Tuesday, March 19, 2024
SportHeartsFormer Hearts boss Robbie Neilson insists he is not worried about being...

Former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson insists he is not worried about being dragged into relegation dogfight following defeat

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MK Dons manager Robbie Neilson insists he is not worried about being dragged into a relegation dogfight, but has ordered his side to develop a ruthless streak.

The former Hearts head coach watched his side fall to a narrow 1-0 defeat to League One promotion hopefuls Fleetwood Town on Saturday, a result that leaves the Dons just five points above the drop zone.

But Neilson, who has presided over five league wins since taking over the reins in December, insists he is not looking over his shoulder.

He said: “Not at all. We’re always looking to win the next game. Apart from a set play, Fleetwood have created nothing, so it shows there’s very little in this league. If we can be more aggressive, we will win games.

“For a team that’s sitting third in the league, they didn’t cause us any problems. We stopped their counter attacks and nullified them.

“We just weren’t aggressive enough with the ball.

“We need to get back to taking the risk, while not giving much up. We had no excitement or energy to get in behind them, whip in crosses or get shots in.

“The team has played a certain way for a long period, and we’re trying to change that. It takes time. It’s alright having 60, 70 per cent of the possession, it’s about getting three points, and we didn’t do that.

“It was really disappointing. We had a lot of possession but we weren’t ruthless enough and weren’t aggressive enough.

“We played a lot across the back and midfield but didn’t take the opportunity to put them under pressure.”

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