Mark Bowen challenges AFC Wimbledon players to cope with ‘favourites’ tag ahead of Crewe Alexandra clash
Mark Bowen believes that AFC Wimbledon head into Friday’s game against Crewe Alexandra as favourites and has challenged his side to turn their recent performances into all three points.
Crewe Alexandra’s relegation to League Two was confirmed on Saturday after losing 2-0 to fellow relegation candidates Doncaster Rovers.
The Railwaymen also parted company with manager David Artell on Monday, with Alex Morris, who was assistant manager to Artell, placed in interim charge for Friday’s game against the Dons.
Wimbledon are without a win in their previous 24 games in all competitions but have picked up draws from the last two outings against Charlton Athletic and Milton Keynes.
Looking ahead to Friday’s game, Bowen told the South London Press: “The key thing for us, during the three games I have been here, arguably, we have gone into each game as the underdogs.
“Everybody knows that it is an easier game to play when you’re an underdog – when people don’t expect too much.
“I am putting the challenge out to my players on Friday and saying: ‘Yes, it is at Crewe, but in my opinion, we go into the game as favourites to win it.’
“It’s a different responsibility and different pressure that the players have now got to go and turn these good performances into wins.
“It is a huge game, but we can’t go there thinking: ‘Crewe are bottom of the league, and with the way we have been playing the last three games, we have just got to turn up, and we will win.’
“When you start thinking that, we will be coming in at half time in the game, banging heads, and saying: ‘We haven’t laid a glove on them – we haven’t started yet.’
“I said to the lads last week that, with the games left, we have got to try and be a proactive team rather than a reactive team.
“In the three games that we have played since I have been here, the first half against Charlton was my biggest disappointment because we were almost going into the game waiting for something to happen before we reacted to it.
“We can’t be like that. In the games we have left, we have got to try and be on the front foot, which I thought we were on Saturday, but also try and be more proactive, especially at the start of matches, to take our game and impose it upon the opposition.”
PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD
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