Mark Jackson: MK Dons sack head coach after relegation to League Two

Mark Jackson's MK Dons could not claim the point they needed to stay up against Burton despite attempting 31 shots and accumulating 12 corners

MK Dons have sacked head coach Mark Jackson following the club's relegation to League Two.

Jackson's reign lasted less than five months, having been appointed as Liam Manning's successor in December 2022.

The 45-year-old left his position as Leeds United first-team coach to lead Dons' battle against relegation but registered just six wins in 25 games.

His assistant Robbie Stockdale has also left the club, who were relegated following Sunday's 0-0 draw at Burton.

Jackson, whose length of contract was not revealed when he joined the club, had said he wanted to remain as manager for next season immediately after that game.

However, a short Dons statement on Tuesday confirmed his departure, thanking Jackson, Stockdale and analyst Aaron Dagger, who is also leaving the club, "for their efforts during their time at Stadium MK".

Jackson unable to arrest Dons' slide

Jackson had spent more than seven years at Leeds - as manager of the academy, under-18s and under-23s - before being promoted to the first team set-up by Jesse Marsch in March 2022.

However, his first spell as a number one did not go to plan as he was unable to arrest the Dons' surprising slide.

MK finished third in League One in 2021-22, missing out on automatic promotion by one point and losing to Wycombe over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, but their downturn this season has been stark.

They sat 22nd in the table when Jackson took charge just before Christmas but he oversaw two wins over bottom side Forest Green Rovers in December and January to lift them out of the relegation places.

However, they then lost six of their next nine to drop back into the bottom four before three successive 1-0 wins against relegation rivals Cambridge, Accrington and Morecambe moved them back up to 19th.

But Jackson was unable to muster another win as Dons drew six of their final eight games - including surrendering a 4-1 lead to draw 4-4 with Barnsley - to go down by a point on the final day.

Jackson shouldn't carry can alone - analysis

BBC Three Counties Radio's Luke Ashmead

It's no real surprise to see Mark Jackson leave Milton Keynes Dons.

Many fans will talk about the summer recruitment as the real reason for failure this season and in part that's warranted. I'm not alone in asking just how a club can be on the brink of promotion to the Championship and then be relegated to League Two within a calendar year? All parties must take responsibility for that, Jackson included.

The former Leeds man had 25 games to turn things around and only managed six wins. Two of those were against Forest Green Rovers, who finished cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

He did manage three wins on the spin in March that raised hopes the corner was turned but finished the season without a win in the final eight games. I think Jackson himself would find it hard to fight his corner in these circumstances.

It is important though to make sure that Jackson alone doesn't carry the can for relegation. Sporting director Liam Sweeting and chairman Pete Winkelman have got a lot wrong this season and are just as much to blame as Jackson is. It would be hard for either of them to argue against that.