The 3-0 defeat at Bradford on Sunday was the final straw, even for the supremely patient money men from Oslo.

They acted fast to appoint former academy director Terry Burton as manager for the next two relegation games at least. Mick Harford will be his number two and youth coach Stewart Robson has been conscripted for front line duty in the battle for survival.

The new management team looked a bit more like the Crazy Gang of old. There was at least a small and flickering light at the end of the tunnel instead of unremitting pessimism for the fans.

Not surprisingly there were bitter recriminations after goals from Peter Beagrie helped pushed Bradford up a place in the nether regions of the league consigning Wimbledon to the "drop zone".

Striker John Hartson, sent off for the use of "foul and abusive language" when challenging a decision by referee Jeff Winter, acted as shop steward for his team mates who then seemed to be at complete loggerheads with controversial manager Olsen.

Terrible

"I think the players are together but we have gone on a terrible run and keep getting beaten. It has been well publicised that not everyone gets on with the manager. Not everybody likes the way he works, some of the things he does and his laid-back approach." said Hartson

Bradford had been Burton's first game as Olsen's assistant and he could not believe his side's ill fortune.

"The players desperately believed we could win this game and we are a better side than Bradford, but the decisions went against us," he said.

"Ben Thatcher was clearly trying to get his arm out of the way when the ref awarded a penalty. And Wayne Jacobs handled before their second. We couldn't believe it."

The cold statistics make depressing reading for Wimbledon fans with eight straight defeats since beating Leicester City 2-1 at home on March 11, conceding 20 goals and scoring just five in the process.

If, as seems likely, the battle to avoid the third relegation spot ends up as a straight scrap between the Dons and Bradford, Wimbledon must at least draw both of their remaining games against Aston Villa at Selhurst tomorrow (Saturday) and away to Southampton on the final day of the season.

Were Wimbledon and Bradford to end up on the same number of point, the Yorkshire club would survive on a slightly superior goal difference. The Bantams' final games are both away, at Leicester and Liverpool neither of which will be easy.

Convinced

Announcing the changes major shareholder Bjorn Gjelsten was remarkably upbeat. "Terry and the players are convinced that we will stay up" he said - a sentiment that was echoed by Burton.

But Mr Gjelsten denied the changes being announced meant a return to "Gang warfare". That was a thing of the past. He defended the original appointment of Olsen whose results with the Norwegian national side spoke for themselves. Olsen had always been loyal to Wimbledon. It was just unfortunate that things had not worked out.

l Following Joe Kinnear was always going to be a hard act. It was a bit like a theatre putting on Strindberg after a song and dance man. And Olsen seldom, if ever, looked as if he would fit the bill.

At first it appeared as if he might be a bit of a turn, appearing for training on a muddy pitch in Wellington boots. But from fairly early on it appeared clear that his eccentricity was more of the absent-minded professor variety rather than the hell-raiser.

Olsen's approach was via the blackboard and his carefully calculated tactical schemes. His record with the Norwegian national side was remarkable but the plan did not adapt to the English domestic game.

Kinnear summed up the difference between the two men in an interview when he said: "It has been said that passion, spirit and commitment are over-rated qualities.

"To me if you don't have these attributes, you should get out of the game. Football is all about passion and spirit. Passion would be the biggest attribute if I was still in the dressing room."