‘I need to become a mentality beast’ – Watford loanee determined to take his chance at AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon head coach Mark Robinson was pleased to see Watford loanee Dapo Mebude take his chance last Saturday despite falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Lincoln City.

After joining on a season-long loan from Vicarage Road in the summer, Mebude appeared 11 times in a row in League One for the Dons at the start of the campaign.

The Scotland U21 international has experienced a stop-start season at Plough Lane and has not scored for the club since the 2-1 away loss to Shrewsbury in September.

“Dapo’s performance wasn’t a fluke, it was a lot of hard work at both ends,” said Robinson. “That’s part of the other side of the role that’s so enjoyable.

“It became quite clear to me where Dapo needed to improve, and there have been a lot of conversations.

“He’s a young player learning his trade, and he has worked really hard to improve the side of his game where we felt it needed it, and that’s been every single day in training.

“I have to take things as plus points, and Dapo was a real plus point on Saturday.

“I told him after the game that if he approaches every game with that mentality, then he is going to have a good career, which is a great thing.”

Asked to explain the conversations he has had with Mebude and how the Peckham-born forward has reacted to the challenges put to him, Robinson explained: “A lot of it is the same with all young players.

“They have a certain perception of things that are required, and your job is to open their minds up to the reality of what is required.

“You talk about certain things – [work] off the ball, seeing jobs through and what you need to do week in, week out.

“It’s not that they don’t want to do it, it’s their perception of what is needed because when you’re younger, you haven’t got all of those experiences – it comes naturally to very, very few.

“You have to keep talking to them and explaining to them. Dapo said to me a few weeks back: ‘I need to become a mentality beast.’

“But saying it and carrying it out are two different things. He has been carrying it out in training, and he got his opportunity. Long may it continue for him and for us.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD