The Lounge

[onyadon]

Don’t get the chance to see much of Wimbledon’s games. This highlights package from the Sunderland game clearly shows what problems the Dons have, particularly in defence, park football defending at times.

Wimbledon-Sunderland highlights

[onyadon]

A day after CEO Joe Palmer said money would be made available for quality players to be signed during this month’s transfer window, lo and behold the next day in a Friday night announcement, the club unveiled the loan signing of defensive midfielder George Dobson from Sunderland for the remainder of this season. Dobson, 23, has around 120 L1 games experience with Walsall and Sunderland and comes into the squad reeling from earning just one point from their last 24.

Glyn Hodges, who said he has been speaking to a number of potential recruits, said of Dobson:

“He is a defensive midfielder who is a good footballer and he will add a bit of steel to our midfield. George has played a lot of games at this level, so he adds experience to the squad, even though he is only 23. There were a lot of clubs sniffing around to potentially sign him, so we are pleased that he has seen our position in the table but he’s prepared to take the challenge on. We’ve set him a challenge, along with the other lads, to help get us up the league. There was a lot of interest and we’ve done well to get him.

This piece from a Sunderland supporters’ web-site gives you some insight into Dobson’s qualities.
In defence of George Dobson

I checked around a few contacts and here is what they say about Dobson.

Gabriel Sutton

I think that’s a good signing. I remember watching him early in his career at Walsall, where he really impressed me. If it’s a pressing game you want, he can support that but equally, he can look after the ball in tight areas and probably has a higher technical level than a Woodyard or a Reilly. Didn’t quite work out for him at Sunderland but could see him doing well for yourselves.

Sunderland fan Andy McGill told me..

He’s got potential but didn’t blossom for us. Perhaps that’s why we are sending him out for experience and development.

Another Mackem fan Peter Beuster adds..

Hasn’t set the world alight at SAFC to be honest, and clearly didn’t catch the eye of the new coach on arrival. He hasn’t figured really since. He did however enjoy a decent run in the side at one stage last season and with regular games he looked capable at L1 level. I think he could go either way for you. Like most players if he could start well and gain confidence you might get a decent half season out of him, but few here will mourn him leaving too much. By way of context Rob; we’ve brought in Carl Winchester from L2, and in his 1st full start in the week he looked no better than Dobson, but I should reserve judgement for now.

This is from the Sunderland Echo football correspondent..

Wish George Dobson all the best at AFC Wimbledon.
Great lad, big heart and will run for you all day.
He looked an asset in early 2020, when #SAFC were pressing effectively.
Confidence seems to have ebbed away this season & seems a good chance for him to reset

— Phil Smith (@Phil__Smith) January 22, 2021

Of course, questions are being asked just why Glyn Hodges signed Dobson when the club already have Jaakko Oksanen on loan from Brentford and other similar midfielders Callum Reilly and Alex Woodyard. Maybe, there will be some might movement among that lot. We’ll have to see.
But for now Dobson has the unenviable task of helping to plug up the porous Dons defence, which has leaked 23 goals in the last eight games. It will be interesting to see if Glyn can land any more defensive reinforcements before the window closes at the end of this month.

[onyadon]

TRANSFER WINDOW UPDATE

Glyn Hodges has made his third loan signing of the transfer window with the addition of defender Darnell Johnson from Leicester City and sending home-grown midfielder Anthony Hartigan the other way to Newport County in League Two.

Johnson is 22 and has just 10 League One games experience with Wigan Athletic. He is a former England U20 and U19 international. He comes to Wimbledon at a time of injuries to a number of defenders: Luke O’Neill, Paul Kalambayi, Ben Heneghan, while Terrel Thomas is recovering from a bowel infection.

Hodges says of his latest loan signing..

“Darnell can play anywhere along the back four. He’s big, strong, athletic and a good defender who doesn’t want to get beaten. That’s a good template to have. With the injuries we’ve picked up at centre-back, Darnell may start on Tuesday at Doncaster Rovers.

Good luck, Darnell 👍

— Leicester City (@LCFC) January 25, 2021

Johnson is not experienced at this level and at 22 cannot be regarded as a defensive leader Wimbledon sorely need. But he has qualities which may help bolster a shaky defensive rearguard that needs reinforcement. A piece of trivia is that Johnson is the godson of former Leicester City and England player Emile Heskey.

Here is what some Wigan supporters say of Johnson from his time with the Latics.

David Morris

“Very strong. Physical. Decent in the air. Yet still has typical younger defender flaws.. hesitant in the tackle, caught under the ball for some headers, marking not the best.
Solid enough at this level. His loan ended at its proper time, he had a knock early on but nothing serious, think we just had someone more suited for us lined up, that why we didn’t try to extend. We needed someone more experienced and comfy on the ball, next to someone like that he could be a good player though.

MatthewWAFC

Class player and built like a tank, zero mistakes in him although sometimes he looks uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, will put his body on the line for the badge.

Ian Aspinall

Darnell joined us on loan during our current administration and played about 10 games. During his loan he was unfortunately injured for a while and missed a few games. He did okay for us alongside another loanee Curtis Tilt and should do well for you at League One level.

So Johnson is definitely promising and may end up a good acquisition over the second half of the season as the Dons fight off a relegation threat.

There may yet be another signing before the window closes this weekend.

Glyn – “We’ve now got our full quota of loans. We don’t want to take anymore because it complicates things and we don’t want to upset our loaning clubs and the players. There might be one more permanent signing, but at the moment they are three good loan deals."

— wombles downunder (@WDownunder) January 25, 2021

Going the other way is Anthony Hartigan to Newport County.

Glyn – “When we knew George Dobson was coming in, we thought it might restrict the amount of game time for Anthony in midfield. We thought he’d get some vital minutes while out on loan. Hopefully he comes back to Wimbledon with a promotion at #newportcounty on his CV. “ pic.twitter.com/hKgKqojXid

— wombles downunder (@WDownunder) January 25, 2021

𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆📋

▪️110 appearances for @AFCWimbledon
▪️The first player born in the 2000s to represent the Wombles
▪️2017-18 @SkyBetLeagueOne Apprentice of the Year
▪️Number 20 jersey with the Exiles#OneClubOneCounty pic.twitter.com/aSeWmnOYbH

— Newport County AFC (@NewportCounty) January 25, 2021

Fans reaction has generally been one of disappointment that Hartigan is being loaned out.

It’s a strange one as he played every min of the run in we had but I think since he got covid he has struggled for fitness and has lost a bit of weight. Once Dobson came in, one had to go out. If it means he’s getting playing time etc then it’s a good thing.

— Lee Finch (@ChipsFinch) January 25, 2021

Hard to fathom that move from our POV. Best passer of the ball we have. Made us tick. Always knows what to do before he gets the ball.

— daysofspeed (@daysofspeed) January 25, 2021

I can only assume it was to free up pays offsome funds for a battler like Dobson. Not a great look for one of our own to be shipped out following his best run of form. Newport's pitch is always pretty bad, not ideal for a passer like Hartigan. Will see if the gamble

— Matt Davenport (@Matty_Davenport) January 25, 2021

[Windlesham Don]

Over the past few seasons I have generally avoided getting upset over our matches against the Franchise. However, not with this match. It suddenly occurred to me that the coke-addled, frog-eyed, child snatcher (for those old enough to remember Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) would be allowed to watch a match at the new ground before the fans who had paid and sweated blood for it! This really upset me, so I am just hoping that he decides not to turn up.

Anyway, on to the football and today marks the start of a run of three league matches which could have a key bearing on whether we survive in this horrible season. Franchise today, a trip to Wigan next week and a home game with Rochdale the week after. We have proven that we can’t live with the top sides in the division, having been convincingly outplayed by Sunderland, Pompey and Doncaster, so it is now imperative that we start picking up points from the teams around us.

We need to integrate the new signings into the starting XI as quickly as possible and start demonstrating an ability to be solid at the back. We need to pick up a few clean sheets, even if they are in 0-0 draws, so that confidence starts to build throughout the side. Achieve that and I feel we have enough attacking ability to get us away from the relegation zone.

For me, we need a minimum of 5 points from the next three games, ideally conceding a maximum of 3 goals in these fixtures.

Sadly it looks like Ben Heneghan will not be ready for this run of matches, as his hamstring injury drags on. Ollie Palmer also remains unfit in a season which has not got started for him (I actually believe he will do well for us, but he desperately needs a run of games to improve fitness and sharpness).

The transfer window ‘slams shut’ on Monday and so far it looks reasonable for us. I doubt that we will see the final permanent signing being pursued by Glyn, but the important thing for me is to retain the services of Pigott, Longman and Rudoni to the end of the season.

No prediction for today, just a hope for a more solid defensive display than we have seen recently…

COYD!!

[Singapore Don]

This was the must win game: for our season, for our pride. An historic day – and we failed. A dark day in the history of AFC Wimbledon, probably our lowest point. No ideas, no leadership, on or off the field. Each and everyone at AFCW is forever tarnished with this day of ignominy. The disgrace and shame will forever be a scar on all. This may sound over dramatic, but no one should underestimate the pain and humiliation of today. Today’s defeat is now there in the history books. Relegation now looks all the more likely. We can bounce back from that. But we can never eradicate this most terrible of blots in the history of our club. The Wimbledon team and manager today have forever tarnished our historic return to Plough Lane with this shameful defeat. Time is the best healer, but it will never heal today’s painful memory which will be an indelible stain there in the history of AFC Wimbledon and Plough Lane. Today was unforgivable.

[Singapore Don]

The stats don’t lie: 2 points in 33. Nine defeats in eleven. Shockingly bad and at any other club there would be repercussions. Today for historic reasons was a really depressing day leaving so many with a sharp sense of being rock bottom. Without change, relegation looks more and more likely. I can’t see this lot doing a Great Escape 2. The sad thing is these players clearly don’t really get our history. If they did, today would have been a different story: more passion, ideas, belief, leadership. But today showed we simply are not a very good team. We lack quality throughout: no flair, creativity, fight, ability. Rudoni probably the only exception. A very sorry state of affairs. And as in all walks of life, managers bear responsibility.

[Author]

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