AFC Wimbledon: January exit may not be the answer despite growing supporter feeling | OneFootball

Hus Biler's mixed form for AFC Wimbledon has got fans questioning whether he should remain at the club beyond January

Hus Biler has been a topic of contention for quite some time among AFC Wimbledon supporters, as despite being heralded as another academy talent getting first-team opportunities, some fans would rather see him leave in the upcoming window.

The right-sided full-back, who is of Cypriot descent, has had mixed form ever since breaking through, with his terrier-like style of play having its positives and negatives on the pitch.

But with his contract up in the summer, according to Transfermarkt, and the option to extend his deal a further year, the idea of a January exit may not be the best plan going forward, and keeping the divisive defender around could see a beneficial return for the Dons in the long term.

Some AFC Wimbledon fans would like to see Hus Biler leave in January

Biler broke through into the AFC Wimbledon first team in the same season as Jack Currie, and at the time, it seemed as though, to fans at least, that the flanks in the defence were sorted for years to come.

However, fast-forward to now, and following Currie's departure in the summer, some AFC Wimbledon supporters want to see their other academy breakthrough full-back leave in the upcoming window.

The opinion has mainly been driven due to some less-than-ideal performances over the past year, kicking off with Milton Keynes away.

In the grudge match last season, both Biler and fellow academy graduate Paul Kalambayi were sent off, leaving the Dons with nine men and no real chance of getting into the match. And it was the manner in which Biler got himself sent off that began the trend of Wimbledon fans not being too keen on the right-back.

With Max Dean running through following a long ball over the top from the MK defence, Biler grappled with the now-Toulouse forward and bought him down, despite the ball looking like it was heading away from goal, and the aforementioned Currie also well positioned as a covering defender. At the time, the Dons were 3-1 down and would have wanted to get back in the match, so getting sent off was taken in by the traveling fans with a dim view.

And since then, it has seemed that Biler's aggressiveness has rather got the better of him at times of the pitch, with fans around the ground always feeling like he will inevitably commit a needless foul or pick up a silly yellow card every time he steps on the pitch.

That is what exactly happened when Biler was introduced late on against Newport County at the start of this month.

Replacing Josh Neufville at right wing-back, Biler was brought on so the Dons could more fluidly switch between a back five when defending their slender lead, and a back four when trying to press home any advantage that was afforded to them at a late stage.

However, in the dying seconds, he again committed to making a tackle with the ball heading away from goal, and despite the foul itself being contentious, the youngster gave the referee a decision to make, which he did and Newport profited from.

This seems to have tipped the majority of Wimbledon fans into the camp of wanting him to leave the club on loan at least, to either see out the remainder of his deal or to learn and hone his craft ready to step up next season if he is afforded the chance of an extension. But while it may be the more popular choice at the moment for a fair few fans online, there is more than enough reason to keep the full-back around a while longer.

Biler can finally learn from experienced teammates at the club

The primary reason that Biler should be kept around for a little while longer is the fact that he can finally begin to learn from the experienced pros around him about how best to hone his craft and calm his game down.

Teammates such as John-Joe O'Toole and Sam Hutchinson are perhaps the best tutors for Biler at this point, as both are vastly experienced EFL stalwarts and, in a way, both have parts to their game that make them the perfect players for the young right back to learn from.

In their younger days in the EFL, both O'Toole and Hutchinson, were all action, tough tackling midfielders, and while age may have slowed them down a little, it has also seen them become a little calmer on the pitch, and more tactful about how to approach defending in less aggressive ways.

They may still have the odd yellow or red card in them, but Wimbledon fans are seeing the pair at a good time, as while they still remain just as committed as their younger selves, they are much more mindful and experienced about how best to play the referees.

The other reason that Biler should be kept around the club is the fact that despite the January window coming up, there is not much money to play with. Shipping Biler out on loan would only really subtract from the squad, and not allow any room for new additions with not much money likely to come from a temporary spell elsewhere.

The frustrations from fans online can be seen as completely understandable from one point of view, as there has to be a point where a line is drawn and the club and player move along with their own timelines. However, there has to be a large amount of care given to a player that has been nurtured through the academy and bought into the first team to somewhat blossom.

It must be remembered that Jackson was the first manager at Wimbledon to give Biler a chance in the first team, and he was also the man to offer him a new deal in the summer when it looked like he could head elsewhere, so it is clear that Jackson trusts him.

But what needs to happen now is a complete turnaround in form over January for the youngster, as otherwise, it will see him being trusted less and less in the first team as the Dons gun for promotion, and see the fans turn against him even more online, increasing pressure on his young shoulders.