Former Town academy coach and player Liam Manning has been sacked from his role as head coach with the MK Dons.

Manning, 37, took the Dons to third in League One last season before they were beaten by Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off semi-final.

However, having sold key players over the summer, including 20-goal top scorer Scott Twine, MK have struggled this season and following yesterday’s 2-1 home defeat to Fleetwood, they sit second bottom of the table, six points from safety.

Along with Manning, who had been in charge since August 2021, fellow former Town men Chris Hogg, assistant head coach, David Wright, assistant first-team coach, and Darren Smith, keeper-coach, who were all at Portman Road last week to run the rule over the Cod Army, have also left the club.

Sporting director Liam Sweeting told the Dons official website: “Liam, Chris and David have worked tirelessly over the last 16 months and we are hugely grateful for their dedication as well as what they were able to achieve on and off the pitch, particularly last season.

“As well as being thoroughly professional and dedicated, they have represented the club impeccably throughout their time with us. Our thanks as well to Darren, who stepped in to help us during a difficult period.""

“Ultimately, given the position we find ourselves in, our decision now is to change the leadership and my full focus is on identifying and appointing the right person to, first and foremost, guide us out of this current situation, before then taking us forward. That process begins immediately.”""

Chairman Pete Winkelman added: “It is with a real sadness that we have to make this decision. Liam and his team accomplished so much for us last season, providing some fantastic memories in a campaign we will never forget — for that we are all so grateful.”

Veteran skipper Dean Lewington has been put in interim charge of the first team ahead of Tuesday’s Papa John’s Trophy tie with Bristol Rovers.

Photo: TWTD

OwainG1992 added 15:31 - Dec 11 Shame its not worked for them but always going to be tough after losing so many key players. I don't particularly like MK but appreciate the style of football they play. I saw Manning as a potential future Town manager.
7

BlueandTruesince82 added 15:36 - Dec 11 I'm not sure what MKD expected this season really, sold their best players, was always going to be a struggle to replace that many goals from a side like that.
8

Churchman added 15:40 - Dec 11 Not sure what he was supposed to achieve after his best players were sold
8

Europablue added 16:15 - Dec 11 Churchman, I think the expectation was not bettering last season, but at least having a chance of staying up.
0

ButchersBrokenNose added 16:36 - Dec 11 I love statements from chairmen that say, “It is with a real sadness that we have to make this decision." When they don't have to make that decision at all. Instead, he could say: "I know I set Liam up for failure by selling all our best players in the summer, which led to us losing games that we won last year. This is clearly my fault, not his, so I am resigning." Strange how that never happens.

14

Marcus added 16:44 - Dec 11 Perhaps he is still a future Town gaffer, however we need to hold on to Keiron as long as possible. Suspect a Premier League team will snipe him within 24 months, so worth considering a backup.
0

itsonlyme added 16:57 - Dec 11 Serve them right to get relegated!
2

runningout added 18:44 - Dec 11 reckon Liam Manning will have plenty of offers waiting
3

LegendofthePhoenix added 18:49 - Dec 11 With Liam Manning at the helm I really had a soft spot for MK and wanted to see them do well. But this is a cowardly decision, and now I hope that Franchise FC get what they deserve, relegation.
4

Cakeman added 19:09 - Dec 11 Results based business so no surprise but sadly Liam Manning was managing with one arm behind his back. I think he is a good manager but without the tools to use it doesn't matter how good he is.
3

Churchman added 19:10 - Dec 11 Europablue - we are not half way through the season yet. Why not give him some support in the Jan window? They over achieved last season and played good football doing it. With the guts ripped out of his team by the very people that took the cash and have now fired him from the outside it looks like they wanted the moon on a stick. Good luck finding somebody better.
3

budgieplucker added 19:21 - Dec 11 An exceptionally good coach, and Chris Hogg as well a good assistant. Quite frankly MK deserve no better if they don't back their managers. With the right players Liam will rise again and perhaps a set back is not such a bad thing should we need a Replacement for Kieron in a year or two (hopefully not though). If today we needed to recruit a new manager then Liam would get my nod.

2

ArnieM added 19:57 - Dec 11 Wonder if we'll get Whittaker now,(assuming we are even in for him)?
0

KiwiBlue2 added 03:31 - Dec 12 Sad to see but as others have said how the hell can you maintain a top spot after several of your best players are sold and not adequately replaced? I hope to see him and the others snapped up quickly by a club with a more supportive and progressive management. I well remember David Wright sealing 3 points for us with a brilliant header against Derby County in late October 2009 up to which point we had not won a game and he then promptly being sold by Keane in the upcoming January transfer window. Good luck Liam, Chris and David........

1

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:42 - Dec 12 Let's see how much better the new appointment will do given what he has to work with.
1

BerksBlue15 added 09:25 - Dec 12 They massively overperformed last year (thought they looked fairly poor when we played them at MK last season) so were always going to come back down to Earth, even without other teams improving and MK selling their best players and asking the manager to perform miracles with one hand tied behind his back! Hope he finds another job soon.
1

Linkboy13 added 09:30 - Dec 12 MK Dons massively over achieved for a club of their size last season . Went to the away game last season and the home support was very small for a team that was doing so well. It was always on the cards bearing this in mind that they would have to sell their best players even with the backing of chairman Pete Winkleman. Answering your question ArnieM would this affect us signing Whittaker don't think so he plays for Plymouth unless there's another Whittaker.

0

oldegold added 09:36 - Dec 12 Manning at MK Dons and Richardson at Wigan were the bees' knees 8 months ago...the doyen of young managers and now both of them sacked ruthlessly. There is little or no patience in football anymore and whilst accepting it is a results based profession, some decorum and tolerance is required. Look at Rodgers at Leicester, 2 months ago he was nigh on ready for the sack but the board stuck by hm and look where they are now..

2

Broadhill added 09:39 - Dec 12 Unlucky for the guy, but if you sell the crown jewels what does old Winkleman expect ? Anyone know how Twine is doing out of interest ? l havent kept up with him and cant say lve heard much ?
0

Bazza8564 added 14:48 - Dec 12 Sad but inevitable that the manager pays the price for the impact of selling the players to keep the club afloat. Liam is a highly rated coach with good experience home and abroad and other clubs will see this for what it is and I expect him to be quickly back in management. Just goes to show what happens when you get one individual owner who loses patience and/or interest in a project when things start to fail. Thank God we have a spread of institutional investors now not a tin pot owner hiring and firing at will, there's a massive difference between the two and a long list of Marcus Evans, Mel Morris etc etc etc who dont have the vision for the longer haul

0

Nomore4 added 19:55 - Dec 12 Yes Broadhill the great Scott Twine and Harry Darling…..the said Crown Jewels sold by MK Dons. Both combined have scored one more goal thus far than our very own Luke Woolf by himself.
0

Nomore4 added 20:10 - Dec 12 Fair to say both Twine and Darling signed for peanuts by MK Dons as they both wasn't very good. Both having freak seasons and sold for big money. Last season MK got lucky with loan players performing well. This season without the freak performers Twine and Darling. And loan players not performing. Second bottom nearly half way through was the outcome for Manning and his downfall.

0

Nomore4 added 20:29 - Dec 12 It remains to be seen if our owners would turn down big money offers for any of our players. Can't really blame MK owners for not turning down £5m plus for 2 players costing a few hundred grand 12 months previous. Both only proven by 1 decent season in L1.
0

blueboy1981 added 22:32 - Dec 12 This is an atrocious decision by a Club that deserves to go nowhere. The Chairman / or Persons who made this decision are an absolute disgrace, who stands a chance of re-building a decimated successful Team in such a short time. The Club were blessed to have such quality people like Manning, Wright, and Hogg actually associated with them. I hope the Club now get their painful just desserts - if there is any justice then they will.

0

blueboy1981 added 22:49 - Dec 12 Manning, Wright, and Hogg - deserve better than MK Dons. Anyone going there as a Management Team need to seriously secure a long contract to protect themselves against such an Ownership. Personally, I don't think this sacking will impress knowledgable Supporters. The above Trio deserve MUCH better that Winkleman or his Club.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls