Recruitment model had to change for Dons this summer

The targets MK Dons had in their sights during the transfer window this summer could not afford to be gambles for the future, sporting director Liam Sweeting admitted.

Signing 11 players during the summer window, Sweeting along with Graham Alexander dramatically shifted the parameters of what and where the club were looking to recruit compared to previous seasons.

Adding age, experience and leadership to the ranks, Dons have emerged from the window with a strong squad the director believes will fight at the right end of the table this season.

Though he said the proof will inevitably be in the pudding, he was pleased with the business his department were able to conduct prior to Friday’s deadline.

He said: “On the face of it, I’m pleased. I’ve learned you can’t judge a window until much further down the line.

“We wanted to improve the experience in the squad, we targeted a specific age profile, we wanted captains and promotion winners.

“Looking across the squad now, you can see five or six who have promotions from various levels, and people who have captained a team. We feel like we’re in a good spot. I look at the squad now and feel good about what we’ve done.”

Not just players, Sweeting had to recruit a new head coach this summer too and landed on Alexander in the same way they targeted players.

“We wanted to appoint someone who had secured promotion before, and he’s done it several times,” Sweeting added. “The most relevant thing about Graham was that in every situation we've faced so far, Graham has done something similar in his career already.

“I'm really enjoying working with him, he's embraced the challenge of picking us up from where we were and I think it has impacted the mentality of the group.”