Milton Keynes Dons experienced a disappointing 24/25 season, finishing 19th in League Two, their lowest ever league finish and going through three permanent managers. The Dons won just four of their last 20 league games, ending the season just 10 points clear of the drop.
While the club had many problems last season, they were woeful defensively, conceding 66 goals across their league campaign, highlighted in their 6-3 defeat away to Newport County.
Paul Warne dipped into the transfer market for defensive reinforcements and found great success, with his team having conceded the third least goals in the league.
Two of his defensive signings have been crucial in the Dons’ promotion push and a big reason why they have a seven point cushion in the automatic promotion places.
Arguably their most important player this season, Marvin Ekpiteta has been reliable addition to the Dons’ defence.
The summer transfer window signing from Hibernian FC in Scotland slotted straight into uPaul Warne’s backline, proving himself to be a powerful and commanding presence.
Stats collected by FotMob show that Ekpiteta has won 273 duels in league two this season, putting him in the 96th percentile for duels won by league two defenders.
Paired with his 41 interceptions, he has displayed an innate ability to win possession and serve as a foundation for his team to attack, an invaluable asset in such a physical league.
Something very special about Marvin Ekpiteta is his attacking contribution, having created 15 chances for the Dons this season and even scoring 4 goals himself.
He is the perfect fit for the MK Dons system, aiming to win the ball high up the pitch and packing the oppositions’ penalty box at set pieces.
A team that score a lot of goals, as MK Dons do, need centre backs who are comfortable playing further forwards and have the ability to disrupt the oppositions’ ability to play accurate passes.
The 30-year-old has started 30 games, reaching 2698 minutes for MK, showcasing his ability across the entire campaign and propelling MK Dons into second place with nine games to go.
January addition Curtis Nelson signed from Derby County and was a bit of much needed experience, having amassed almost 600 appearances in English football.
Paul Warne, having worked with Nelson at Derby, described him as a ‘natural leader’, something he has shown since his first game.
Nelson started nine games in a row after joining, with the Dons not losing since he made the move. Nelson, like Ekpiteta is a disruptor, winning 73.3% of his duels, preventing the opposition from creating dangerous chances.
Nelson put in a monstrous performance against fellow playoff hopefuls Cambridge United at the end of February.
He showed his unbelievable aerial ability, he made 10 headed clearances, frustrating the U’s going forward, which helped MK earn a well deserved point against a very tough team.
Curtis Nelson brings confidence whilst MK Dons are defending, reaching aerial balls first, affecting teams opting to play a long ball system with a target man, as is favoured in league two.
MK Dons are currently on a 14 game unbeaten run in the league, beating promotion rivals Walsall and Swindon Town on this run. The Dons currently sit second, two points behind leaders Bromley and five ahead of Cambridge United.
However, MK have some very difficult games left to play, most notably a home game against Bromley in April but also difficult away games against teams looking to secure playoff spots such as Salford City and Crewe Alexandra.
Their defence will play such an important role in ensuring the Dons do not fall into the playoffs, where they historically have had little success.
MK will look to further their unbeaten run this Saturday at home to Barnet.
