Mat Mitchel-King on Bradford challenge
Captain Mat Mitchel-King says Wimbledon must not panic in their League 2 survival mission and can recapture the form that resulted in January’s unbeaten run.
Speaking to Rob Cornell on Dons Player, Mat said the players are fully focused on producing a positive reaction on Saturday against Bradford with manager Neal Ardley having told them that their last two performances were unacceptable.
However, the Wimbledon skipper added that their determination must be channelled in the right way – and they cannot afford to freeze with so much at stake.
But we know that the last two games have not been good enough and it cannot have been great to watch for the fans. “The most important thing for us is that we cannot afford to panic,” he said. “We had a good January when we showed that we could match teams in this league and accumulate points. The games are coming thick and fast now and if we can get a win on Saturday and then put a mini-run together then things will be looking up for us.
“We have had talks with the management after things were said on Saturday and we all have to remain positive because negativity can spread so quickly. We need to have a change in mentality for the coming games as our home form has not been a strong point. We cannot afford to think about relegation because we have 16 games left and our fate is in our own hands.”
Mat is under no illusions about the size of the task Wimbledon face against Capital One Cup finalists Bradford on Saturday. However, he says that now is the time for Wimbledon to show that they have an improved squad after making six signings in January.
“We need results now and that is the bottom line,” he added. “I think we now have the quality in our squad, but we have to start churning out results. I am sure that Phil Parkinson will not be thinking that his side can just turn up and take it easy because they are in the Capital One Cup Final. They will be professional in their approach as they also have a chance of promotion. James Hanson is a real handful and Nakhi Wells is attracting interest from higher clubs so we know it will be a tough match.”
Dons Player subscribers can watch the full video interview with Mat Mitchel-King on our premium site.