Two of League One’s best young managers go head-to-head at The Abbey as the U’s host MK Dons

League One is blessed with a number of promising young managers.

Ipswich Town’s recent appointment of Kieran McKenna highlights the trend of hiring relatively inexperienced managers rather than those with extensive managerial careers. League Two clubs such as Forest Green Rovers and Newport County have also both made similarly progressive appointments in an attempt to secure a place in the third tier next season.

Cambridge United head coach Mark Bonner and MK Dons boss Liam Manning fit that mould to a tee, although their managerial careers to date are fairly dissimilar. Both the U’s and the Dons have reaped the rewards of appointing previously unproven managers.

Bonner’s first job in management was with his boyhood club, Cambridge, having worked his way up through the youth academy at CB5 as a coach. In his first full season, the 36-year-old led the U’s, widely tipped for a relegation battle, to second place in League Two. As a result, they secured automatic promotion and third-tier football for the first time since 2002.

Cambridge were, once again, tipped to finish in the relegation zone, with many predicting them to finish rock bottom of League One. But with nine games remaining, the U’s are sat in 15th place on 45 points, boasting a 12-point gap on the bottom four. However, the cherry on top of a superb campaign came in the FA Cup, where Bonner guided his side to a shock 1-0 win against a full-strength Newcastle United side at St James’ Park.

Manning, on the other hand, arrived at Stadium MK with much more experience. Unlike Bonner, the MK Dons boss had a playing career, albeit a pretty underwhelming one.

The 36-year-old was part of both Norwich City and Ipswich Town’s academy, ultimately moving on to have a career in non-league. He then embarked on a four-year spell as manager of West Ham United’s U23 side, where he was widely accredited with developing Declan Rice. A short stint as Director of Coaching at New York City FC preceded a season with fellow City Football Group side Lommel SK, taking them from bottom to third in the Belgian Third Division B.

When MK Dons came calling in August 2021, the club were in a bit of a crisis. Russell Martin had resigned as manager a matter of days before the start of the League One signing, moving to Championship side Swansea City. Chairman Pete Winkelman knew that he had to find a near like-for-like replacement, ultimately deciding that Manning would utilise the same possession-based that had proved so successful for them in the past.

The appointment has been incredibly successful, with the Dons sat in 3rd place in League One. While Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic remain the firm favourites for automatic promotion, the Buckinghamshire side have kept within touching distance of the top two and are primed to capitalise if either side slips up towards the run-in.

Despite their poor home form, ranked 11th in the division at the time of writing, MK Dons’ away form has kept them in the promotion hunt. This should encourage them ahead of a trip to Cambridge, where two of League One’s most promising young managers will go head-to-head once again.

Manning’s men have already claimed three points against the U’s in the reverse fixture, blowing them away in November 4-1 win at Stadium MK. Bonner’s side were pulled apart on an incredible wide pitch, with their positional awareness allowing the Dons to play through them at will. By half time, the score was already 4-0, thanks to braces from Scott Twine and Max Watters.

Unsurprisingly, Saturday’s hosts are the underdogs going into the game after their 6-0 thrashing at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend. The defeat remains the heaviest of Bonner’s managerial career so far. Many fans and pundits claim that the U’s are now on the beach as the probability of them moving into the top six or the bottom four dropped to 0% on Twenty First Group’s calculations.

Haha yeah of course, no problem at all. Big results for Plymouth & Newport! pic.twitter.com/2Evpf7BIwa

— Aurel Nazmiu (@AurelNz) March 14, 2022

 

Conversely, MK Dons still have a 20% chance of automatic promotion and will want to continue their impressive run of form ahead of potentially facing the playoffs at the end of the season. The Dons are on an 11-match unbeaten run and haven’t lost on the road since suffering a 2-1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on 23rd November.

Cambridge’s home record will provide some comfort for Bonner, with the U’s unbeaten at The Abbey so far in 2022. The narrow pitch could be a significant issue for the Dons, who prefer to play expansive football on a wide pitch such as the one at Stadium MK. Manning’s side certainly won’t find the same space as they did in the reverse fixture in November.

While many fans will be keen for the U’s to make wholesale changes after last weekend’s humiliation in South Yorkshire, Bonner has explained that he’ll be fielding a “fairly consistent team” in the next two games. Once League One safety is mathematically confirmed, the U’s manager has aims of “making a couple of changes looking ahead to next season.”

MK Dons’ defender Harry Darling will be making his first return to The Abbey after leaving his boyhood club in January 2021. The Cambridge academy graduate has been in fine form for the Dons, scoring four and assisting one in his last nine games, despite playing at centre-back. With the U’s conceding 13 goals in their last four games, the 22-year-old will be keen to increase his tally against his former side.

Ultimately, the Dons’ main aim will be to extend their current unbeaten run and improve upon their impressive away form. Three points at The Abbey will keep them within reach of the automatic promotion places, but the U’s will hope to make things much harder for them than in the reverse fixture in November.

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