Brown expecting big Southend response at Stadium MK

The Blues boss was an unhappy man at the weekend after seeing his team slip to 14th in the Sky Bet League One table following their 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth.

Brown is promising changes to the starting line-up as he and his team head to Buckinghamshire, as he attempts to reignite Southend’s faltering promotion hopes.

“I’m looking for a reaction and a response,” former Hull City boss Brown told the Southend Echo.

“I said after Saturday’s game that I would be making changes and that remains the case.

“I’ve given the players a lot of support and that will continue but that support needs to be rewarded with the performances.

“At the moment we’re not playing well enough to see off teams like Portsmouth and I was disappointed at how we reacted to their goal on Saturday. We need to see more of a reaction against MK Dons.”

It’s not all doom and gloom for Southend who, like the 13th-placed Dons, are a manageable five points outside the play-off places, and it is a big game for both clubs.

Brown knows his team is in for a tough test on Tuesday night, but is anticpating a different kind of test that he is used to experiencing at Stadium MK.

“MK Dons are a footballing team but they’ve changed since the Karl Robinson days and they’re more physical now,” said Brown.

“They do still try play out from the back but have a good front four, including the biggest number 10 in the division. They have a real threat but we have to try and get at them at the other end.”