Liam Manning lifts lid on managerial progression with Bristol City ahead of Oxford United return

Liam Manning will face his former side Oxford United this weekend as they make the trip to face Bristol City

Liam Manning has revealed he has adapted to life in the Championship and believes he has learned a lot as a coach following his step up from League One last year.

The Bristol City boss will come up against his former side Oxford United this weekend as Des Buckingham’s side make the short trip to BS3 looking to continue their solid start to the campaign. The Championship contest will represent the first encounter between the City head coach and the U’s since he switched the Kassam Stadium for Ashton Gate in November 2023.

He departed the Oxfordshire outfit after just 29 games in charge, with his side also sat second in League One just three points behind leaders Portsmouth. Yet he opted for a Championship project after he was the man chosen to replace Nigel Pearson at Ashton Gate following his sacking 10-days prior.

The switch represented Manning’s first managerial spell in charge of a second-tier outfit after spells with Oxford United and MK Dons. He impressed in the first seven months of his time at BS3 - leading City to a 12th-placed finish after a run of just two defeats in their final 10 contests.

Now in his first full season in the hot seat, Manning revealed he has adapted to life in the Championship and is getting better as a coach as he prepares to face his former side this weekend.

When asked by Bristol Live whether he has improved as a coach since his time in the Championship, he said: “It’s one I've spent a bit of time on over the summer thinking over. I do think there is a jump up from League One to the Championship in terms of the level of players, style of games, level of games and I do think the margins are a lot finer in the Championship.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot. When you look at the size of this club, I think it’s been good for me in terms of other areas behind the scenes that are different to League One as well. I’ve definitely learned bundles and am continually progressing.

“I’m the hardest person on myself because I want to be successful and I want to do it here. All my energy daily is going into everything I can to make sure me, the staff and the players do that.

“If you experience times of highs and lows, working with different players, different cultures, new staff and different people and especially how we are as a group of staff reflect on everything and it’s about improving, getting better, it’s about learning from mistakes, learning from things you do well and you can’t not improve.

“It’s hard to nail down exactly what because sometimes improvement is immeasurable but I feel I am getting better.”

Despite the U’s losing Manning in November, replacement Buckingham guided his side to play-off victory over Bolton. After an impressive start to life for the Championship new-boys, United sit seventh in the standings after the opening five games of the campaign to date and travel to Ashton Gate off the back of a 1-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday.