![Prost International [PINT]](https://prostinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PINTtFontLogoRoboto1536x78.jpg)
Milton Keynes Dons, led by defender-come-caretaker Dean Lewington, were left to share the spoils at home to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
Having stepped in as caretaker on two previous occasions, the 37-year-old who refused in the week to rule out an interest in taking over the role on a permanent basis, saw his men draw 1-1 in a ten-man affair.
Having completed his UEFA B coaching badges earlier this year in May, he was assisted by his father, Ray, who spent the vast majority of his career as Roy Hodgson’s number two.
He did his chances no harm as the Dons made their most attacking display and overall, one of their best performances of the season to date.
The match against Doncaster was effectively a free hit for Lewington if he really does harbour ambitions of taking the managerial hot seat, following the departure of Mike Williamson to Carlisle United earlier this week.
With Williamson informing the players and subsequently vacating on Thursday morning, it meant Lewington was left with just one training session in charge to get his ideas across to the squad.
Given the lack of time, he could not ‘reinvent the wheel’ and alter the formation if he wished to, but you could see the effect he looked to add, as the Dons played through the opposition ranks with greater speed and purpose, as well as not being afraid to have a shot from range, rather than having to pass the ball into the six-yard box before having a strike.
Aided by two rash tackles from Rovers midfielder Harry Clifton inside the opening ten minutes, the Dons were able to control the game, carving open the visiting defence at will.
The old cliché in football is that “it never rains, it pours”.
Playing through a borderline-biblical thunderstorm in the first half, the scoring was opened by Ellis Harrison, netting home a lovely strike following a sublime cross by wing back Aaron Nemane.
Harrison, who found himself getting splinters and relatively unfavoured under the former head coach, slotted home to break the deadlock. Today was his first start since 12th March and only his third since moving to Milton Keynes over twelve months ago.
In the opening minutes of the second half, the striker was given his marching orders with a straight red card and dismissed for a reckless tackle.
It was a questionable decision, but in modern football if you give referees a decision to make with a strong-sliding tackle at speed, alongside the chance to even sides up after a sending off one way, you tend to see a second departure.
As the game entered the final quarter, Doncaster came to life and their tails came up.
The pressure told as an equaliser came courtesy of Tom Anderson’s towering header from a corner.
It was not against the run of play as the momentum was all with the visitors in the dying embers, but over the ninety minutes, the hosts looked most deserving of victory.
As the final whistle sounded, both team may have felt they could have snatched it at the death, but a point apiece was earnt on their travels home.
Why are Milton Keynes managerless and in the position they find themselves?
For all of his success in the 2023/24 season, taking over the Dons sat in a miserable 18th position in Sky Bet League Two and getting the Buckinghamshire outfit into the Playoff places, Williamson struggled to get any real sense of attacking impetus into the performances as after six games, the Dons sat in lowly 20th, just above the drop zone into non-league football.
His departure to Carlisle is an interesting move, being divisional counterparts and placed just below Milton Keynes in the table.
After suffering a humiliating defeat 3-0 away at AFC Wimbledon last weekend, Williamson found himself being advised that he was in the last-chance-saloon under the new Kuwaiti owners.
From being told he is one defeat away from a sacking, to four days’ later being poached, it was quite a week.
The fact also Milton Keynes were given £350,000 in compensation for Williamson and his four-strong backroom staff instead of paying out a reported £30,000 to terminate their contracts, you can understand why the Dons were more than happy to listen to the offer from the Cumbrian outfit.
From Williamson’s perspective, it is a marriage of convenience.
The move is not only a fresh start relieved of immediate pressure, but also allows him to work closer to home.
When the former Premier League defender moved south to Buckinghamshire, he did so from non-league Gateshead.
As part of the move instead of completely relocating, Williamson chose to reside in the onsite hotel within the Stadium complex.
After Saturday matches, he made the five-hour journey to Tyne and Wear where his family live, before travelling back on Monday morning ahead of training, then remain living out of a suitcase for the next five evenings.
With Carlisle being just under an one-hour commute from his house, he no longer must make the tiring 600-mile weekly round trip.
What can Carlisle expect from Williamson?
His record to date is brief, yet impressive. Having taken Gateshead from National League North to the historical peak, to eighth in the National League table, he then oversaw last season’s rise for the Dons, as mentioned above.
Whilst the first few matches of the current campaign did not go as planned in Milton Keynes, picking up just two victories, one did come against, of all sides, Carlisle United, steamrolling to a 3-0 rout.
His possession-based style is one which is coveted in modern-day football by owners and supporters alike, so you can understand the attraction.
It is a strange situation whereby the move appears positive for all three parties.
With Lewington excelling in his one outing, if he does wish to throw his hat into the ring for the opportunity, he took his chance despite drawing in effectively an audition.
However unlikely it would be, his move from player to head coach would be a curveball, but it is a move in which the Dons do have history.
In 2019, the Dons parted ways with Paul Tisdale and replaced him with Russell Martin, with the defender retiring to take on the vacancy.
Amongst the other possible candidates, the favourite appears to be Scott Lindsey, the current Crawley Town manager, whose side soundly inflicted the record playoff score on the Dons, winning 8-1 over the two legs.
Having signed two players from Crawley over the Summer Transfer window, you can see the attraction the Dons would have.
Other names in the frame appear to Steven Schumacher, Ryan Lowe, Nigel Clough, and Darren Ferguson.
Whoever the Dons do choose to plump for, it is one that the new ownership team need to get right, following eight head coaches in as many years.
