Four takeaways from Dons’ 2-1 defeat at Carlisle – curious team selections and blame game surfaces

BY DAVE HUNT-JACKSON

AFC Wimbledon suffered a fourth defeat in succession as they were easily brushed aside by Carlisle United at Brunton Park on Saturday in what was sadly yet another below-par performance.

Although an old-school direct goal, handsomely finished off by Ayoub Assal, threatened briefly to result in the first points since the win at Crawley, the South Londoners succumbed as another defensive horror-show gifted the Cumbrians all three points.

SOME CURIOUS TEAM SELECTIONS

Harry Pell has been Wimbledon’s best player in each of their last two matches, so manager Johnnie Jackson’s decision to bench him was, to say the least, surprising. Equally hard to fathom was the fact that Paris Maghoma was operating behind George Marsh, leaving the latter in an unfamiliar attacking midfield role which did not suit him at all.

Maghoma and or Pell in front of Marsh at the expense of the inconsistent, and largely ineffective, Ethan Chislett would surely have provided much more attacking threat with Marsh more than capable of playing behind them and in front of the defence. It took until the 57th minute for Jackson to introduce Pell to partner Marsh in front of Maghoma.

“NO BLAME CULTURE”

Jackson went on record the day before the game saying there is “no blame game” at the club. But the sight of captain Alex Pearce screaming at Paul Osew in the aftermath of the second Carlisle goal seemed to suggest the opposite. Indeed as the match wore on the Dons looked increasingly frustrated with the referee, with the time-wasting by their hosts and presumably with their continuing inability to beat or even draw with teams that frankly they should be beating. In his post-match interview Jackson quite clearly laid the blame for the defeat at his players’ door. With each passing defeat the body language within the players and staff becomes more concerning and clearly someone needs if not to apportion blame then to accept it so that lessons can be learned and the club can turn things around.

THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC

The season is only nine games old and Wimbledon have twice as many points as Hartlepool, who occupy the second relegation spot. So things are not desperate yet and Wimbledon could yet mount a challenge at the top of the table.

This is arguably a better side than the one that was relegated last season and put together at greater expense. Yet again they have so far lacked the tactical nous to trouble their opponents and have looked naive and frail at the back. Despite the wealth of talent the midfield has failed to gel. The 164 Wimbledon fans who made the longest trip of the season must yet again be wondering why they bothered and all Dons’ fans will of course nervously remember the 27-game run without a win. A legacy that Jackson has inherited and means he is perhaps under more pressure, more quickly than would normally been the case.

SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE – AND VERY QUICKLY

Having said all that, it seems inconceivable that a squad with this much talent should be losing four consecutive games but it is not easy to see how they are going to halt that run without some significant changes.

Without Nathan Young-Coombes, goals will be harder to come by. But that is harder still if players are played out of position as the likes of Ayoub Assal and Riley Towler in his first two starts have been. Jackson is the latest Dons manager who seems wedded to a 3-5-2 system despite the fact it patently is not working.

Most worrying is the lack of confidence that the defence seem to have in each other and although Nik Tzanev had a better game – and could do nothing about the goals – he is clearly not a natural sweeper-keeper and the constant passing the ball around at the back is negative and achieves nothing but sucking the momentum of of the game.

There was no little irony that the goal came when Tzanev kicked the ball long and Josh Davison’s flick-on sent Assal clear to finish calmly. Route one perhaps, but effective. This only worked because Tzanev’s clearance was a necessary one as a Carlisle attack broke down and their defence was out of position. A keeper lumping it up-field after half a dozen sideways and backward passes is seldom going to trouble a well-set defence and the Dons really must quickly find ways to employ their array of attacking threats and start scoring the goals that this underachieving squad ought to be capable of.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD