After a month of uncertainty in this January’s transfer window, the MK Dons finally pulled off some signings with less than an hour to go until the deadline closes.
Firstly, QPR forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has signed on loan until the end of the season. The former Arsenal man can play either up front or on the wing, which will certainly create more competition for places as it seems the Dons have a lot of wingers in the side at the moment. He made just one first team appearance in his time at Arsenal, coming against Stoke City in an FA Cup game back in 2010.
Emmanuel-Thomas, commonly referred to as JET, has also had loan spells at Blackpool, Doncaster and Cardiff City, as well as playing permanently for Ispwich Town, Bristol City and QPR. His most prolific season came in 2013-14 while playing for Bristol City, league rivals of MK Dons that year, when he scored 21 goals in the campaign.
Emmanuel-Thomas made the move to QPR at the start of the current season on a free transfer when his Bristol City contract expired, and despite a positive start to life in West London, he has scored just three goals in 12 appearances for the this season. Hopefully, with the quality that is so obviously there, he can start to fire in the goals again and turn MK’s fortunes around.
The other deadline day signing was a permanent one; this time in the form of Alex Revell from Cardiff City. Another striker, the forward has played for a number of clubs across the Football League, including Championship rivals Brighton and Hove Albion and Rotherham United. MK Dons fans know first hand what Revell can do, as he was the scorer for Cardiff in the League Cup game between the two sides back in August. The forward smashed a brilliantly controlled volley past Cody Cropper midway through the second half, but late goals from Carl Baker and Josh Murphy saw the Dons through on that night.
As well as the two new signings, three if you include the emergency loan of Jonny Williams last week, three players have tonight exited the club.
Firstly, Dale Jennings has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent. Having only joined the club at the start of the season, the winger made just one appearance for the side in his second spell at stadium.mk, having made six in a loan spell from Barnsley in the 2013-14 season. The former Bayern Munich man is now without a club.
Also on his way out is Wales international Simon Church, who has been loaned to Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen. Church has had a tough start to life in Milton Keynes, scoring just three times in eight appearances. He certainly splits opinion amongst Dons fans, with some choosing to focus on the amount of hard work he puts in, while others focus purely on the lack of goal-scoring threat he provides.
Finally, right-back Lee Hodson has also made the move across the border, joining Kilmarnock on loan for the rest of the season. Chances have been limited for the former Watford man this season what with the form of Jordan Spence and Dean Lewington, and with George Baldock returning from his loan at Oxford on Friday, it seemed almost certain that the well-liked player would be leaving in some way.
The striker crisis seems to have been resolved with the signing of two well-established players in this league, but one problem area still remains. Antony Kay has fast become one of the poorest players on the side, and with the form that Kyle McFadzean has shown recently, he could be on the way to joining him. If no new centre-back is signed in the dying minutes of the window, or in the emergency loan window, the problems may still continue for Milton Keynes.
