Fixing form at home a top priority for Warne and MK Dons
Dons have won only once at MK1 under the head coach since he took over
Addressing form at Stadium MK is something Paul Warne hopes to solve, starting this Saturday against Accrington Stanley.
Since taking over in April, Dons have won just once on home soil under the head coach, drawing three and losing the last three. Away form has seen Dons pick up twice as many points this term compared to the tally at MK1, and that is something Warne is desperately keen to turn it around.
“We’ve got eight points away from home but only four here, which is hugely disappointing,” he said. “We have to be better than most to get wins at home. The first game of the season is what it is, we were good against Cheltenham, we were really good against Walsall, scoreline aside, and poor for 45 minutes against Grimsby, so I don’t see a massive problem.
“This is a great place to play for the home and the away team. I do want it to feel like a difficult place to come, and I think if we can get our home form right, we won’t be a million miles away from where we want to be.”
That being said though, Warne admits his side’s form of late has not been good enough. Picking up one point from a possible nine in League Two has seen them drop from third to tenth, albeit after just eight games, while as a team they have drawn one of their last four after their heavy defeat to West Ham in the Ventu Trophy on Tuesday.
“One point from nine is poor,” Warne continued. “I’d expect us to get at least seven even though they were top team we played, but we go into every game full of confidence. It’s disappointing.
“I showed the lads the league table from this time last year, and I don’t think any of the top five got promoted. Historically the teams that end well do very well, and my teams normally do that.
“I don’t want to tempt fate, it hasn’t been the perfect start but considering everything with players, an injury crisis, I’m not too downbeat about it. I also know we have to win games, and if we win back-to-back we could be third again in a heartbeat.
“What is becoming more apparent, just turning up and thinking you’re good enough to win isn’t enough. You’ve got to grab the game by the scruff of the beck from the start and put teams under real pressure.”