Ben and Frazer are on the road again, finding themselves in the home dressing room at stadum:mk with Head Coach of MK Dons, Mike Williamson. He took over in October last year and has since lead the Dons to a comfortable top-half position in League 2 and are likely to get a chance at promotion through the playoffs if they maintain their current form.
As they’ve moved up the league, the turnaround has led to the city treating him very well. Frazer acknowledges a real feel-good factor around the city and around the stadium, which Mike credits to the players.
Mike’s Career
While his managerial career has started very well, Mike’s playing career also features some prestigious achievements and he’s shared the pitch with some legends of the game. Ben asks him to construct an XI of players he’s played with. Some incredible names come up including David James, Fabricio Colocinni, Jose Enrique, Gini Wijnaldum, Kevin-Prince Boateng, and Nicky Butt.
After his playing career, Mike found the transition to management very enjoyable. His previous experience in the game allowed him to come into contact with so many people who had an impact on him, giving him a holistic worldview that was suited to his new profession. Frazer comments he seems very driven and focused, asking if any managers helped him to achieve this outlook. Mike mentions Paul Lambert’s willingness to back his players, Brendan Rogers meticulous training regimens and the way his relationship with Alan Pardew developed over time as impactful on his outlook.
Self-Improvement
Mike also mentions his introverted nature, and his need to lean into fear in order to test himself. He argues that fear is largely self-induced. All our basic needs are met and, outside of the impact of what others might think, fear largely comes from within. Others may have something to say, but the largest obstacle to self-improvement is yourself.
Ben comments that this is an interesting outlook in what is still quite a male-dominated space. Mike answers that he is trying to develop a relationship so that players feel comfortable and can be vulnerable in order to overcome and grow.
As the end of the season approaches, Ben asks about what success looks like for the Dons, especially with the team hovering around the promotion and playoff positions. Mike says he doesn’t devalue promotion, especially considering the quality of the club and its set up. But for Mike, it’s all about progression and focusing on the task at hand: today’s training session, today’s game. Ben agrees with the sentiment and says he never forecasts further than a year ahead. He may know what he wants to do in 2025, but he can’t do those things if he doesn’t do the things he wants to do to get through the next quarter.
Frazer finishes the podcast by commenting that he was really excited to talk about football, but has come away enjoying hearing about Mike and his philosophy far more.
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