Many thanks to Imps fan Ben Ward for helping us out with this week’s edition of Trash Talk. We know that Lincoln City never ranks that highly amongst favourite League 1 clubs in the eyes of Dons fans, probably because of that banner, but we must say Ben has given us some cracking replies to our questions and he speaks highly of Scott Twine…so many thanks to Ben.
1 – With the Transfer Window done and dusted, how has it gone for your club, some great acquisitions, or have you lost a player that you would really have liked to have kept for the run in?
The window has been very kind to us this time out. It’s no secret that we were left a little short in the summer when it came to attacking players, but with the likes of John Marquis, Morgan Whittaker, and Liam Cullen coming into the club, it’s given us some great options to put away some of the chances we’ve been creating. As it stands, we’ve not lost anyone despite the anticipation being that one or two may have left the club, but thankfully that’s not come to pass!
2 – Where do you see your club being in the league table at the end of the season, and indeed where do you see the MK Dons finishing?
Anything around mid-table would be a good season for us, in my opinion. This was always going to be a transitional season after outperforming all expectation last time out. Injuries have crippled the season so far, but with new faces in the building we’re building a bit of confidence and looking a much more attacking side.
3 – Who is the best and the worst team you have played this season so far?
Best – Rotherham. Excellent footballing side, they obviously know how to get out of the division, and they’re the only team who’ve genuinely outclassed us so far, in my opinion. Most of the goals we’ve shipped have been from individual mistakes or sloppy play, but Rotherham look the real deal. As for the worst, possibly Crewe. I know it sounds strange given that we lost to them, but the game should’ve been out of sight by the time we had a ludicrous penalty decision given against us. After they scored it, a bit of panic set in and we gave away a second one and a red card, but outside of that, they didn’t look like scoring, and I’m still baffled at how we came away with nothing from that game.
4 – If you had the opportunity which current League 1 player would you like to sign for your club?
If anyone says something other than Scott Twine or Cameron Stewart here, they’re probably lying. Twine has showed his class all season, and he looks dangerous whenever he gets the ball. As for Stewart, finding someone to come in and replace Charlie Wyke while scoring the number of goals he has is one of the rarer things at this level.
5 – Promotion and playoff places are tight this season, who do you see filling those berths?
I think the top 6 will be some combination of the teams who are there already, with Rotherham and Wigan my choices for the top two spots. Sunderland surely must achieve promotion this year, so they’re my pick to get through the playoffs.
6 – One team always seems to come from nowhere to challenge for a playoff spot, who would be your pick?
As much as I’d like to say the Imps, I think we’re probably a season away from replicating last year’s success. I can see Bolton mounting a bit of a charge having brought in the likes of Dion Charles. Having said that, they’re only a point above us, and confidence is pretty high at the Bank… But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! I’ll stick with Bolton.
7 – Is there any MK Dons player that you fear could be a big influence on the result of our fixture?
As above, Scott Twine. He ran the second half when you came up on Boxing Day and bagged a couple (although I still maintain that his second was an OG!) – Hopefully we’ll have a few more players back from injury to make his job a little bit harder!
8 – What style of play can we expect to see from your team?
Hopefully, a different side to the one you played in December. We’re moving the ball a lot more quickly now, with the wingers tracking back a lot more and freeing up the full backs to get forward a little more as well. We’ve been good at creating chances for most of the season but haven’t been able to finish them. Hopefully we’ll see the more creative side of a few of the players come to the fore, and with the new faces bedding in a bit more, we’ll have a bit more attacking flair about us.
9 – Can you tell us a player we should look out for from your team?
Anthony Scully – A real livewire, he’s got pace, enthusiasm, and talent. Quickly became a fan favourite due to his attitude, it’s clear he loves playing football and he adds an extra dimension to the team when he plays. He’s been out for a while with an injury, but since returning he’s been one of the key factors in the upturn in form.
10 – Many Thanks for taking part, all we need now is your match prediction?
I would be delighted with a point, in all honesty. Having said that, our away record is much better than our home record, and if things are tight toward the end, I wouldn’t put it past us nicking it. However, I’ll go with a 1-1 draw.
Photo Credits – LincolnshireLive
