MK Dons boss Liam Manning lauded Ipswich Town after his side's 3-0 humbling at Portman Road yesterday - and said he wants the result to hurt his players.

Manning's men finished third in League One last season but, after a summer of upheaval which has seen them lose several key players including stars Scott Twine and Harry Darling, now sit bottom of the table, without a point or goal after three games.

He said: "We have to suck it up and move on, we can't dwell on it, but also make sure it hurts because you don't want it to happen like this again.

“We've got a few young lads who will need time, and they need to reflect, be honest with themselves, take responsibility, and it's our job to challenge them to improve and get better.

“We're in the early stages of a long journey. We have to be realistic - we're in a transition, a rebuild, we've got new players and some key ones missing through injury.

"That aside, our performance was not up to the levels required. The players are disappointed, everyone is, and we have to learn quickly ahead of Tuesday.

“Ipswich are a really strong side, they've got a level of consistency from last year but they've added well to it and I think they'll be there or thereabouts this season.

"But we're at a different stage and it won't be a smooth journey in getting to where we want to be. It's a tough one to take but we have to suck it up and learn from it, progress and don't repeat it.”