Dons will not down tools before the end of the season

MK Dons may not be playing for anything but pride in the remaining ten games this season, but Ben Gladwin insists none of the players will be downing tools.

The footballing cliché of ‘being on the beach’ will be mentioned a lot before the final game on May 3 against Swindon Town, but interim boss Gladwin does not believe there is a player who would go into any game not wanting to put themselves in a position win it.

Heading to Cheltenham Town this Saturday, taking on a Robins side who will still harbour play-off aspirations in the latter stages of the season, Gladwin says his players will go into the game eager to get things right on the field to give them a bit of a run-up to pre-season and a hard reset.

“It gets said a lot, people downing tools, but I don't think any professional footballer has ever done that,” said Gladwin. “We have to find the message that hits home.

“It has been really hard for everyone, and we understand the fears and anxieties they have, because we all have the same ones. For them as a group, they have to give themselves everything they can to finish well and go into next season with a good feeling.

“The players are incredible footballers, but the setbacks they've had again and again and again, trying to bring them to a place where they believe they can perform well is a challenge.

“It is easy to give them positive messages, but a lot has gone on and a lot has happened. They care a lot, and sometimes caring that much can put you in a state of stiffness, where you can't quite break free.”

Speaking about the game at the EV Charger Points Stadium on Saturday, Gladwin believes Michael Flynn’s side will cause plenty of problems as they seek to reach the top seven.

He said: “Like most sides, they will make it really tough for us, fight, compete and run. They've got a lot of individual qualities too. We'll identify their threats and how they can hurt us and what we can do, but I really want to focus on ourselves, our performance and trying to move the club forward.

“Every game will mean something because of the way this league is currently. There aren't many teams who haven't got anything to play for. A lot of teams are in with a sniff of either getting sucked into something or going the other way and trying to go up.”