Underdogs: AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson explains the process behind an overhaul that took the club from relegation to promotion
I began to think we could pull off something extraordinary when we received the results on the final day to guarantee
a postseason berth.
For the majority of the 2024–2025 season, we were in the top three at various points and in the vicinity of the
League Two playoffs. There was a growing expectation that we should at least qualify for the playoffs. That’s how we
all felt, and the supporters did too.
However, since we hadn’t won in our last four games, the pressure was mounting coming into the final match. We
were aware that we would be eliminated from the playoffs if we failed to obtain a result against Grimsby and other
circumstances went against us.
I sensed the guys were under increasing pressure. Fear was beginning to seep in, and they were beginning to toy with
themselves. We sought to relieve the pressure since it was crucial that we overcome that.
I asked those who had been there and done it—people I trust in the game—what they thought. My employees
followed suit. After that, we got together and asked, “How can we bring out the best in these guys?”
We stripped back a lot of the tactical detail we were giving them. Perhaps at times we had been overloading them, so
we tried to make it more fun. More five-a-sides, more finishing drills – the stuff players really enjoy. We dealt with
shape and tactical sessions a couple of days before, but tried not to get them focusing on the game too early in the
week.
Quizzes and some cash awards were part of our fun and competitive activities. We were able to enjoy one other’s
company because of small things like that. We were aware that we would have a couple more weeks of the season if
we won at Grimsby. I hoped they would like it.
Three years prior, at the age of 39, I had taken over at Wimbledon and had already seen the hard realities of
managing. After my playing career ended at Charlton in 2018, I transitioned into coaching, first as a first-team
coach, then as a player assistant-manager, and finally, on an interim basis, as manager. I was given the full-time
position after a few successful outcomes.
the Wimbledon chairman, asking if I’d be interested in meeting to discuss the manager’s role. It was well-timed,
because I was disappointed that I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to see it through at Charlton and wanted the
next opportunity to come quickly. I was excited to go and meet him, and delighted to be named Wimbledon manager
two weeks later.
Given Wimbledon’s history and the newly constructed stadium, it was a fantastic chance to get right back in.
However, I knew there would be difficulties because they had recently been demoted from League One. They finished
the season without a victory in 27 games after going through an extremely tough stretch.
While there were undoubtedly many issues on the pitch, there were also issues that needed to be resolved off-field.
For instance, no effective recruitment tactics were in place. I was aware that there would be some hardship along the
way and that it would take a long time to resolve.
Sure enough, the first season proved really difficult. It took us three or four windows to really start changing the
squad around. The opportunity to get straight back to working with players was one that I relished, though. One of
the attractions was that the chairman allowed me to manage the way that I wanted, overseeing everything.
I inherited a young squad and felt that one of the reasons they were relegated was a lack of experience. So we brought
in players like Alex Pearce, who’d been there and done it. He was a steadying influence at that time. Then there was
Harry Pell, who played for the club before and was keen to come back. It was about trying to get a more balanced
squad – not too many older players who couldn’t run so much, but not a team full of kids without the experience to
weather difficult moments.
That first season started pretty well. We were getting some good results, playing good football. At the end of
December we were two points off the playoff places, but lost key players for long periods – including Pell and Pearce.
The squad was thin and it became difficult through the winter. We were competing in every game without picking up
wins – losing by the odd goal or drawing. We started falling away, and at one stage we were half looking over our
shoulder, wondering what the outcome might be.
Football is a results business, so naturally I came under a lot of pressure. You certainly find out more about yourself
when you are being beaten and getting stick. During that period, as a staff we had to dig in and be resilient, believing
in what we were doing. If you want to be a football manager with any longevity, you need resilience.
For me, those were pivotal occasions because things could have turned out differently. People become anxious and
impatient; you would lose your job at many football clubs. However, there were some factors surrounding the
results, such as injuries and off-field events. The club’s decision-makers saw that I was essentially operating with one
arm tied behind my back. They truly helped me get through my first season when I needed it.
I was always honest with the players. They were attempting to carry out our wishes, although they might not have
been able to. It was crucial that I supported them during those times and didn’t leave them hanging. I kept
everything I said to them inside. It was crucial that I maintained a brave front when I interacted with the media, even
if sometimes you wind up becoming the fall guy.
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