Warne sets loft target to get MK Dons' title push back on track
The table could look completely different after the Easter fixtures
Paul Warne has set his MK Dons players a lofty target over the next 10 days - to win three on the spin.
After suffering back-to-back defeats to Barnet and Salford City, the Dons boss is keen to see his side’s promotion and indeed League Two title push back on course over the Easter fixtures heading into the game with table toppers Bromley a week later.
On Good Friday, Dons welcome relegation scrappers Barrow to Stadium MK before heading back to Greater Manchester on Easter Monday to take on in-form Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park, knowing two wins will put them in a strong position to secure automatic promotion ahead of their home game against the Ravens the following Saturday.
“I have set ourselves a target for the next three, and I want and expect three wins,” said Warne. “If we can go into the Bromley game on the back of two wins, we could potentially be playing to go top. That’s how I see it, and how any manager in my position would look at it. That’s how we’ll attack it.
“We have enough tools, players and ambition to go and attack all three games, so we’ll go and try to win all of them.”
He continued: “I expect to see a reaction from the lads this weekend, and if we get positive results over Easter, and especially with the fixtures on Friday, we could be sitting handsome. Equally, we could drop to fifth or sixth.
“The intensity has been exactly the same this week as it usually is, and we’ll have to be at our best this weekend.”
The round of fixtures is a big one in the promotion hunt, with several of the top sides crossing paths with one another: Cambridge and Swindon face off this evening (Thursday) while Salford host Notts County and in-form Barnet host leaders Bromley.
“The league could look completely different on Tuesday,” Warne added. “Six points to play for is a lot. Every fixture is tough, and that has only been highlighted in the last couple of weeks. If any of the top six win back-to-back, they put themselves in a really good position.”