Belief is beginning to return to MK Dons' players under interim boss

Ben Gladwin hopes he can help get the MK Dons players back into a winning mentality after their victory over Morecambe last Saturday.

Taking charge of his first week of training, the interim head coach said he has felt a lift in the mentality of his players after the 2-1 triumph at Stadium MK - their first win in seven games and only their third of 2025.

Seeing a marked improvement in his side’s performance compared to recent weeks, Gladwin said the players are starting to look like themselves again, and with a few changes, he hopes to see them performing the way everyone expects.

“I'm not getting carried away,” he said. “We're making it clear to the players we're at the beginning of trying to get them where they should be. They're a special group.

“Football is a cruel game. You have some really high highs, and they can feel like they will never end. The result on Saturday, even if had been a scrappy 1-0, would've helped the players a lot, but the fact we did it with a good performance as well has helped speed up the process to getting the team where we'd like them to be.

“Time on the grass for any coach is very valuable, so we've tried to maximise it to get some clear ideas and pictures of what we think went well, and where we can improve and what we can take into the next game.

“Our application and belief has improved. After the run (of form), trying to galvanise the group and create some belief again is the toughest thing. The energy, belief and the willingness to try and do what we're asking them has pleased me so much.

“Thankfully we've had a positive result, and that always helps when it comes to re-enforcing the ideas.”