Milton Keynes Dons suffered defeat against Sunderland, but they showed plenty of bite and physicality throughout the match.
The Dons showed their opponents that they would not be pushed around and put in a number of physical tackles throughout the match, sometimes leading to some fiery tempers between both sets of players.
Despite having such a young squad, the team showed a willingness to get stuck in and battle for possession any which way possible, something that pleased new head coach Liam Manning.
Speaking of the physicality of the game, Manning commented: "Before the end of the game I have to say I liked the bite, I liked the fight. I liked the aggression, I want us to be a team that are difficult to play against."
"When you've got a group of young lads, what we don't want to do is get bullied at any point."
He added: "I thought there were some terrific tackles, some real bite, real aggression."
When playing such a physical game, there is the chance, and the worry, of injuries impacting the team but Manning suggested that his side came through the match fairly unscathed.
He concluded: "Everyone seems okay after the game, which is good news, so it's now making sure that we rest, we recover, we do what we can and what we can control to be ready for Tuesday."
