Early signs point to AFC Wimbledon receiving payment for their January investment

Back in January, AFC Wimbledon were set the impossible task of replacing Ali Al-Hamadi, with the Iraqi international and now-Premier League footballer with Ipswich Town having been a sensation at Plough Lane.

Josh Kelly from Solihull Moors was signed by the team, and the transfer was finalized on the day of the deadline. Kelly only scored twice before the season ended, thus things did not go as expected for the remainder of the season.

Many are now expecting that the striker can have a fantastic 2024–25 season in front of goal and that the Dons will reap the rewards of their January investment because it appears that he has finally found his feet during preseason.

Kelly faced a challenging assignment in taking over for Al-Hamadi, as he was expected to not only score the goals that were missed upon the Iraqi striker’s departure, but also to establish the same robust relationship between himself and fellow striker Omar Bugiel.

After Kelly was acquired from the National League, it quickly became apparent that, even though the Dons had probably invested time and thought into signing Kelly, they would still prefer to play to Bugiel’s and the late Al-Hamadi’s strengths. Johnnie Jackson preferred a long ball strategy, hoping that Kelly could run onto any loose balls in behind or gather any knockdowns from his strike partner.

This is probably the main reason Kelly never really seemed to click with the Dons in the later part of the 23–24 season and never really rediscovered his scoring form, but it’s also reasonable to argue that the early-career misses that Kelly had made to undermine his confidence in front of goal.

The Windsor-born forward did, however, start to show signs of potential toward the conclusion of the season. The away loss to Tranmere Rovers was the turning point in which Wimbledon supporters saw his ability to poach in the box, as he ended up with two goals. But there were no more goals scored in the season’s last home game against Walsall, and Kelly finished with just two goals from his 17 appearances.

Supporters and coaches alike had hoped that Kelly would be able to forget about his unsatisfactory start with the Dons during the post-season and pre-season, as well as learn what would be expected of him moving forward and how he would be collaborating with his teammates. And indeed, that is precisely what has happened.

In the Dons’ first four preseason games, Kelly has scored twice, and both of his goals demonstrate his growth as a player. His goal against Charlton Athletic, the better of the two, demonstrated how he and his teammates have been working hard to play to his strengths and bring out the best in him. His strike against Met Police shown that his confidence in his poaching ability has not been lost.

Jackson had a lot to say about his striker after the goal against Charlton, which was a beautiful tucked finish from a tight angle following a well weighted ball from teammate Callum Maycock, who had returned to the team.

In an interview with South London Press over the weekend, he stated, “It’s a fantastic goal today. Those runs that get him closer to the goal are what we want to see.

Kells was brash and enthusiastic when he first arrived, but did he fail to make an impression?

The middle of the season is a challenging time to visit. Josh and I didn’t have a preseason. We now possess. He knows what’s needed, and we have a solid body of work.

“He was acting appropriately at all times. All he needed was a brief respite. He has put a lot of effort into learning what our goals are for our front two, both when they are in possession and not.

“With him and Matty, we witness it every day—they are scoring goals in practice. Although we still need to supply the ammunition, we are currently behind.

“Now that he is aware of the level, I believe we are in a fortunate position with a number of excellent options up there.”

Now that Kelly has demonstrated encouraging traits during the Dons’ preseason, it’s reasonable to conclude that, should he fulfill his current promise, he will propel the team toward the playoffs and possibly even promotion.

With the exception of the left defensive position, which still has to be filled, the Dons have assembled a strong team. Their strike force is maybe their most potent asset.

In addition to the aforementioned Bugiel and Kelly from the previous campaign, Wimbledon has secured the permanent signing of former Forest Green Rovers striker Matty Stevens and the return of Joe Pigott on loan from Leyton Orient.

Wimbledon’s number 10 will undoubtedly score a lot of goals if Kelly can rebuild the connection with Bugiel that was lacking from the previous campaign. If he can also form outstanding alliances with players like Stevens and Pigott, the team will have a striker who will make many people jealous this year.

When choosing his starting lineup for the opening game of the season against Colchester United, Jackson will undoubtedly have his work cut out for him. However, if the preseason is any indication, Kelly can now be counted on in a Wimbledon shirt, and the Dons have figured out how to best utilize his strengths.

The 25-year-old’s scorching start to 2023–24, during which he scored 13 goals in 27, undoubtedly persuaded the League Two team to make a trade for him. He has scored 39 goals in his last two and a half seasons in the National League.

Though it’s still early, the early signals point to Wimbledon potentially benefiting from that investment this season.