AFC Wimbledon academy manager Jeremy Sauer rates FA Youth Cup holders Chelsea as the best young team in Europe, but still feels his own talented crop can spring a surprise in their fifth round tie.
Chelsea head to Kingsmeadow, a venue set to become their home away from home with the west London club's youth team and all-conquering Women’s Super League team to play there once Wimbledon relocate to Plough Lane.
The Blues go into the tie as strong favourites, but having put Newcastle United out of the competition in the fourth round thanks to a dramatic late winner from Alfie Egan, Sauer is quietly confident.
AFC Wimbledon v Chelsea
FA Youth Cup
Fifth Round
7.05pm, Tuesday 9 February
Cherry Red Records Stadium
by Sam Tobin
Sauer said: “We dominated the Watford game [in the third round] and the Newcastle game, we thought.
“We had the better chances all round, so there’s definitely a lot of belief in what we do and how we do it, so we’ve decided we’re going to be brave.
“We’re not going to just sit back against Chelsea, we’re going to have to try to play to our own strengths a little bit as well.
“I wouldn’t have minded a slightly easier game along the way, two away games against Premier League teams and then one at home against the best in Europe has been tough.”
The underdog spirit is deep-rooted in the recent history of the Dons. And Sauer feels that could play into his young charges’ hands.
He added: “These boys have been with us since they’ve been eight, nine, 10 years old and we’ve always played the underdog card.
“When they were back at those age groups, we used to be non-League, we used to be in local leagues at youth level, so when we used to play academies then, obviously, we were still the underdog.
“So they’ve grown up used to that attitude and approach.”
Ultimately though Sauer is more concerned with the quality of the performance than the final result and wants his players to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Sauer said: “From the players’ point of view, it’s a great showcase for them.
“Their bigger picture is to try to earn pro contracts, trying to show the first-team manager and everyone else that will be down here that they’ve got what it takes.
“Rather than say we’re going to go gung-ho, we’re going to be intelligent about it and make sure there’s no regrets at the end of the night.
“We don’t want to come away from it having regrets that we didn‘t give it a go.
“And even if there are just two or three moments during the game that the fans get excited about then they leave happy and proud of the boys and that’s a success in itself.”
