Paul Tisdale insists MK Dons must improve in time for Saturday’s trip to Northampton Town, with the team’s focus already on that trip to the PTS Academy Stadium.
Tisdale’s Dons were beaten 3-1 by Cheltenham Town on Boxing Day but have an instant opportunity to respond with this weekend’s derby against the Cobblers taking place just 72 hours after that visit to Gloucestershire.
“It’s always about what happens next,” Tisdale said in his post-match press conference at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium. “What happens next for us is that we’re in training [on Thursday] and we’ll prepare for Saturday’s game.
“[Wednesday’s defeat] sets us a challenge. We’ve just lost two games on the spin and now have two games coming up in the next week which we need to respond in.”
Neil Atangana put the Robins ahead inside the opening quarter of an hour on Boxing Day but Chuks Aneke cancelled it out with his 11th goal of the season.
Cheltenham, though, restored their lead in the final minute of the first half through Tyrone Barnett and then, after holding off the Dons throughout the second half, added to their tally late on - Chris Clements the goalscorer of the third goal.
“I didn’t think we were quite good enough today, “Tisdale said upon reflection of the result and performance.
“We made mistakes and we’ve got to do better in the next game. What mistakes they are is for only us to know and to work on behind-closed-doors in time for the next game.
“We’re not going to get things our own way this season. The opposition will always want to win and we have to find ways to beat them.
“I didn’t see any lack of will or effort to win - we just didn’t have a good day and we didn’t play our best football.
“Well done to Cheltenham - they played a good game and scored some good goals. I still thought we had at least a draw in us.”
Here’s what else Tisdale had to say in his post-match press conference...
Defensive injuries not an excuse...
“We have players playing out of position which is not helping but that’s not an excuse either because I think they are good enough, regardless. [We can’t make changes] at the moment because the transfer window is closed and the players who are out are not in training yet. Although it’s providing challenges for us, I still maintain that we’re good enough. Those players who play just need to do better.”
Tis not focusing on other results...
“It’s largely irrelevant what went on around us. It’s a 46-game season and it’s about where we finish at the end of that. Every week it’s important that we gain points and take advantage of other results - this week was no different.”
