Paul Warne is not losing sleep over his job security, he says, even as MK Dons sit winless after six League One matches and the questions from supporters grow louder.

The Dons, promoted automatically last season under Warne after winning 24 of their matches and finishing as the division's top scorers with 86 goals, have drawn five and lost one of their opening six fixtures in the third tier this time around. The solitary defeat came at Wigan.

"If we lost 10 matches on the run and you said to me, 'Are you worried about your job?' I'd say, 'No'," Warne told BBC Three Counties Radio. "I'm never worried about my job. Not from an arrogant point of view. I worry about enough things not to also worry about that."

It is the kind of statement that tends to make chairmen nervous, but Warne framed it as a philosophy rather than a boast. He said he picks every team as though it might be his last, without concern for upsetting individuals or managing his own position. Given that MK Dons secured their promotion with some authority, there is at least a track record to point to.

Warne was candid about where the responsibility lies. "I do feel a lot of it is at my door," he said, "because we have changed the system, we have changed the players around quite a bit." That is, at least, a more honest assessment than the usual press-release line about fine margins and deflected shots.

Settling pains or something deeper?

The manager's argument is that the team has not yet found a settled shape or personnel after the step up from League Two. Five draws in six games suggests a side that is competitive but not yet clinical: involved in matches, winning moments within them, but not converting that into points.

"We've been in every game, which I expect us to be," Warne said. "I know we've gone up a level, but we haven't gone from League Two to the Champions League. I do feel like we've been better than our points tally, but the points tally doesn't lie."

That last clause is the honest concession in an otherwise upbeat briefing. Five points from a possible 18 is a difficult position regardless of how the performances have looked. At this level, the table has a habit of hardening quickly.

Wimbledon on Thursday offers a chance to change the narrative

The next opportunity to break the sequence arrives on Thursday when Dons travel to rivals AFC Wimbledon. Warne acknowledged the weight that fixture carries for supporters of both clubs.

"I'm well aware of the importance of the game to both sets of fans," he said. "It's a bit like a play-off final where you've just got to leave everything out there. There are certain games that just get your blood boiling a bit more. It would be a fitting way to get a win on the board."

A first League One victory of the season, away at Wimbledon, would quieten a fair amount of the noise around Stadium MK. Warne's composure under the spotlight is genuine enough, but even the most relaxed manager in the division needs results eventually. The points tally, as he noted himself, does not lie.

Frequently asked

Why have MK Dons not won a game yet this season?
MK Dons have drawn five and lost one of their opening six League One matches. Head coach Paul Warne says the team is still settling into a new system and has changed personnel significantly since their promotion last season.
Is Paul Warne under pressure at MK Dons?
Warne has publicly said he is not worried about losing his job, though MK Dons are yet to win in League One this season. He accepts responsibility for the slow start and says there will be no knee-jerk reaction.
When do MK Dons play AFC Wimbledon?
MK Dons travel to AFC Wimbledon on Thursday in a League One fixture that Warne has described as a game that gets the blood boiling, given the rivalry between the two clubs.