Lewington (c); Potter, Gleeson; Powell, Chadwick (O’Shea 68), Bowditch (Smith 75); Rowe (MacDonald 61).
Subs not used: academy keeper Charlie Burns, Doumbe, Chicksen, Ibehre.
Booked: Lowe, Kay, O’Shea
Referee was the rather incompetent Patrick Miller from Bedfordshire the Attendance was 3,657 with 437 very frustrated Dons.
And now for some news on the players we have out on loan, at Tamworth FC George Baldock went straight into the starting eleven for the Lambs fixture with Mansfield Town and also played in midfield the game against Barrow the 19-year old helped to create chances for the Blue Square Premier side but they have fallen to 13th in the table after two defeats.
Academy graduates Charlie Collins and Jordan Ivey-Ward were on the bench for Tamworth and both players came on Ivey-Ward had a chance but his effort sailed wide.
Defender Tom Flanagan made his sixth appearance for Gillingham in their 3-1 victory over Barnet at Underhill Tom came on to replace the injured Matt Fish in the 84th minute and Tom helped to secure the win for Mad Dog’s team who remain at the top of League Two and are one point clear of Burton who are in second place.
And even better news was to come when on Wednesday the 12th George Baldock put pen to paper on a new two-year deal with the Dons keeping him at the Club until 2014.
Karl Robinson and I have spoken a few times about George so I thought if Karl had anything to do with it
George would stay.
George had spent most of the summer with Icelandic side IBV and made 19 appearances and scored once during his three month loan spell there.
George’s loan deal is up on December 31st and he will return to fight for a place in Karl's side.
George said: “I’m really pleased to have signed a new deal, this Club is the perfect place to be for a youngster, whether you are playing or in and around the squad because there is so much talent here to improve you as a player.
And so it is the final match of this blog and we have Yeovil at home the game comes as we are having something of an early season wobble.
The games away from home are at best frustrating and at worst a sign that we are not going to make Auto.
So this game with Yeovil was eagerly anticipated by those of us that want to get back to winning ways and those that want to keep in with the Auto shout.
The Yeovil team arrived by the same coach firm as the fans arrived on although it looked like it was a bit posher.
Then followed a game between two teams who looked to be as good as each other with both missing the chances they had but both playing some quite nice passing football but both seemed toothless in front of goal although both keepers did make a couple of excellent saves.
When Lowe was subbed for MacDonald I thought well Lowe has not got on the end of two lovely crosses and I was not convinced Charlie would either but he proved me wrong and found himself one on one with the keeper and after a change of direction placed the ball nicely into the net.
The it was squeaky bum time as we held on in the final few minutes and even managed to have a goal disallowed in injury time.
Our home form continues to be good just the away form to work on now.
MK Dons 4-2-3-1: Martin; Otsemobor, MacKenzie (Kay 12), Williams, Lewington (c); Potter, Gleeson; Powell, Chadwick, Bowditch (Bullard 82); Lowe (MacDonald 67).
Subs not used: McLoughlin, A Smith, Chicksen, O’Shea.
Only Don booked was Williams and Charlie's goal was on 75
Yeovil Town lined up: Stech; Ayling (former Dons loan player Marsh-Brown 76), Hinds, Webster (c), Ralph; Young, Blizzard another former Don player, Upson, Foley; Hayter (K Smith 62), Ugwu (Reid 62).
Subs not used: Stewart, Ince a cousin of Tom so therefore a relation of former manager Paul, Nkumu.
Booked: Ayling, Ugwu, Webster
Referee was the rather fussy and often confused (but equally so for both sides) Carl Boyeson from East Yorkshire.
Attendance was 7,235 with 322 away fans.
As this is a month with a lot of games I am doing two blogs this month which I'll probably regret as a lot of you regular readers will not check till October lol but hoping the Dons fans on twitter will spread the word.
COYD
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