"The Beast" understands rotation policy
Bayo Akinfenwa maintains it’s all about the team, whoever leads the line against Yeovil Town tomorrow at The Cherry Red Records Stadium (kick-off, 3pm).
Manager Neal Ardley is now faced with a weekly dilemma of which of his four strikers he can fit into two starting places up front.
Lyle Taylor is leading the way with a total of eleven goals so far this campaign, the rapidly improving Ade Azeez is on seven and Tom Elliott added to his tally of five with a spectacular strike against Notts County.
Akinfenwa notched a 79th minute equaliser in the fixture between the two sides at Huish Park back in September of last year.
“The Beast” is keen to add to his haul of five against the Glovers on Saturday, but knows that his manager has a difficult choice to make for the second-half of the season with all four front men eager to play their part.
“Rotating the strikers has to happen,” admitted Bayo in an interview with Dons Player. “But I’m not going to turn round and say any one of us likes to sit on the bench because we don’t. Everyone wants to play. Strikers are judged on goals and the time you accept sitting on the bench is maybe the time you hang up your boots and even myself at 33 I like to play every game.”
“It is such a ‘must’ to have a rotation policy. The gaffer (Neal Ardley) knows having sat down with him that I get emotional because I want to play, but I also understand that we’ve got four very good strikers here and the good thing is we are all different with different attributes and we’re all pushing one another so I think that AFC Wimbledon are reaping the benefits.”
“I’ve said it before that the team does well, we should all be doing well and it’s about the team first and foremost so it’s a rotation policy that needs to be happening even though at times we may groan!”
Bayo’s was also full of appreciation for Tom Elliott’s opener at Meadow Lane last weekend.
“I’m the ‘father figure’ of our strikers and a little bit older than the other three we’ve also got, but for me I like the fact he has worked hard at it and he’s reaping the benefits now. He’s ‘beasting’ defenders and for me the goal he scored against Notts County goes down as the goal of the season. For him to come back and show what he can do leaves the gaffer with a very good problem!”
The full interview with Bayo Akinfenwa along with an interview from experienced defender Paul Robinson and an extensive preview with manager Neal Ardley are available to Dons Player subscribers.