Seeking guidance and a learning experience - Manning on Dons’ current form

Liam Manning has been leaning on some of the experienced names in his contacts book to help him through MK Dons’ troubles this season.

With the side struggling in 22nd in League One - a far cry from their third place finish last season - the Dons boss said he has been seeking all the advice and guidance he can to find a way out of their current plight.

Landing just 15 points this term, Dons have only won four games in 19 and desperately need points on the board as they sit five points from safety heading into the Christmas period.

And with a reshuffle likely to come in January when the transfer window reopens, Manning said he has been seeking advice to help try and turn his side’s fortunes around.

“I’m fortunate enough to have experienced people around me that have been through similar positions,” he said. “It’s about the journey, learning and getting better and improving. I’m definitely doing that in my position, and I think the group are as well.

“We understand where we are and where we’re at, but we have to show the right behaviours - the right discipline, focus, bravery and being up for the scrap. The actions, tactics and quality comes after that.”

Though performances have been more promising of late, putting points on the board has still evaded Dons. And while the old addage of learning in times of adversity lingers, Manning said he will only know what he has learned from this tough time when Dons are successfully out of it.

“You have to come out of the bad patches first,” he continued. “It's an easy thing to say when you're out of it but when you're in it, it's a case of sticking together and sticking true to our values and principles.

“We had a period earlier this season when we weren't playing great, but it allowed us to say 'this is us, this is what we believe in, we have to get better at it' and we had that around the Bristol Rovers game. Since then, we've gotten better at being us, and everything was there last week apart from the finish at the end.

“The performances have got better over the last six, eight weeks, getting closer to winning games. It's a case now of winning games. You cannot rely on luck, but consistency in actions.

“We have to go and perform to levels we're capable of, and if we do that, I'm confident we'll get a result.”