It’s fair to say that MK Dons fans have been through a tough year. The majority of performances by the team in the Championship were substandard, and the start to the current campaign in League One hasn’t exactly been pleasing either.

The Dons currently lie 14th in the table. This is after two wins, one draw and three losses from the opening six games. Some fans have pinned the blame on Nicky Maynard and his lack of goals. Others are blaming the new signing, Paul Downing, for his poor defensive skills. However, more and more are now starting to say the poor form is down to Karl Robinson.

Back To Where It Began

Robinson joined the Dons way back in 2010 when the club was stabilising itself in League One. He quickly asserted himself as one of the young, bright talents in management, and became the youngest manager in the Football League in joining the Dons.

The young boss led his side to a fifth-placed finish that season, losing to Peterborough United in the play-offs. The next season was another fifth-placed finish, and unfortunately, another play-off loss; this time, against Huddersfield Town. Despite the two play-off heartaches, Robinson was a fan-favourite among many of the supporters. He had the backing of Pete Winkleman and almost the whole fanbase.

Despite the positive start, 2013-14 saw a dip in results. The Dons had a terrible run towards the end of the season, culminating in a 10th-placed finish. It didn’t leave fans happy, but they were willing to give Robinson another try; and it paid off.

2014-15 will always been one to remember for Dons fans. The signings clicked straight away, over 100 goals were scored and at the end of it all, promotion was won. That was when Robinson was at the top of his game. Job offers were coming in from everywhere but he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to assert this club in the championship and have them become a force. Sometimes though, what you want and what’s best just don’t mix.

Where It All Went Wrong

The 2015-16 season was dismal. The team just didn’t gel and the results showed that. That’s when people started to question Robinson. It’s alright saying that when coming into a new league, you’re not going to to be as good. Many fans respect and understand that. However, it was his unwillingness to try new things that irked the fans. It’s the same problem now.

Exactly the same problems are occurring from last season when he said he was going to change them. Nicky Maynard isn’t scoring goals, so why play him? Kabongo Tshimanaga has only started once this season and the 18-year-old already has a goal to his name. Why not give him a chance?

Or there’s possibly trying a new formation. Since his arrival, Karl Robinson has always played 4-2-3-1. While it works for a lot of teams, the strikers he signs don’t suit the formation. Nicky Maynard cannot play on his own; he needs the support striker to help him. However, Robinson won’t change that. He’ll always keep his faith in players far too long; he isn’t ruthless enough.

It’s evident that improvements need to be made around stadium:mk. Whether those improvements need to be made in the playing staff or the managerial staff though, is open to opinion. What is clear though is that Karl Robinson needs to sort something out, otherwise the fans will be ready to give up.