Football Season Review

After vastly improving his side's fortunes since the start of 2011 and seeing his side's season ending in a Play-Off semi final defeat to Peterborough, Karl Robinson was determined to build on the same principles and take his side to the next level going into the 2011/12 season. The Dons were the early favorites to win the league, they played attacking possession football both home and away, were scoring goals for win and were very difficult to score against. New signings Darren Potter, Shaun Williams and Dean Bowditch were all shining; Potter became a key playmaker for the Dons, Williams has been invaluable throughout the season due to his ability to play in several positions, while Bowditch ended the season as their top scorer; but the early optimism surrounding the Dons somewhat faded on deadline day of the summer transfer window, as Sam Baldock left the club to join West Ham United. It proved a bad move for both the Hammers and the Dons - Baldock never managed to establish himself as a first-teamer at Upton Park, while the Dons never really managed to reach the heights from the early rounds since their prized striker left. Charlie MacDonald, who signed from Brentford as a replacement, did score 11 goals, but it wasn't a good enough return to replace the departed star. Eventually, the Dons started losing ground in the direct promotion race, and their chances of finishing inside the top two were over with a month of the regular season to spare. A Play-Off semi final against Huddersfield loomed, and the Dons fell to a 3-2 aggregate defeat, paying a high price for failing to show up in the first leg and losing 2-0. Given the limited resources at his disposal, Karl Robinson deserves full praise for the way in which he managed the side, and the Dons will be strong candidates for direct promotion next season, if they manage to hold on to the majority of their players and sign a 20 goals a season striker.

Player of the Season: Darren Potter