AFC Wimbledon boss Robinson gives his verdict on dip in form

Mark Robinson believes there are a “number of reasons” behind his AFC Wimbledon side’s recent dip in form.

The Dons hit the ground running this season and thanks to a mixture of inspired comebacks and outscoring their opponents were just three points off the top of League One table after seven games.

However, after picking up only one win in their last eight matches – a 1-0 victory at Lincoln – Robinson’s side are 17th and just two points away from the relegation zone.

Speaking to the South London Press about his side’s recent run of form, head coach Robinson said: “It’s a number of reasons.

“In certain games, where there has been a high and physical challenge, we have gone away from our identity a bit on the ball because we are young and we are not a big side – we focus so much on what we need to do to compete that we have gone away from what we need to do on the ball. That means we probably haven’t had the momentum that we would have liked.

“The fact that we haven’t always seen our jobs through off-the-ball, due to a lack of relentlessness, and again, that comes from a lack of age and experience of doing something continuously has probably made us focus a lot more off-the-ball than on the ball. We have probably forgotten our identity a little bit on the ball and what’s been getting people excited.

“The sooner the off-the-ball attributes become really intrinsic, individually and collectively, we can continue to build how we want to be on the ball – that’s possibly what we have lost a little bit.

“There has been a mixture of teams who have approached games against us differently as well, to nullify what we do on the ball.  There has certainly been a change in styles when we have looked at the opposition and how they play, and then when they have played us, there have been changes in what they do to possibly nullify how energetic and threatening we can be on the ball.

“That’s why it’s so important that you don’t over concentrate on the opposition and why it’s so important that the players can recognise different situations themselves.

“We have come up against teams that have possibly been high-press, and then they’re mid-block, and that means that we have got to find different solutions.

“It’s so important that we educate the players to recognise the picture in front of them, so they can still be effective rather than surmise that a team is going to play a certain way.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD