Sweeting ‘got the balance wrong’ in Dons’ summer recruitment process

MK Dons need to add physicality and balance to the side in January according to their recruitment chief Liam Sweeting who admitted he got it wrong last time.

The club’s Sporting Director went through a busy summer of swapping 14 players out and in, but it has seen the side go from third in League One to 22nd in the space of eight months.

Ultimately, the transition cost former head coach Liam Manning his job in charge of the team, with replacement Mark Jackson confirmed as the new man in charge on Friday ahead of the Christmas period.

But with the January transfer window around the corner, Sweeting said his task now is to readdress the lack of balance in the side which has contributed to their struggles in the first half of the campaign.

“What we need to do in January is refine it, add balance and types of profiles which we don't have, and we can have a much more successful second-half of the season,” he said. “It has been difficult because what we've seen on the pitch hasn't been to our standard. I'm aware of that, and we got the balance wrong.

“What we need to do is add physicality to the team. I still believe in the team we've got but we have to get the balance right.”

Sweeting has come under fire for his role in Dons’ demise this season, with the recruitment buck stopping at his door. But sticking by the players he brought in during the summer, Sweeting says the criticism aimed at him over the last few weeks has inspired him to get it right in January.

He continued: “I don't regret signing any of them. But some of these players have signed on long term deals to be the future of the club and they're going to get better.

“We've just got to fix the balance in the short term. I'm in a privileged position to lead a modern football club, so if there are people who criticise me in the short-term, I'm fine with that. It just gives me fire to get it right in the future.”