Manning praises Burton boss Hasselbaink ahead of clash

Liam Manning praised Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for the progress Burton Albion have made since he took over at the Pirelli Stadium.

The Brewers looked dead certs to go down last season until the former Chelsea striker took over for a second spell at the club on New Year’s Day in 2021. His arrival brought about a dramatic turnaround in fortunes too, as he not only got Burton out of trouble but to a healthy 16th place finish - just three places back of MK Dons.

This season, Burton sit 11th in League One and have the fifth best home record in the division - winning seven of 13 games, losing just three times.

Dons though have beaten Burton on their last four meetings in all competitions, but Manning believes they will have their work cut out for them tonight.

“It will be a really difficult one,” Manning said. “We were talking today about the game here and how difficult it was in terms of the press that they put on – they were extremely physical and on the front foot.

“The staff have done a terrific job there if you look at where they were when Jimmy joined and where they are now – they have really progressed.

“We know it will be a difficult game and we know we’ll have to be at our optimal level to get anything out of it.”