Dons feeling the strain

Boss Robinson facing major challenge to end losing run

THREE DEFEATS in a row, with 10 goals conceded and only two put away at the 'right' end . . . this could be just about the perfect time for Athletic to travel to face struggling MK Dons.

Manager Karl Robinson — the youngest boss in the Football League at 30 years — has presided over a mixed bag of results which have left the ambitious club languishing in mid-table in npower League One.

Robinson took over as Dons boss when Paul Ince resigned the post last season, right after Athletic had picked up a point on the back of a 0-0 draw in a low-key end-of-season encounter.

Home form has generally been good, with the recent 4-1 thumping at the hands of in-form Sheffield Wednesday representing the club's first defeat in the league at stadium:mk.

But a poor away record of only two wins in eight matches is the worst in the division bar that of Notts County — ironically, the club Ince now manages.

In the build-up to Saturday’s game in Buckinghamshire, MK Dons sit 14th in the table, three points behind Athletic, having played one game more.

The unavailability and poor form of key players has hindered the team's cause.

Out-of-touch striker Jermaine Easter has produced only two goals for the Dons this season, both in the Carling Cup against Blackpool, and with none arriving in his 14 league appearances.

A player of clear talent, 28-year-old Wales international Easter is currently out on loan with Swansea in the Championship in a bid to rediscover his touch.

One of the big-name arrivals in the summer was Dietmar Hamann, but he, too, has not quite lived up to expectations.

The veteran German midfielder, formerly of Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City, has recently concentrated on his duties as first-team coach following Alex Rae's switch to Notts County to line up with old boss Ince.

Striker Sam Baldock has scored six times for the Dons, but injuries continue to plague the former trainee and he could be out until after Christmas with a hamstring problem.

And with former Athletic loan man Aaron Wilbraham suspended from this weekend's match after picking up a red card for two bookings in the 2-0 defeat at Notts County, Robinson is likely to turn to big Jabo Ibehre up front.