Why there have not been demonstrations and highly vocal demands for the instant dismissal of manager Egil Olsen is pushing the idea that patience is a virtue to its absolute limit.

Let's not just look at the league table. Olsen may have worked the oracle in turning his native Norway into an international force, but since arriving to take charge of the Dons he has done the near impossible of destroying the unique spirit of the Crazy Gang. The strict diet and no drinking demands have to be compared with the disastrous Peter Withe regime where his metal-pumping paranoia led to a plummeting Premiership position.

So why are there no "Come back Kinnear" and "Sam's the Man" placards appearing in the stands?

In their day the Dons may not have been picking up too much silverware but at least football was fun.

Right now watching Wimbledon provides about as much entertainment as a party political broadcast, as Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal at Selhurst Park showed.

The Dons started brightly enough and there was a gem of a goal after Michael Hughes hit an inch-perfect pass for Andreas Lund to head out of the reach of David Seaman in the Gunners' goal.

Arsenal equalised with a goal from Nwankwo Kanu which looked positively offside.

But that was just the first time that referee Uriah Rennie once again showed himself as one of the game's more eccentric officials.

By the end of the 90 minutes both Wimbledon and Arsenal were complaining bitterly about his decisions.

First Rennie sent off Arsenal's Oleg Luzhny for a challenge on Lund which did not look dangerous.

Then he saw Dons' striker Marcus Gayle chopped down in the penalty area as he was running straight at goal, but stood silent.

Yet when Jason Euell clipped the heels of Thierry Henry Rennie put on an Oscar-winning performance, awarding a penalty and waving the red card as if he was the most important actor on stage.

Olsen made no comment on the referee's performance. Can any Dons fan imagine Joe Kinnear being so silent in such circumstances?

It is the lack of passion which makes Olsen so difficult to understand. He was going through his old and increasingly tired routine of blaming everyone except himself for the defeat. The tactics were fine but the players had not obeyed his master plan.

Maybe he should let his side play their own game as they face the seven survival games in the run in to the end of the Premiership season.

At least two three-point victories look to be essential.

All of this does not augur too well for the Dons visit to Sunderland tomorrow (Saturday). The northerners' manager Peter Reid has never been anything else other than a fighter and defender of his players.

What a contrast with Olsen who appears to think that he always knows best, and that anyone who dares to question his tactical ideas is in some way inadequate.

Surely the great need for Wimbledon in these desperate days is to get away from the video replay sessions and the blackboard and back to old fashioned passion on the pitch.

Olsen might do well to abandon the team coach tomorrow and make the journey to the Stadium of Light in the company of the fans.

He might learn what Wimbledon is all about.

DONS SHORTS

Buy the palace The latest speculation is that the Dons could be packing their bags to set up camp in Milton Keynes. The local council wants to build a 50,000 seat stadium. The majority of Dons fans share a deep dislike of the ground sharing arrangement at Selhurst Park. While Wimbledon may be struggling to stay in the Premiership, Palace are making no great impression in Division One and continue to be in financial crisis. A deal to make Wimbledon the owners and senior partner at Selhurst might yet be the most sensible idea, no thanks to Merton Council.

Rich and poor The great divide between the Premiership rich and poor looks set to widen still further. The pay-per-view scheme being put forward by the clubs in their latest bargaining row with the TV companies is believed to envisage each club taking part in at least one TV game during the season but no more than six. Who will decide who gets what? Why, the TV companies will and you can bet they will favour the clubs in which they have shares. Sadly Wimbledon does not feature in that list.

Full on Joe: Fulham are the latest name in the frame in the guessing game of who will sign Joe Kinnear. And were he to take charge there could be more than a few Dons fans taking the District Line to Craven Cottage - such is the popularity of the manager whom many believe was treated shabbily.

euell wants out: Jason Euell looks to be on his way come the end of the season. He believes his international prospects would be enhanced were he to be playing for a fashionable club. Carl Cort, who has burst into manager Keegan's England Under-21 plans, is in the same boat. Wimbledon are in danger of being left a bit short of strikers when once they were spoilt for choice.