Ex-Premier League star who Neville regretted sacking loses job after 16 matches

16 October 2023 , 13:24

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MK Dons head coach Graham Alexander has been sacked (Image: Clive Mason)

MK Dons have parted company with head coach Graham Alexander after just 16 games.

Alexander, 52, was appointed as Mark Jackson's successor back in the summer following MK Dons' relegation to League Two in the 2022/23 campaign. The former Scotland international made a storming start to life in Buckinghamshire, winning the League Two manager of the month award for August.

Unfortunately for the Dons, they have struggled since their early purple patch. Their winless run stretched to eight matches at the weekend when they blew a two-goal lead against Barrow by conceding two in additional time to leave Alexander on the brink.

And his departure was confirmed in a short statement on the club's official website on Monday. It read: "The Club would like to thank Graham and Chris for their dedication and tireless efforts during their time at Stadium MK. They depart with the best wishes of everyone at MK Dons."

Alexander has previously held roles at Salford, Fleetwood, Scunthorpe and Motherwell. He also made 981 appearances for the Iron, Preston North End, Luton Town and Burnley during a playing career that spanned over two decades.

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Prior to taking on the job at MK Dons, Alexander spent two years at Salford, where he worked under the Class of 92, including the likes of Gary Neville and Paul Scholes. However, he was sacked in October 2020 and replaced in the dugout by the latter.

Neville would later go on to admit that sacking Alexander was a mistake. He said: "Graham Alexander should have never left this club last season. I should have never made that decision that I made."

Join the debate! Who would you like to see replace Alexander at MK Dons? Let us know here.

Salford City co-owner Gary Neville admitted that he regretted sacking Graham Alexander back in 2020

Speaking before his departure, Alexander made it clear there were no excuses for the Dons' current plight. He said: "It's nothing to do with luck - 'I hope our luck changes, I hope someone sprinkles some magic dust over us' - we've got to stop believing in fairytales, it's about what we do every single day, and then go and do it in a game.

"I can't defend losing the three points. It's not a bunch of kids who hadn't played football before. Surely we understand we have to do this for this five minutes, or that for this five minutes, whatever you've been taught over the years?

"We can't walk them through it. We're trying to teach them and give them responsibility. You've got to make 1,000 decisions in that 90 minutes, or 95 minutes, you can't look over to us (coaches) and ask 'what do I do right now, what do I do at this throw-in, set-piece, corner?'."

Dan Marsh