AFC Wimbledon's Neal Ardley says 'it's nice to climb above MK Dons given the animosity'

Landmark victory: Tom Elliott opens the scoring in the 3-1 win at Oxford on Sunday which took AFC Wimbledon above MK Dons in the League One table
Rex Features
Giuseppe Muro12 October 2016

Neal Ardley celebrated his fourth anniversary at AFC Wimbledon in style this week after the club climbed above MK Dons in the football pyramid for the first time.

The milestone, achieved last weekend and only 14 years after they were formed, highlighted the astonishing progress made by the club who refused to die.

Their promising start to the season has also served as a reminder of the remarkable job Ardley has done during his time in charge.

Wimbledon were fighting to stay in the Football League in his first season as manager but now sit 10th in League One and one point higher than MK Dons.

“That first season when I took the job was so difficult and at that point you think if I do not keep us up that could be me in management,” says Ardley.

“That was pivotal. So to have four years and achieve what we have, I am really proud of it. Getting above them is a landmark for the fans to enjoy. Fourteen years ago they took our spot in the League and fourteen years later look what we have done.

“There is a bit of animosity there between the two teams. It is a nice feeling for the fans. They are a good team and I expect them to be there or thereabouts in the top six at the end of the season. But for the time being it is a nice moment for us and shows all of the unbelievable work this club has done over the last 14 years.”

Wimbledon are just two points outside the play-off places but their position two months into the season looked unlikely when they lost their first three games.

Ardley admits they suffered a hangover from their League Two Play-Off Final win at Wembley last season and, for a club that enjoyed so much success because of the spirit of the Crazy Gang, he felt the team was not completely together.

“There was such an immense amount of emotion and energy put into the run-in in the second half of last season,” he says.

“We only really had a four-week break and you are then trying to bed five or six new players into the team.

In Pictures: AFC Wimbledon celebrate promotion after beating Plymouth Argyle

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“Even in the first three games we played quite well but we were just not seeing our jobs out. We had three or four key players who did not get their form back from the season and before you know it you are getting punished for everything.

“The biggest thing we did was to get the mentality of the group right. Because we felt, at certain points, we were not totally together and that was one of our strengths last season.

“That does not mean there was any bad feeling in the group, it just means that not everyone was quite pulling in the same direction and playing with total unselfishness. We just needed to get that right and when we did that the boys have responded brilliantly and it is no coincidence that we have picked up.”

Wimbledon have quickly climbed the table with just one defeat in nine games and also sit above London rivals Millwall and Charlton as they continue to over-achieve.

Ardley insists that their priority this season is to stay up despite their excellent run of form.

“I will not change where we are heading at the moment,” he says. “Which is let’s get 50 points as quickly as we can. If we get there, then maybe we will look ahead and have a crack at the next level.”

Such is the good work being done by Ardley, who made over 300 appearances for Wimbledon side during 11 years at the club as a player, it is easy to forget he is in his first job as a manager.

The 44-year-old says the support he has received from the club has been key but he knows there is little time for reflection as he seeks to keep driving the club forward.

“There are some managers who are under constant pressure and scrutiny,” he says. “I am at a club where I put pressure on myself but the support around me from the club is immense.

“That allows you to go and do a job and I am not sure I would get that anywhere else. I do not think it is a story that is going to end anytime soon.”

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