League position is nothing to do with style, insists Robinson

Karl Robinson has called for his players to restore some pride in the final five games of the season.
MK Dons vs RotherhamMK Dons vs Rotherham
MK Dons vs Rotherham

After suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Rotherham on Saturday - their fourth in a row - and falling nine points adrift in the race for safety, Dons face an enormous task to avoid the drop with five games remaining.

Though the obstacle is almost impossible, Robinson is refusing to give up, and has called upon his players to restore some pride, after some torrid performances of late.

“We’re still not relegated, first and foremost,” he said. “But I understand the predicament and the situation we’re in.

MK Dons vs RotherhamMK Dons vs Rotherham
MK Dons vs Rotherham

“It doesn’t look great, and it looks extremely difficult that we can pull something out the bag.

“It’s now a case of restoring pride.

“Whether that’s enough to keep us up or not has to be seen, we still have to restore pride at this club.

“But we have to still believe that the football gods are still out there. Given our luck, we’re owed a lot and that could help us!

MK Dons vs RotherhamMK Dons vs Rotherham
MK Dons vs Rotherham

“We have to refine our style, and forget the rest.”

That style is something that has come under question. A philosophy of patient build-up has become something of a target for more impatient voices inside stadium:mk, prompting a chorus of boos at the final whistle on Saturday.

But Robinson is sticking by his guns, determined that his style of play isn’t to blame for a place in the bottom three.

He said: “I’m sick and tired of listening to other people - it doesn’t work.

MK Dons vs RotherhamMK Dons vs Rotherham
MK Dons vs Rotherham

“I’ve taken advice and listened to people who don’t really know. I’m going to do what I think is right - it got us promoted, and it nearly kept us up.

“The booing hurt on Saturday. I don’t think that was overly fair.

“I have a lot of respect for people who pay to watch football, and it’s their prerogative to do what they do when they pay to get into a stadium, but maybe it was a venting of frustration. I didn’t take it well.

“If we get the other things around it right, the style is right.

MK Dons vs RotherhamMK Dons vs Rotherham
MK Dons vs Rotherham

“We’ve all made big mistakes, although I will stick this: it’s not the style that has got us into this.

“Maybe playing longer and quicker has made us unrecognisible and dour.

“When we’ve lost playing our football, there has been a sense of pride and we’ve come close.

“It’s what has kept us as close as we are now.”

Related topics: