Anger will fuel AFC Wimbledon in match against MK Dons, says Bowen

AFC Wimbledon manager Mark Bowen wants his side to feel angry ahead of the game against MK Dons

Anger and emotion will be running high in the AFC Wimbledon dressing room ahead of the game with MK Dons tomorrow.

Newly installed boss Mark Bowen will take charge of his second game as manager for AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, with his side four points from safety in the League One relegation zone, without a win in 23 matches.

The message coming out of Stadium MK ahead of the 13th meeting between the sides is that the derby will be treated just as any other game, but Bowen is taking the opposite approach - instead feeling his side will perform better angry.

He said: “I’m not always an advocate of that (taking emotion out of the game). Sometimes the enormity of an occasion like Saturday’s game can give you an edge. I’m a big believer that teams play in a more effective manner when they’re angry.

“I want the players to step on the field and feel angry because that might give them that extra yard. It might make them more tenacious and not so passive.

“It’s about getting that balance right. It’s not a game they should be worried about at all, they need to enjoy the feeling and the edge that is behind the game. Every game between now and the end of the season is a big game for us.”