After 3 games, MK Dons are one of only three teams with zero points in the EFL. Sales of important players and an influx of young signings have led to some instability, but the biggest issue is their complete inability in front of goal.

Admittedly, the Dons have had perhaps the hardest opening run of fixtures in the division, with a tough away loss to Cambridge preceding defeats to title favourites Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday.

However, it's not so much the zero points which is cause for concern: it's the zero goals scored.

The departure of the heroic Scott Twine to Burnley is clearly the biggest loss which can be felt in the team from an attacking standpoint. 33 goal contributions in the league from one man is hard to replace.

Left winger Nathan Holland arrived permanently this summer, released from West Ham after a positive return of 6 goals on loan at Oxford United last year, but needs time to bed in.

MK Dons have brought in highly thought-of attacker Louie Barry from Aston Villa who was excellent in League Two with Swindon Town last campaign, as well as the returning Will Grigg, but these pair do not constitute the star power of Twine.

Grigg's two-goal return last season for a promoted Rotherham United side last season was perhaps a sign that he is aging out of his prime somewhat, but the Dons ignored these signs.

One perhaps less obvious loss from a goalscoring standpoint is centre-back Harry Darling, who seems to have found a perfect home as a ball-playing defender in Russell Martin's Swansea City side.

Darling scored the most goals in a single season for an MK Dons defender in their history, and was named in the League One Team of the Season.

Not only did his seven league goals represent a significant contribution to the Dons' scoring power, but his passing range allowed them to move their opposition around, creating space and ultimately fashioning easier chances.

Darling and Twine's work carried MK Dons to 78 goals last campaign, only one less than promoted Sunderland and eight more than league runners-up Sunderland, and led to positive speculation on the team's fortunes for this season.

Performances so far, however, have undone the optimism which was brewing in Milton Keynes. Liam Manning made a stunning start to his managerial career in England last year, steering the Dons to third, and has stayed positive despite the results this season.

Manning has stressed the need for patience as a raft of players return from injury, but some pragmatism has to go along with that.

If the Dons want to maintain or better their performance last season, things have to start coming together in front of goal soon - perhaps some new faces could accelerate that process.