Opposition Lowdown: Johnnie Jackson’s Midtable

Form

AFC Wimbledon secured promotion back to the third tier last season, winning the League Two playoffs. They finished fifth in the league and went on to beat Walsall, who finished fourth, in the final, after a first-half goal from Myles Hippolyte.

Promotion ended their three-year spell in League Two, having been relegated to the fourth tier in 2022. The Dons currently sit 16th in the league, six places and five points behind Reading. Their recent form has been mixed, having seen one win, one draw and three losses in their last five games.

They come into this weekend’s game off the back of a 0-1 away win at bottom side Port Vale during the week, with Callum Maycock scoring an 88th-minute winner.

The two sides have already faced each other twice this season. Wimbledon beat Reading 1-2 in the league in August, before the Royals returned the favour with a 2-1 win in the League Cup 10 days later. 

The boss

Johnnie Jackson: Jackson was appointed Wimbledon manager in May 2022, taking over from former Reading manager Mark Bowen, after their relegation to League Two.

Jackson had an almost 20-year career as a player, starting out at Tottenham Hotspur, before going on to play for Colchester United, Notts County and Charlton Athletic, where he stayed for eight years, making 279 appearances and becoming captain of the Addicks. He retired from playing in 2018 but stayed at Charlton in a coaching role.

Jackson had two spells as caretaker manager, before being given the role full-time in December 2021. His first spell in management was short-lived, with Jackson only surviving five months in charge before his sacking in 2022. He was quickly back in a manager’s job when Wimbledon appointed him in May 2022.

He suffered a disappointing first season with the Dons, finishing 21st in League Two, however the Dons kept faith in him and then saw a big improvement, finishing 10th in his second season. His third season in charge was a real success, guiding the club back to the third tier via the playoffs.

The 43-year-old will be looking to cement Wimbledon’s status in League One and wants his side to be resolute and hard to beat.

Squad

Wimbledon signed two players during the winter transfer window, with former Don James Tilley arriving on loan from Wycombe Wanderers and forward Layton Stewart joining on loan from FC Thun.

Former Royal Sam Hutchinson is expected to miss this weekend’s game through injury, while new signing Stewart could make the matchday squad for the first time.

Predicted lineup

Bishop, Tilley, Ogundere, Johnson, Seddon, Smith, Hippolyte, Maycock, Browne, Nkeng, Omar Bugiel

Key player

6. Ryan Johnson: Defender Johnson joined Wimbledon in June 2023 on a free transfer, following the end of his contract at Stockport County.

Johnson started his career in the youth setup at West Bromwich Albion, before then joining the Stevenage youth team. He made his professional debut in 2014, becoming their youngest-ever player, before going on to have a number of loan spells in non league.

Johnson joined Kidderminster on a permanent deal in 2019 before moving to Hartlepool, where he gained promotion to League Two. Moves to Port Vale and Stockport County followed, where Johnson gained more Football League experience.

Wimbledon is where he has had his most settled spell of football, making 117 appearances for the club over the last three seasons.

The 29-year-old is a left-sided centre-back and a strong defender with good leadership skills, which has earned him the role of vice-captain behind midfielder Jake Reeves.

One to watch

33. Isaac Ogundere: Defender Ogundere is a product of the AFC Wimbledon youth system who joined the club in 2017, having also spent time at Brentford and Hayes & Yeading.

He signed his first professional deal with the club in 2021 and made his debut in 2022 in a League Cup game against Gillingham. Ogundere gained first-team experience in loan spells at Leatherhead, Potters Bar Town and Dartford before becoming a regular starter in the Dons’ first team during the 2023/24 season.

The 23-year-old has gone on to make 143 appearances for Wimbledon and is still waiting to score his first Dons goal. Ogundere is a centre-back who can also play as a right-back; tackling is a key attribute of his game.