Too many summer signings at MK Dons ‘weren’t ready for League One’

Warren O’Hora said questions were asked almost immediately last summer of MK Dons’ recruitment process which ultimately led to their relegation.

After missing out on automatic promotion by a point in 2022, Dons’ recruitment machine, led by Sporting Director Liam Sweeting, drafted in 14 new players.

But O’Hora, who was embarking on his third season at Stadium MK, said with the number of new faces coming in, he knew straight away the side would struggle.

“We were favourites to go up, but they got the recruitment completely wrong,” he said on the One Up Top podcast.

“We signed too many players who weren’t ready for the league.

“We signed too many prospects who will be good in a few years, but we were asking ‘who’s going to play now? Who’s coming in who’s won it?’ You need those, and other teams have them but we haven’t got them.

“I’m only 24, and I’m one of the senior players. It is what it is, but it was a horrible year – the worst of my career.

“The club knows where the mistakes were made, and that’s it with this season.”

Reflecting on the season, O’Hora said while head coach Mark Jackson came in and gave them a little bit of hope in their bid to stay up, Dons ultimately cost themselves their League One spot.

He continued: “Mark came in after Liam was sacked. It was his first job, but I think he found it tough. He did well, we had a little run, we got out of the relegation zone and we were looking alright but it went down to the last day.

“We shot ourselves in the foot, losing a 4-1 lead against Barnsley and then having 30-odd shots at Burton and not getting a goal.

“It was the worst time in my career.”