AFC Wimbledon: Contract extension was the wrong decision

Hus Biler is another proud product of the AFC Wimbledon academy, having made his debut in 2022 and becoming a strong competitor for the right-back spot in Johnnie Jackson’s team.

However, a rash red card against MK Dons last season mixed with fitness and injury issues meant that, following just over a year in the first team, he was ousted, and Isaac Ogundere took up his spot.

Many fans expected that, come the summer, Biler would then be released. However, that has not happened, with Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson instead giving the youngster one last opportunity with a new one-year deal.

Early signs suggest that the new contract may have been a mistake.

Hus Biler’s breakdown from breakthrough

The youngster was initially behind the aforementioned Ogundere but his brilliant debut against Tranmere Rovers in November 2022, playing on his unfavoured left-hand side as the Dons facing an injury crisis at the time in the left-back position, showed Jackson enough to start playing the 22-year-old at right-back.

He would go on to display his attacking talents throughout the rest of the 2022-23 season, often making barn-storming runs up the right-hand side and using either foot to find a good cross into the opposition area. Come season’s end, many fans felt that the right-back spot was one that the club had locked and loaded for years to come with Biler and Ogundere battling it out.

However, upon the start of the 2023/24 season, Biler had seemingly developed a more aggressive, terrier-like defensive style. In his breakout campaign, he had slid into one or two dangerous tackles, but given the excitement at breaking through into the first team, many fans did not mind and felt it would be a problem that would be ironed out by Jackson over the break between seasons.

That was far from the case though and Biler was very quickly becoming a small liability in the team, often committing too far forward in attack and, instead of staying composed while coming back to defend, he would often make a rash decision and choose to attempt a tackle, something which rarely paid off.

This newly developed side to his game came to a head in the previously mentioned away game against MK Dons. Trailing 3-1, the Dons were very open at the back, looking to score a second goal in what they hoped could be a momentous comeback. However, that was exploited, with MK pumping the ball long, leaving Max Dean bearing down on the Dons’ net.

Biler took the decision to bring Dean down, combining a trip with a small tussle to make it seem a fair fight to the referee. The man in charge did not see it that way though and sent Biler off, and having already used up one defensive substitute, the Dons were forced to bring on Ogundere in place of an attacker, which did help Wimbledon not to concede any more, despite another sending off, but equally, stumped their attack.

This red card, combined with a host of injury and fitness issues that mostly pertained to a hamstring injury he first picked up in February 2023, meant Biler did not feature again for Jackson in the 23/24 campaign and led many to believe his Wimbledon career may be over.

However, come the start of July, it was announced that Biler would be staying on another year, with Jackson appearing to be giving the youngster a second chance.

We are pleased to announce that Huseyin Biler has signed a new one-year contract with the Dons! 📑

Read more here 👉 https://t.co/Pnja3jTPJ9#AFCW 🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/7duxdxfHco

— AFC Wimbledon (@AFCWimbledon) July 5, 2024

Hus Biler’s contract extension was the wrong decision

Giving that second chance, however, despite only a limited amount of pre-season games to judge it on, looks a fairly poor decision, and one that Jackson may live to regret.

This is primarily because, despite two seasons of men’s football under his belt, Biler is yet to rid himself of the rashness that clouds his defensive abilities.

While not tested too much at Met Police FC last week, Biler faced a much sterner task in the form of Brentford when they came to visit Plough Lane over the weekend, with the right-back featuring for the opening 60 minutes.

In his hour-long cameo, he was kept quiet attacking-wise, with the Dons being more successful down the left-hand side, and defensively, the same old issues came to the fore.

While he did not receive his marching orders, he did dive in and give away a needless penalty, which Brentford scored from and in doing so, answered a query on every fan’s mind – Had he grown and developed defensively with the reward of a new contract?

It was the belief of many that clearly Biler had turned a corner and impressed Jackson sufficiently to earn himself a new deal, as only days before it was announced he had signed new terms with the Dons, he was being linked with a move to Turkey. However, his hotheadedness at the weekend highlighted that this does not seem to be the case.

What it may show is that Jackson is not being allowed to bring in reinforcements down the right-hand side. While Wimbledon does have the likes of Josh Neufville and James Tilley, who can both play on the right of midfield, it is clear that Jackson wants his wingers to play more like wing-backs, and help defensively, and while Neufville has done well when deputising there, both he and Tilley are too attack-minded to do so.

That means Jackson is left with Biler as his only other option, and given that he was dropped last season and left as an ‘out-of-favour’ player once he had served his ban, the contract does seem like something of a last resort type and a decision that was possibly not the best thought out.

There is still plenty of time for Biler to make good on his opportunity to shine with the Dons still having a few more games left of pre-season, plus the entire season to make an impact. Add to that, his academy compatriot Ogundere is favoured in a right-sided centre-half position in a back three and Biler does have the chance to make the position his own.

However, he has a lot of work to do to not only claim the position as his but also prove to all doubters that his extension was deserved and the right decision by management and the club.