Ex-MK Dons boss Liam Manning sees Bristol City qualify for Championship play-offs

Former MK Dons boss Liam Manning will see his Bristol City side take part in the Championship play-offs after they managed to squeak into the division’s top 6.

A 2-2 draw at home to Preston North End was enough for the Robins to hold onto 6th place, with Bristol City just getting in ahead of Blackburn Rovers and Millwall after they both failed to win.

The draw saw them leapfrogged in the table by Coventry City, who beat Middlesbrough 2-0, but it was still enough for the the Robins to finish 6th.

They will take part in the Championship play-offs for the first time in 2008, with Bristol City aiming to reach the top flight for the first time since the 1979/80 season.

Bristol City will play Sheffield United, with the first leg taking place at Ashton Gate on Thursday (08/05) and the return game taking place at Bramall Lane four days later.

Against the Lilywhites, Bristol City found themselves 2-0 down at home to a Preston side who still weren’t guaranteed of staying up after a run of four straight defeats.

But two goals in five minutes by Ross McCrorie saw Bristol City managed to pick up a point, with the Robins even missing a few chances to fully complete their turnaround and win the contest.

News elsewhere filtered through that Millwall’s hopes of taking the spot were dissipated when they lost to Burnley. There was then a nervous wait as the game finished before Blackburn’s match at Sheffield United, but confirmation eventually arrived that Rovers had failed to win away at Chris Wilder’s Blades, allowing for Bristol City to celebrate their play-off position.

Speaking after the game to BBC Radio Bristol, Manning voiced his delight at this players for getting the job done.

He said, “I have no idea how I am feeling, to be honest. Exhausted, stressed, happy, over the moon, proud – what an afternoon.

“We made real hard work of it but I spoke to the lads beforehand and there’s a lot made now about styles and philosophies, and we spoke about us to underpin everything with the culture we have got.”

Manning previously managed MK Dons between August 2021 and December 2022, having been appointed following Russell Martin’s departure. The job was his first as a senior manager in English football and he impressed, taking the Dons to third in League One and narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.

A more difficult second season followed, however, with Manning leaving MK Dons in December 2022 with the team stuck in the relegation zone.

After a spell at Oxford United, Manning moved to Bristol in November 2023, succeeding Nigel Pearson in charge of the Robins.

While the play-offs mark the end of Manning’s first season in Bristol, the campaign was one where Manning has said he very nearly left partway through after personal tragedy.

The 39-year-old was granted a leave of absence from the club in October and missed two games following the death of his young son Theo, who passed away less than a month after being born. The former West Ham and Ipswich coach has said he considered leaving his position in the wake of what happened before deciding to carry on.

In multiple interviews since, Manning has praised Bristol City’s players, management and supporters as well as the wider football world for their support and well-wishes to him and his family.

In an interview with Bristol Live before the Preston game, Manning praised his squad for being people he enjoyed working with.

He said, “It’s been the toughest year of my personal life for sure, hands down. But to the same point, I think probably one of the most rewarding professionally.

“I’ve spoken about it openly, in terms of the decision I nearly made post what happened, when it was the lads, the club and everything that made me come back ultimately.

“I think they’re a terrific group of human beings first and a top group of professionals. That’s probably been the most rewarding thing this year, seeing them come together in a tough time for them but just in terms of how they work every day.”