Russell Martin took responsibility after his MK Dons side were beaten 3-0 by Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.
Goals from George Johnston, Callum Lang and then Joe Dodoo inflicted a third defeat in four matches on the Dons, who continue to search for the formula which saw them win eight out of 11 at the turn of the year.
“It's my fault,” Martin said in his post-match interview with iFollow MK Dons. “I take responsibility for it.
“I picked the wrong team. I picked players who haven't trained enough, and it meant we weren't able to compete well enough in the first half an hour.
“We made some changes after that and we looked dangerous. We were camped in their half and it was attack after attack, but they've thrown bodies in the way, blocked things and we've hit the woodwork too.
“There was some good stuff in there, for sure, but that was completely negated by us not being able to defend our box properly. We're conceding too many goals and it's not good enough.
“The stuff that is holding us back is clear for everyone to see and we have to put a stop to it.”
He continued: “The season has had a lot of different stages and we're in a sticky patch. We have to show character now because it's a tricky and testing time, and we have to come through it.
“We've got clarity in what we're doing and what we want to do. We know what we need to work on and how we need to do it, but we have to do that quickly to get into position to make the end to the season more comfortable for ourselves.”
A big turning point on Saturday was the decision by referee Anthony Backhouse not to award the Dons a penalty, two minutes before half-time, for what to be a clear handball on Matt O’Riley’s cross.
“It's a big moment because it's a penalty but that's not an excuse for losing 3-0,” Martin said afterwards.
“Yes, it has impacted the game but we still had 45 minutes to put it right and we conceded two goals in the second half. It's the wrong decision but it's not the reason we lost.”
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MK Dons will look to bounce back on Tuesday when they welcome Blackpool to Stadium MK.
Due to the Government’s Covid-19 restrictions, the fixture will take place behind closed doors but fans can still ensure they don't miss a minute of the action thanks to iFollow MK Dons.
Season Ticket holders will be able to watch the match for FREE. You will simply need to log-in to your iFollow MK Dons to view the game - click HERE for full information!
All other supporters will be able to enjoy the game by purchasing an iFollow MK Dons Video Match pass - to purchase a £10 Video Match Pass, click HERE and select Buy A Video Match Pass!
