The contingency plan era begins at MK Dons

The new MK Dons way of doing business came to the fore in the January transfer window, and it looks like the start of something very promising at Stadium MK.

Sporting Director Liam Sweeting, working alongside head coach Liam Manning, saw their contingency plans play out and work out, shortages of playing staff did not last long and new names and exciting talents arrived swiftly.

It took a while, but three deals gone done on transfer deadline day as MK Dons bolstered their ranks.

Kaine Kesler joined on loan from Aston Villa, Matt Smith signed from Manchester City and Dan Kemp swapped Leyton Orient for MK Dons as Sweeting and Manning gave the squad some much needed depth on the final day of the window.

It has been one of Dons' most lively and active months in recent memory. It feels like a long time ago that Max Watters was recalled by Cardiff City shortly before the end of December, but that is where it all started.

More departures followed too, with Charlie Brown heading for Cheltenham, Laurie Walker for Stevenage, Andrew Fisher to Swansea City, Matt O'Riley for Celtic and Zak Jules on loan to Fleetwood. Ethan Robson, Peter Kioso and Josh Martin were all recalled to their parent clubs too, leaving Dons 10 players down from there they started the month.

Signings came in swiftly though following departures, and it showed the links both Sweeting and Manning have cultivated over the years. Premier League sides Chelsea, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa were all willing to do business with Dons to offer up players on loan, while Manning's history Manchester City also will have helped get a foot in the door to sign Matt Smith.

Not only that, they can boast a striker who has more than £15 million of transfer fees in his career too in the form of Connor Wickham, who could be an astute bit of business if he can be kept out of the treatment room.

It is a significantly different looking MK Dons squad a month on from Watters' recall. Jamie Cumming and Theo Corbeanu look immediate hits from the games they have played already, Conor Coventry appears to have found his feet in the centre of the park, and now Dons have options to pick alongside him too.

If there were to be a disappointing point on deadline day, it would be the lack of a centre back addition but in the absence of Harry Darling and Aden Baldwin recently through injury, Dons' switch to a back-four looked pretty seamless, meaning even if they were to suffer more injury issues in the centre of the park, there is a safety measure in place.

There is a confidence in the new MK way, the recruitment strategy and how players can quickly be replaced and the team continues. With a team sitting firmly in the play-off spots, there is a lot for the MK Dons supporters to be excited about for the remainder of the season.