Business as usual for Dons over Easter weekend

While most of League One plays this afternoon, Liam Manning will be watching on like it is business as usual at MK Dons.

With the TV cameras dramatically shifting Dons’ Easter plans from Friday and Monday to Saturday and Tuesday, Dons are approaching this weekend’s game like any other. However, the incoming results from nine other games will be on the screens in Manning’s office today while he and his coaching staff continue to prepare for Saturday’s 7.45pm kick-off against Sheffield Wednesday.

“I’ll watch them but I won’t have my feet up with a beer!” he said. “We have work to do before tomorrow and getting ready for Tuesday. Bank Holidays don’t usually exist in football, so we’re just used to this routine. It’ll be nice to watch the other games.

“It has felt like a normal week, no different for us because of Easter. I half forget there are games today because it's a normal week day for us. It has allowed us to keep consistent and keep the same routine. Hopefully it allows us to seamlessly flow into the next game.”

Dons’ main rivals for automatic promotion though will be in action on Saturday, just as they are. Rotherham host Ipswich at 12.30pm ahead of Wigan Athletic’s 5.15pm kick off against Cambridge United.

“I'll watch them too - if there are games on, why not!” Manning continued. “Everything has to come back to us. If you spend too much time watching what others do, you take your eye off what we do.

“I'm a football fan ultimately so any opportunity I have to watch games I do.”

With just two weeks of the season to go, fixtures will be coming thick and fast and could, according to Dean Lewington, start to see the table take it’s final shape over this weekend.

He added: “Easter is always a massive time - two games in quick succession could have a massive bearing on the table. After these two, we might get a clearer view of the table and we'll see where we are.”