'And MK Dons are heading for the Championship while Preston North End are heading for the play-offs.'
The 2014/15 season ended in delight for Karl Robinson's side as he watched his team decimate an already-relegated Yeovil side while Preston were left dejected as they went down 1-0 to Colchester before magnificently winning the play-offs with relative ease as they thrashed Swindon 4-0 in the final at Wembley to join the Dons in the 2015/16 Championship.
However from that day forward it was time to plan for a new season in a new league for the Milton Keynes club as they were to embark on their first Championship campaign ever.
Karl Robinson has had a busy summer, ensuring that the Dons' squad will not be back in League One come 2016/17 and maybe even spring a few surprises.
Incomings
Joe Walsh
First through the door at Stadium:MK was Joe Walsh. 23 year old Walsh joined the Dons initially on loan from then-struggling Crawley Town in March 2015 with a view to a permanent move in the summer. Cardiff born Walsh began his career in the youth setup at Swansea, failing to make an appearance for the Swans and switching to Sussex on a free transfer at the start of the 2012/13 season, netting on his debut against Gillingham in the JPT. Centre-back partner Kyle McFadzean then joined the Dons in the summer of 2014 and Walsh was made club captain. Walsh, who can also play left back, then appeared 32 times in 2014/15 before moving to Stadium:MK including a sending off in his final game in a 5-0 home defeat to Doncaster.
Walsh made his move permanent in May following the expiration of his loan, for an undisclosed fee.
Cody Cropper
On the 1st July Dons announced a triple signing, one of which being Cody Cropper. Cropper, who is yet to make his professional debut at the age of 22, arrived on a free transfer from Southampton where he had been for 3 years after joining the Saints from Ipswich.
Dale Jennings
Part two of the 3 was Dale Jennings. Karl Robinson made no secret of the fact he was an admirer of Jennings whilst the winger was still in his teens. As a 17 year old, Jennings put 2 past the Dons in a 4-2 loss to Tranmere at Prenton Park in October 2010.
Jennings went on to score 6 in 32 in the campaign before being snapped up by Bayern Munich's B team in 2011 for around £420,000 after being voted apprentice of the year. However a horrific knee injury hindered his playing time at the 5 times Champions League winners and he only managed 36 appearances in 2 seasons, before being sold to Barnsley for £250,000.
In his Barnsley debut the Liverpudlian was sent off in a 4-0 defeat to newly-relegated Wigan. He was then loaned to the Dons after just 5 appearances.
The tricky winger played 6 games in Milton Keynes, impressing boss Karl Robinson before moving back to Barnsley for the rest of the 2013/14 and 2014/15 season featuring 51 times and scoring 6 goals.
Upon the expiration of his contract he was released at Barnsley before joining Karl Robinson's side.
Simon Church
Simon Church was without a doubt the most high profile of the 3 signings on July the first. Wales international Church began his career at Reading, with loan spells to Crewe, Yeovil, Wycombe and Leyton Orient between 2007 and 2009, scoring 5 goals in 40 loan appearances in his 5 loan spells. The target man went on to play 104 league games for Reading, starting just 55 of them, scoring on 22 occasions. Following 1 goal in 7 games on loan at Huddersfield he was released from his boyhood club and signed for Charlton where in 2 seasons he went on to score 5 goals in 31 starts.
Church also joined the Dons for free on July 1 on a 2 year deal.
Cristian Benavente
On July 17 was the day Karl Robinson's talk about foreign talent finally came true with a real coup. Signed from Real Madrid Castilla, Cristian Benavente. Midfielder Benavente was promoted to the clubs Castilla side from the youth squad in 2013, making 33 appearances in all competitions and scoring 3 goals, all in the 2014/15 season. He made his Peru debut in April 2013 following a number of u17 and u20 call ups. He currently has 8 international caps and 1 goal, coming against Panama.
Rob Hall
11 days after Benavente, Hall put pen to paper for the Dons on a season-long loan, his third Dons loan spell. Hall made just 2 appearances on loan from West Ham as an 18 year old in 2012. After loan spells with Oxford and Birmingham he joined Bolton where he was not given regular game time. After just 13 starts Hall was farmed out to the Dons once again and was crucial in the Dons promotion chase making 7 appearances and scoring a hat trick in a 6-1 demolition of Leyton Orient.
The pacey winger joins the Dons once again for another crack at the Championship.
Sam Gallagher
The 28th July saw Robinson secure his second loan signing of the window as Sam Gallagher joined from Southampton. The striker has joined the Dons for his maiden loan spell away from Southampton, whom he joined from Plymouth. Gallagher has made 20 appearances for the Saints, 15 from the bench, finding the net on 2 occasions.
Matthew Upson
2 days later and a marquee signing for the Dons. Former England international Matthew Upson. The last man to score a goal for England against the Germans arrived at MK1 on a 1 year deal from Leicester. The former Brighton, West Ham and Arsenal centre back was employed to add much needed experience and cover at Championship level and with over 450 career appearances and 21 England caps Upson could be key in any of Dons success this term.
Sergio Aguza
Last but not least.. for now. Sergio Aguza, Real Madrid Castilla's captain. Aguza broke into Real Madrid's 'B' team in 2013, being handed the captain's armband. In 2 seasons for Castilla the central midfielder featured 46 times, scoring 7 goals.
Outgoings
At the end of the promotion winning campaign of 2015, most of the Dons departures were the expiration of loans. Will Grigg, Dele Alli, Rob Hall, Lewis Baker and Devante Cole all returned to their parent clubs, albeit briefly for Hall. Second-choice 'keeper Ian Mcloughlin was not offered a new contract and winger Danny Green was allowed to join league two Luton on a free transfer later on in the summer.
Transfer business
All that meant Dons had lost their two main assets of last season. Dele Alli has been well and truly integrated into Spurs' first team during pre-season, meanwhile the Dons were unable to afford Will Grigg and thus he moved back to League One in the form of Wigan for just under £1 million. Danny Green didn't feature much after his hamstring injury in early Septermber, whilst Devante Cole didn't bring much extra to the already talented Dons squad. Lewis Baker's creativity will be missed in midfield, however the signings of Aguza and Benavente should go some way to recreating that midfield that controlled so many games last season. Upfront is where the Dons may struggle, Church and Gallagher hardly prolific at Championship level and may not give the Dons the firepower that Afobe, Grigg and Bamford have done in recent times.
Where do Dons need to improve?
Karl Robinson made an excellent signing in keeping goalkeeper David Martin. The shot stopper has now made 263 appearances for the Dons in two spells, keeping 24 clean sheets in total last season.
In front of Martin is the defence. Exactly the same as last year with the addition of Upson, I expect a solid, stubborn, tough to break down back line, guarded by Darren Potter in the holding role.
Next to Potter will be Samir Carruthers, Aguza or Benavente. Depth and hopefully quality. Carruthers dogged attitude combined with the flare of Benavente and Aguza could be a very tidy combination. If the Dons also manage to pull off the signing of Sam Morsy, they will have an extremely strong midfield come the start of the season.
In attack is where the Dons really do need to strengthen. Carl Baker at 32 is unlikely to be able to be an ever present and Daniel Powell is very hit and miss. Ben Reeves needs to find the form of 2013/14 that saw him win 4 awards at the end of season dinner to be effective in the Championship, otherwise creativity will be lacking from the number 10 role. On the left, Jennings, Bowditch and Hall will provide depth and all offer something different. Bowditch should add goals, whereas Hall and Jennings will always be a threat out wide. Karl Robinson should definitely be trying to add another striker, with Gallagher being a certain gamble and Church not prolific. A proven Championship striker should be the aim for the Dons boss.
Staff
Karl Robinson is embarking on his 6th season as Dons boss, after taking over in 2010 from Paul Ince. After 2 unsuccessful, disappointing seasons, Robinson's recruitment and squad overhaul came good as the Dons ended up on 91 points to secure second on the last day of the season. Backed by Richie Barker and now Keith Andrews, the backroom staff are all raring and ready to go to try and guide MK Dons to championship safety in 2015/16.
Many were critics of Robinson, with a good, young and healthy squad for all 4 years prior to promotion, but working with a limited budget and in 3/5 summers not spending a penny, Robinson should definitely be credited for building his own squad with his own philosophy that he would not deviate from.
This year the Dons and Robinson definitely need a plan B and C, something the Dons have been lacking when its not been going their way in recent years, as the Stadium:MK side definitely won't be getting things their own way all season this time round and will have to find a different way of consistently picking up points in a higher division.
Summary
It's certainly not going to be a walk in the park for MK, as without spending a penny to date and without a notable signing upfront to replace Grigg and Afobe, goals may be lacking in 2015/16. Going from a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond is always going to be a tough ask and therefore the Dons must not get too low when things don't go their way, although vice versa also applies. A tough, exciting yet competitive campaign should ensue for the Dons and I think a comfortable lower mid-table finish certainly isn't unrealistic. My prediction? 19th.
