‘AMAZING’ SAINTS INSPIRE ROBINSON

SOUTHAMPTON’S rise from League One to European football might read like a fairy-tale, but after seeing the Saints first hand in midweek, Karl Robinson is hoping MK Dons can emulate the story.

The Dons went down 6-0 to Southampton in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday, just four years after they were in League One together.

The Saints’ climb since has been remarkable, but with MK Dons now playing in the Championship for the first time in their history, boss Robinson is looking to the Saints for inspiration.

“They’ve had multi-millionaire owners and they’ve rebuilt very well – every manager that’s come in has added quality,” said Robinson.

“They’ve sold players and used the money to bring in better players and sold them on. It’s an amazing model.

“These are things we want to learn from ourselves, but I think we’ve shown how far behind we are. For me, that’s a tremendous learning curve.

“We were beaten by an unbelievable side, but my players learned that the mentality of a top player isn’t just what’s in his boots, it’s what’s in his heart and his head too.”