Alexander is taking responsibility for MK Dons’ recruitment and style

Whether you call him the head coach or the manager, Graham Alexander insists responsibility at MK Dons will fall on his shoulders.

The regimes of both Liam Manning and Mark Jackson were watched over by Liam Sweeting, with the Sporting Director taking the plaudits for the recruitment process and Dons’ near-miss with the Championship a year ago.

But after the wheels fell off last season, and both Manning, Jackson and their respective backrooms were sacked as the club fell into League Two, Sweeting’s involvement was played down by chairman Pete Winkelman.

In the appointment of Alexander, Dons are sticking with the ‘head coach’ title above the door, but the 51-year-old said regardless of the job title, his role will see him taking full lead and charge of the way the side looks next season.

“Whether you call me a head coach or a manager, the job is the same,” he said. “I'm picking the team, I'm training the team, trying to sign the best players.

“But it's a collaborative system. I've always spoken to the stakeholders, even when I've been called an 'old school' manager.

“It's different at every club, so coming here I was not fussed about the title, I just wanted the role.

“So much responsibility comes down on a manager's shoulders, you cannot do it on your own. Trying to be the big 'I am' just doesn't work.”