Burchnall wary of a potential momentum shift at MK Dons

Forest Green Rovers boss Ian Burchnall hopes to avoid the new manager bounce when his side take on MK Dons on Boxing Day.

Mark Jackson will lead Dons for the first time today (Monday) after joining the club as head coach on Friday, knowing a win for Dons would definitely lift them above Rovers in the League One standings, and potentially out of the relegation zone too.

Rovers too though know a win might lift them out of the bottom four, depending on Cambridge United’s result at home to Shrewsbury.

Burchnall though is wary that Dons are likely better than their league position - 22nd - suggests prior to the game and hopes Jackson’s appointment, buoyed by the win over Portsmouth last Saturday too, won’t give them too big a lift heading into the game.

He said: “You sometimes get a short-term life when the manager changes. Liam did a brilliant job last season, he didn’t turn into a bad coach overnight, but the team maye got stuck in a rut. They’ll be hoping that result at the weekend gives them a platform lift off.

“They had a wonderful season last year but they lost some big players, and it's not easy to adapt and adjust. Then you get into poor momentum and that's what they've done.

“But they're still good footballers, a good team, very good on the ball, they've changed the manager now too so maybe they get a lift.

“It's still a very difficult place to go regardless of the league position.”