“We let Liam Manning down”: O’Hora on players’ responsibility in sacking

Warren O’Hora felt the players let Liam Manning down with their poor performances after the head coach was sacked last weekend.

The Irishman was an almost ever-present in Manning’s defence during his 16-month tenure in charge, and a leading voice in the MK Dons dressing room.

Both said the players were to blame for the 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town last Saturday - the game which ultimately ended Manning’s time at Stadium MK - and O’Hora, speaking to the media again on Friday, said there was an air of guilt in the squad when they returned to work at the start of this week.

“It wouldn't surprise me if there were people feeling guilty, I certainly felt it,” he said. “Letting someone down is never nice. Monday was a weird day - there were a lot of people missing, Skip (Dean Lewington) was doing his best to get the meeting going and preparing for Tuesday and move on. We didn't have time to dwell too much on it.

“You hear stories about managers who haven't got on with players and when they leave it's a bit like a celebration. I’ve never been in a dressing room where that happens before thankfully. But it wasn't like that here, it was a shock.

“We knew it was possible, and we have to take responsibility for that. We felt we let Liam down.”

With Lewington taking over as caretaker boss, switching from player to man in charge overnight, O’Hora continued: “I wouldn't like to be in his situation. I would find it hard to change, and I don't think Skip has.

“At the end of the day, when the new manager comes in, Skip will go straight back to being a player. You don't want to say the wrong thing, or do the wrong thing, he has to leave someone out the side or squad, and they'll be thinking something different. It's a sticky situation for him, but he has done everything he can.

“He's had David Martin helping him out as best he can as well - it falls on the senior boys to help him.”