AFC Wimbledon, Johnnie Jackson swoop has eased Bristol Rovers regret | OneFootball

Despite the disappointment of seeing Romaine Sawyers leave early in the January window, the deal to bring in Marcus Browne has quickly eased the pain

The January transfer window has slammed shut and AFC Wimbledon seem to have come out of it better than when they started.

The Dons have added to a squad that is slowly coming back to full fitness after a small crisis with injuries by picking up three strong signings in key areas of the pitch.

The strongest of them all perhaps, is Marcus Browne, who was quickly snapped up on a deal until the end of the season to replace the outgoing Romaine Sawyers, who joined Bristol Rovers after his short-term deal expired and the club and player were unable to reach a new agreement.

It hurt a little to see Sawyers depart for the Mem after making such a strong start at Plough Lane but Browne's arrival has helped ease the pain and extinguished any regret of not handing the former a longer deal originally.

Marcus Browne has upgraded the AFC Wimbledon midfield following Romaine Sawyers' departure

It would be fair to say that even when the signing of Sawyers was announced, there were a fair few concerned fans wondering whether entrusting an aging midfielder who had been without a club since the summer was the right course of action to take to help the squad stay competitive through a rift of injuries.

However, those doubts were quickly quashed following some good performances in a yellow and blue shirt, and it was then upon his departure that worries started to creep in again about how the cash-strapped Dons would find themselves a suitable replacement.

During his time at the club, the former Brentford stalwart provided a silky yet physical presence in attacking midfield, being able to use his frame and fantastic footwork to weave his way out of trouble, as well as his excellent footballing intelligence to even score a goal in his final appearance.

So, when it was announced that he would be leaving the club for the Gas upon the expiry of his short-term deal and that the club were replacing him with an equally skillful, but more injury-prone player, there were worries about whether the right choice really had been made and whether a longer contract should've been sought for Sawyers from the outset.

As, for all Browne's brilliant pedigree in the EFL and above, he had begun to be known for his injury and fitness issues, being described by many Oxford United fans as 'a player made of glass'.

But even in his limited appearances, likely to combat those injury woes, he has wound up being exactly what the Dons' midfield needed, and more.

While there was the dual reliance on technique and physique for Sawyers, Browne seems to be a player that has twice the amount of tricks up his sleeve, and a bullish style of play that very rarely sees him lose the ball, even if he is facing up against the most physical of markers.

In many ways, that has upgraded the Dons' hybrid attacking midfield role that combines both dropping back to assist with defensive duties, but also hanging around the box like a predatory striker, as Browne has shone in the position.

From his very first steps on the pitch, it has been evident that he is a player much more up to speed than Sawyers' ever truly felt, and someone who can provide this AFC Wimbledon squad with that little bit of the unknown, something which may just set them aside from promotion rivals.

Marcus Browne signing can take AFC Wimbledon up to League One

While it is not uncommon for brand-new signings to be instantly given such high praise and have hope pinned onto their shoulders so early on into their time at a club, that is the general feeling when it comes to Browne.

It must not go without saying that the signings of Osman Foyo and Sam Hutchinson will also bring a higher level of quality to Wimbledon in this second half of the season, but in the case of Marcus Browne, his capture seems to have heralded a statement of intent that the South London club are committed to making sure promotion is sealed this season.

When unveiling his signing on the club's official website, it was clear to all that Dons boss Johnnie Jackson knows that Browne's skillset lies far beyond the reach of Wimbledon at this time and that his signing was a brilliant capture to bolster the squad now that the business end of the season is upon us.

So now, not only is it about how he performs in games and contributes to the team, but it is also about how Jackson manages his new signing and implements him at the right moments in games, or from the start if choosing to give him more minutes.

If the former Charlton boss can get the perfect mixture of that, then there is no doubt that the former Oxford United star can help bring Wimbledon back to the third tier and prove to many watching from the outside that he is back up to the peak of his powers, and a force to be reckoned with.