The MK Dons centre-back the long-term vision will take care of itself

Concentrating on promotion at this early stage of the season needs to be put to the back of the minds of the MK Dons players after they lost a second game in a row on Saturday.

The 3-2 reverse to Grimsby Town came a week after their 1-0 defeat to Walsall, with both losses coming at Stadium MK and seeing Dons drop to ninth spot in League Two, four points off the top.

Seen as the scalp of the division, Marvin Ekpiteta says Dons simply need to focus on immediate results, with the long-term vision taking care of itself.

“We have to look forwards,” said the defender. “With our push for promotion, we have to just look to the next game. Forget about the end goal, just look to the next game. If we can keep winning, that will come with it. Forget about promotion, just keep winning and that will come.

“Even with one win, we have to keep the arrogance but not to be so arrogant to think we can beat any team just by showing up. We have to do the basics right, and if we can do that, we’ll beat anyone in the league.

“Every team that comes here and plays against us will raise their game another ten per cent, the manager tells us that every game. We have to be on top of our game because we’re the ones everyone wants to beat this season.”

Signing from Hibernian last month, Ekpiteta has started the last three games and believes he has settled into the fold at Stadium MK swiftly.

He said; “It has gone really quick, it has gone well but I think we should’ve won more games. We should’ve got something out of the Walsall game and possibly against Grimsby if we didn’t start so badly. But we’re nearly there.

“We’ve got a lot of new players and the manager hasn’t been here long so we’re still gelling and that might take time, I just hope it doesn’t take too long.”