What we learnt from Jackson’s first MK Dons interview

In what has been a bit of a whirlwind week for new MK Dons head coach Mark Jackson, sitting down and conducting his first interview revealed a lot about what has gone on in the life of the 45-year-old.

In a 10-minute chat with the club’s media, Jackson discussed a range of topics which gave an insight into how the move to Stadium MK from Leeds United came about, how he wants the club to play and whether he is ready for the step-up to the role.

Dons’ approach came at the start of this week

Liam Sweeting made his initial contact with Jackson at the start of this week, at least seven days after the sacking of Liam Manning. From there, the ball moved quickly and after watching the Carabao Cup exit to Leicester City on Tuesday night, Jackson met with Sweeting, Performance Director Simon Crampton and chairman Pete Winkelman before Friday’s official confirmation.

Jackson said: “The first contact came early in the week. The club approached Leeds, Leeds accepted and I spoke to Liam on the phone. It was a good conversation, we were talking about the club, he was getting to know me and it escalated quickly to a point where I came to watch the Leicester game. It was a good insight for me, and I got to meet the chairman and presented to them, and the rest is history. I was impressed with the club. It's got a family feel which is really important to me, and it's something I want to build on.”

Jackson feels now is the right time

While he doesn’t have experience as a first-team coach/manager on his CV, Jackson feels he has all the right tools to make the step up. With Dons in the relegation zone, hiring an inexperienced boss gives flashbacks to the disastrous appointment of Dan Micciche in 2018. Unlike Micciche though, Jackson has senior football experience under his belt, having been a part of the first-team fold at Leeds. Jackson cited his time working for Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch as key markers in his arsenal.

He said: “I've worked with some world-renowned managers, and I want to improve myself every day. I draw from experiences all the time. I want a growth mindset. Over recent years, I've had a lot of valuable experience dealing with players, and young players. I want to evolve that, build on it and keep learning, bring my knowledge to the club. This club is full of knowledge and expertise too, so I want to draw on all of that as well.”

Being more aggressive on the ball

He hasn’t had a lot of time to fully delve into MK Dons’ performances this season, but Jackson already knows he wants them to be more aggressive on the ball. Having seen the style of play at Stadium MK develop from Russell Martin’s patient kee-ball approach to the faster-tempo play under Liam Manning, Jackson wants to continue with the general style of play, adding elements of his own approach in keeping with the MK Way.

“The club has a clear identity, which is fantastic,” he said. “The previous managers have all played a style of football which is attractive and that's why it appealed to me - it fits with how I think the game should be played. There are areas where I think I can enhance it. I want to play an attractive style, I want to be on the front foot and be aggressive with how we go after teams and press. There will be games where we have to tweak it, but it will be fitting with the club's identity and hopefully you'll see my influence on the style in the short term, and building into that longevity as well.”

Jackson’s backroom staff incoming

With the relatively quick nature of Jackson’s appointment, there are as yet signs of his backroom staff being in place, but the talks are underway. For the short-term, which is likely to mean at least the Boxing Day game against Forest Green Rovers, Jackson says he will utilise the staff who are still at Stadium MK, while leaning on the likes of Bradley Johnson and David Martin who took charge of the game against Leicester City on Tuesday night.

Jackson said: “Talks are ongoing at the moment and hopefully that will be finalised soon. In the short term, I'll be leaning on the staff here, but in the long term, it's about integrating and working together. There are some fantastic staff here with great expertise. When I get integrated into the club fully, I'll give them responsibility and they'll bring value. There will be people coming in to support me but I'll be working with the staff who are here too. I want to use them as much as I can.”