Wood and McCormick prepared for QPR test
Wood's Swindon team is set to face their next challenge against Queens Park Rangers (Image: Andy Crook).
Swindon Town's under-18 manager, Sean Wood, along with captain Ant McCormick, recognize the tough challenge they face this evening, but they are ready to tackle it.
The Young Robins are heading to Loftus Road to take on Queens Park Rangers, vying for a spot in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup. Town aims to secure their place for the upcoming draw.
Wood mentioned that he and his team are aware of the challenges ahead, but they have appropriate strategies prepared to secure a positive outcome.
He mentioned, "They will be a tough opponent to face."
"We have an understanding of the current trends and styles, as well as some insight into the people we will be competing with."
“I believe this is yet another opportunity and a new challenge for us. It certainly means we'll be facing more formidable opponents. However, it's important that we concentrate on our strengths, how we intend to defend, and what we can achieve with our attacking players.”
First-team manager Ian Holloway mentioned that he wished he could have evaluated a few of the younger players during Tuesday's match against Wycombe Wanderers, but the upcoming game on Thursday affected that decision.
The manager of the under-18 team commended the seasoned coach and Marcus Bignot for their effective management of the situation.
He acknowledged, "It could have been quite simple for the young players to participate in the match on Tuesday evening. Our academy aims to get the players involved, but since it's an FA Youth Cup match, the situation is a bit different."
Fortunately, both the coach and Marcus [Bignot] have been very encouraging and helpful to us throughout this week.
"Sometimes, having players called up to the first team can create issues, as they obviously want to stay there permanently."
Captain McCormick thought back on the path they had traveled, celebrating their wins against Newport County and Gillingham.
He remarked, "Newport was obviously our opening match, and I scored an early goal. We played some solid football, particularly on such a beautiful pitch at Swindon."
The match against Gillingham was quite captivating. We took the lead with a score of 1-0, but unfortunately, we allowed an upsetting goal just before the halftime break.
"The red card changed the dynamics of the match significantly; we had never faced a team with just 10 players before, and then it dropped to nine."
Tonight's match takes place at Loftus Road, but the captain isn’t worried about playing in a different stadium. He’s uncertain about what to anticipate from the home team, but he might gather some useful information from a fellow player.
He mentioned, "While the condition of the playing field matters, I prefer to approach each game individually. I see every match as an equal opportunity."
"We're not sure what to anticipate, but Botan Ameen was released from QPR when he was younger, making this a significant match for him. All the guys really admire him, so the focus is on him."
