Salford City boss Karl Robinson has given his pre-match thoughts ahead of his side’s visit to his former club MK Dons this Saturday.
The Ammies will arrive in Milton Keynes on the back of a 4-2 win over Wolves’ Under-21s in the Vertu trophy, after strikes from Bruno Padovani and Cole Stockton in the first half were rounded off by a full debut double late on by academy graduate Ruben Butt.
The win sees Salford cruise into the knockout stages of the competition, where they will face off against League One outfit Rotherham United at the Peninsula Stadium, the week beginning 1 December.
But attention will now turn to this weekend’s matchup against the Dons at Stadium MK, where a top 5 battle will take shape, the hosts looking to leapfrog 4th-placed Salford with a win, sitting just a point behind them.
Speaking on Thursday, Robinson made his respect for his former employers evident. He said: “It’s probably the best team in the league, it’s what we’ve been seeing in the buildup to games.
“It’s a club I’ve got ultimate respect for, and obviously, it’s a club that still sits very close to my heart.
“Everyone knows that they weren’t just favourites, they were red hot favourites by the investment and by the players they’ve brought in.”
With the League Two table remaining tight at the top, a win for either side will be a significant three points in the hunt for a promotion place.
But the Ammies Head Coach maintained that there is a long way to go until crunch-time, saying: “You can lose two or three games and still be within touching distance:
“I think it’s more of a case of making sure that you maintain efforts for large parts of the season.”
There is still an amicable air about Robinson’s memories of managing MK Dons nine years after his sacking, and he reflected on the changes in his managerial style in that time. He said: “I’m a lot more rounded probably, and I am obviously a better manager now than I was when I left.
“I’ve made way more mistakes since leaving, which have bettered me for the consequences.
“Everyone knows my affinity for the football club, I’ve never hidden that.”
Recent Comments