We Want To Go Far, Says Barradell
- City’s Under-18s face Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Youth Cup
- The fourth-round fixture will take place at Hillsborough Stadium
- The Foxes defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in extra-time of the last round
- The tournament provides a great opportunity to develop, states Barradell
On a cold night in Kidderminster, the Under-18s claimed passage to the fourth-round of the FA Youth Cup, with a 3-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Amani Richards and Ben Grist scored the crucial goals in extra-time at Aggborough Stadium, as the scores were left level after 90 minutes, following Jahmari Lindsay’s first half equaliser.
Three weeks later, the youngsters are back in action when they take on Wednesday at Hillsborough Stadium in the next round of the cup.
In the build-up to the match, coach Barradell shared his thoughts with LCFC.com: “It’s been an excellent break; we were off for a few days after the Wolves game then back in over Christmas.
“We’ve integrated the Under-16s into our training groups over the last couple of weeks, so the mood around the players and staff is positive, and we’re looking forward to it.
“We’re preparing like we would for any game really. Looking at the opposition, and our own strengths and weaknesses, so we’ll be fully prepared for the game.
“These FA Youth Cup games provide our lads with a great learning opportunity, so we’re hoping our run can continue when we face Sheffield Wednesday. It’ll be a great to play at Hillsborough and have that experience in a cup environment.”
Among the positives on a night of celebrations, there was one devastating fact that was brought to light shortly after the third-round win.
Creative midfielder Will Alves was forced off in the final stages of the game - only a day after making a First Team appearance in the Carabao Cup fourth round win against MK Dons, with what was later announced as a season-ending injury.
Barradell explained: “What happened at the end of the Wolves game was very disappointing for Will [Alves], to get an injury like that, but he’s a great character with a resilient mindset so I’m sure he’ll get through it and come back stronger.
“He’s had a lot of support from the Club, and he’ll remain around the group to keep him positive and I'm looking forward to his development, as we all know the potential he has.”
The first competitive fixture of the New Year for City, Barradell is looking forward to once again being in a competition which holds such importance for young players looking to develop towards the men’s game.
He added: “Youth cup nights are different from the league games, you see different traits in the players, and who can handle the pressure and intensity of it. It’s as close to a first team game that we can get so it’ll be full of great learning experiences.
“We’ll look to play our way and put our style of play onto Sheffield Wednesday and put in a positive performance, by dominating in and out of possession, which I believe we did against Wolves.
“We want to go as far as we can, like our previous experiences in the competition. We’ve reached the quarter-finals before and along those journeys, we’ve played at places like Old Trafford and Villa Park, so the further you get, the more advantages it has.
“Of course, you can have the prospect of winning a trophy, but the team develops more the further they go into the tournament, so that’s something we’re striving for.”
All times GMT.