Since their 3-1 defeat to League One leaders Plymouth on New Year’s Day, Dons have been able to get to know their new boss, what he wants from them and how he expects them to perform out on the Fairfields training pitches without the immediate pressure of an upcoming game.
Not kicking a competitive ball again until this Saturday when they host Lincoln City at Stadium MK, the players were given the weekend off to let their hair down and recuperate after a frenzied month on and off the field.
For Jackson, arriving at the club two days before Christmas, it was the first real opportunity he has had to work with the players in anything other than a game scenario, and it was something he was eager to see as soon as he put pen to paper on a deal to leave Leeds United. And so far, he has been impressed by what he has seen.
"It has been good, it's been what we've wanted to do since the first day I got in,” he said. “I love being on the training ground and working with the players but we were really limited as to what we could do over the festive period. We knew what it was, we managed to get information into players the best way we could, it went fairly well, but to get on the training ground last week is really exciting.
“We had a good week. We were able to push the behaviours we want from them, they were getting used to how I work, so all in all, last week was really successful. We met all our physical metrics we wanted to hit, and we gave the lads a weekend off as well to hit the ground on Monday.
"When a new manager comes in, it's always the case that there's an upturn in positivity around the place, but it has been sustained and built on, and the players are now pushing it forward which is good for me to see. We will always drive them but the players need to do it out on the pitch.”
