"I wish there were more games": Dons boss Warne on the end of the season

Both the players and Paul Warne could have done with another few games to get used to each other

The end of the season has come a few weeks sooner than MK Dons boss Paul Warne would have liked.

The ex-Rotherham United and Derby County man will take charge of his fourth game this Saturday against Swindon Town, and will have to wait again until August before the next competitive outing for his side.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Overseeing a three-game unbeaten run, keeping clean sheets in all three, Warne said he has been pleasantly surprised by the make-up of the team and would have liked a few more games before the summer to form a better picture.

“From a professional point of view I wish there were more games,” he said. “I’d like to experiment a little bit more. It was important to get a win in, and to get across some of our nonnegotiables, but I would have liked another couple of weeks with the group.

“I don’t think there is an awful lot wrong with the group. I think we’ve seen pockets of play in the last few games, a bit of tenacity at Crewe, and I’m driven by performances more than results, so there has been loads of shoots of optimism.

“The defence and the clean sheets have been good, but it comes from a work ethic from the front. The effort from the front to the back has been great, it’s a collective effort.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“On Saturday (against Grimsby), we had a bit more purpose and a few more attempts on goal but we didn’t have enough guile at the top of the pitch. There are a lot of things I’m pleased but we’re always striving to be better.”

The players too will have wanted another few games in a bid to impress the new boss before the summer.

Warne continued: “My job is to make the team better, and that’s not to be sixth bottom in League Two. Their job is to stop me from signing someone in their position. I have to bring in better players in every position. There are certain positions that have played well and I really like, and with better players around them, they will mature as well.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1981
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice