Six things Paul Warne must address as he takes over at MK Dons

There is no getting away from it: there are a lot of problems at MK Dons.

Paul Warne is not just walking into a team sat 19th in League Two, but one which has endured a torrid season, and is now onto their fifth head coach in seven months.

With four games left of this current season, and plenty to sink his teeth into, here are six key things Warne needs to address.

1. Avoid relegation

Admittedly, this one is almost underwritten. Dons are 19th, nine points clear of the drop with only 12 left on offer. Simply by matching Carlisle’s result against Port Vale on Good Friday, their League Two status will be secured for another season. This is a far cry from where the club declared their lofty ambitions to be at the start of the campaign, but it’s the situation facing Warne at the moment. When they take on Newport County tomorrow, this one could be wrapped up by 5pm.

2. Morale

It has been a gruelling campaign for the players and supporters. A poor start, change at the top, a mini-revival before things for much, much worse, another change, and more disappointment. Over the last three months or so, it has been clear the players have been down trodden, broken mentally and stand fragile on the pitch, waiting for the first opportunity to crumble. Warne’s mission will be to lift the players, not just in the short-term, to get them playing the way most of them have in their careers until this point. Not just the players though, the fans too need a reason to get behind their side.

3. Style

The MK Way is dead as we know it. It hasn’t worked, it has limped through various iterations, but here it lies. Warne spoke about his style to the media, and it is simple: win games. He doesn’t want to play backwards, he wants to see players taking their man on, crosses, and he wants to see goals. Remember those?! Whatever Warne’s way looks like, it will be a step up from what we’ve seen this season at least. And it has paid dividends for him in his previous jobs too, with four promotions under his belt in seven seasons.

4. Set-pieces

Going hand-in-hand with the style, Dons have to be better at set-pieces and both ends. On too many occasions, Dons have been easily unpicked when a team has a free-kick and sends it into the box (see Gillingham’s 95th minute winner for the latest instalment of this saga). Likewise though, their own set-pieces have been infuriating beyond words this season, to a point where a lot of fans don’t even get excited for corners now, knowing the ball will likely not make it into the penalty area. With aerial threats like Jack Sanders, Laurence Maguire and Luke Offord, it seems crazy to make them trot 70 yards and not try to take advantage of that.

5. Stability

As mentioned in the second point, Warne is Dons’ fifth head coach of the season following Mike Williamson, Dean Lewington, Scott Lindsey and Ben Gladwin who have all given it a go since the opening game in August. Constant chopping and changing, different characters and characteristics to have to deal with, different ideals, styles and approaches, it is no wonder the players sometimes look like they have no idea what they are doing out on the pitch. Warne spent six years in charge at Rotherham, and two-and-a-half at Derby, showing he is not one to bolt for the door at the first sign of trouble. Dons are in desperate need of consistency, and a consistent message delivered from the head coach will do wonders.

6. Attendances

This one is not entirely on his shoulders, but comes as part and parcel with making the right improvements around the club. With good football, with goals, with excitement tends to come results. And for right or for wrong, better results puts more bums in seats. The club are close to surpassing their current season ticket sales for next season already with a decent offer to supporters to sign up, even off the back of the club’s worst ever campaign. But if Warne can replicate his results picked up at Rotherham and Derby previously, or at least can give fans a reason to sing his name without adding “sort it out” at the end, more fans will come back.