MK Dons faced a delayed start to their new League One season after the suspension of their opening day fixture away at Bury. The EFL took the decision to suspend the match due to the ongoing financial issues at the Greater Manchester club, meaning the Dons now start their season at home to Shrewsbury Town rather than on the road. With many new additions to the squad, the MK Dons new signings will need to get off to the perfect start if they are to set the foundations of success for the season.
MK Dons New Signings Need to Start Well Against Shrewsbury Town
Who is in Contention?
Eight new players have come through the doors at Stadium MK this summer, but not all of them will be thrown in from the start.
Goalkeeper Laurie Walker was brought in from non-league as a third choice to challenge Lee Nicholls and Stuart Moore but will spend the season on loan at Hampton & Richmond Borough. As well, Joe Mason will take time to reach full fitness after being without a club when he joined the Dons.
The last of the additions, Ben Reeves, could be in line to make his second debut for the club, while it can be expected that Hiram Boateng and Regan Poole will be in contention for the starting 11.
Perfect Start Needed
With a number of the new additions in line to feature against Shrewsbury, they will need to quickly be on the same wavelength as their teammates who played under Paul Tisdale last season. A quick bedding-in process will be beneficial to the club as they aim to stabilise themselves following the swift return to League One.
Getting off to a good start here will be vital in ensuring that the Dons can do exactly that under Tisdale. Having had an extra week to prepare for the game than Shrewsbury have, there’s a good chance it can be done.
Head to Head
MK Dons have a fairly positive record against Shrewsbury. Of the 14 games plageyed between the two, the Dons have won six, drawn five and lost three. The last loss was a 3-2 defeat at home in 2013.
The last five fixtures between the pair have seen the Dons win four, with the sole draw coming in the Dons’ relegation season. The reverse fixture in that campaign was on the last day of the season, with the Dons’ relegation already confirmed and Shrewsbury in a play-off place – however, Kieran Agard’s penalty still gave the visitors the three points.
Prediction
The fact that this will be the hosts’ first game of the season could play a big part. They’ll either be sharper, having had the additional week to prepare, or they’ll still be in a pre-season lull.
Paul Tisdale will be aware of the pressure of starting the season late, and MK Dons new signings will be aware of the pressure on them to perform from the off. On paper, though, this looks to be the strongest Dons squad for a few seasons, and they should comfortably overcome that pressure.
Prediction – MK Dons 2-0 Shrewsbury Town
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