Manning wants to see his players prove themselves in Watford test

Dons will not change their approach in the lead up to taking on Championship opposition tomorrow night in the form of Watford in the Carabao Cup.

Rob Edwards’ side remain unbeaten in the second tier following their relegation from the Premier League last season, with Dons boss Liam Manning admitting the game at Vicarage Road is a ‘free hit’ when it comes to the result.

However, despite that, the head coach said he is not expecting his players to let their standards drop despite being underdogs for the game.

“We'll go out and play our style, back our qualities and believe in ourselves,” he said. “We've got players who want to play at higher levels in the future, so they have to go and prove that against this level of player. I'm keen to see what we can do against them.

“We’ve added depth and potential to the team, so we can provide opportunities. We’ll make a couple of changes in terms of that.”

Manning’s side will be cheered on by more than 1,400 travelling Dons supporters making the relatively short trip to Hertfordshire, marking the seventh time in eight away games they have taken more than 1,000 fans on the road. The only game they missed out on that feat was at Portman Road when the club were offered around 500 tickets.

“The fans on the road have been terrific and it means a lot,” Manning added. “That connection with the fans is still developing, and it's up to us to give the fans something to enjoy when they follow us.

“The bare minimum we can do is to work and compete as hard as we can. The support is really appreciated by everyone.”