On-loan Millwall keeper loses starting berth at Dons – with boss Ardley outlining selection process

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Tom King lost his starting place for AFC Wimbledon at the weekend – and manager Neal Ardley has been talking about his selection process.

The on-loan Millwall stopper was replaced between the posts by Joe McDonnell for the 2-1 defeat at Accrington on Saturday.

And McDonnell looks set to start Saturday’s big home game against struggling Oxford United this weekend.

Asked how his stopper did on Saturday, Ardley replied: “Goalkeepers is a tough position – it’s one if you make a mistake it is highlighted.

“Joe was everything I know he’s good at. I’ve got no complaints with him.”

King’s switch to the Dons was aimed at playing regular football after largely playing understudy to Jordan Archer at The Den. The former Crystal Palace youngster had fallen behind Ben Amos and David Martin in the pecking order this season and is out of contract in the summer.

“Sometimes a player can have the feeling they could’ve done better with one or two situations,” said Ardley. “You look at his mentality and think if he needs to come out, regroup and go again.

“Other times you do what you think is right for the team – what it needs in the short term and long term. There are two trains of thought – you want the group of people that aren’t in the team pushing hard to get into the team.

“We’ve had a big schedule in the first six to eight weeks of the season and I want to use the squad to the maximum. The boys in the team have got to do the right things to stay in it, and the boys who are not have got to go even harder to get in there and create healthy competition.”

IMAGE BY PAUL EDWARDS