The City youngsters will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after the disappointment of last Saturday’s 1-0 Under 18 Premier League Cup quarter final loss to Spurs.
That was our first setback in almost three months, but Wilkinson says the incentive of reaching the last eight of the FA Youth Cup offers his players the perfect incentive with the game also being screened live on CITY and Recast.
And though we have done well in overcoming Blackburn 3-0 and Brighton 4-1 to reach this stage, he believes potential wise City have plenty more left in the tank.
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“I think there is more to come from us in the FA Youth Cup,” Wilkinson asserted.
“I felt against Blackburn in the third round that the performance wasn’t that great. There was a lot to improve on.
“It was an incredibly cold evening and there were large parts of our game that didn’t feel right.
“It was better against Brighton in the last round. We showed decent improvement but there were spells for 10 minutes in each half where Brighton got on top of us.
“So, for sure, if we have hopes of winning the competition, we know as a group we need to be a bit tighter in our performances and show a bit more intensity and consistency and less technical errors.
“That is something which we have got better in the last few league games, but we need to transfer that to the FA Youth Cup.”
Wilkinson is also expecting a stern challenge from Fleetwood who booked their place in the fifth round with a fine 3-0 win over Middlesbrough.
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It’s the furthest Fleetwood have gone in the FA Youth Cup and the City boss says he and his players know the scale of the challenge awaiting us.
“Fleetwood might have surprised a few by beating Middlesbrough but we are expecting a really difficult game,” Wilkinson warned.
“They will be so motivated to come and play against us at the Academy Stadium in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup.
“It will be a massive occasion for them, and we have to be ready to deal with that and play the game.
“We are looking forward to it, we are at home and it’s going to be another good occasion.
“It’s another chance for the players to test themselves and we are excited about the game.”
Should we be successful against Fleetwood, City have the incentive of another home draw in the quarter-finals.
The reward for victory on Tuesday night would be a home tie against either Leeds United or Oxford United with their fifth-round tie taking place on Wednesday evening.
All quarter final ties are due to be completed before March 4
Quarter final draw:
Luton Town /or Preston NE v Southampton or Fulham
Manchester City or Fleetwood v Oxford U or Leeds
Ipswich Town v West Ham United
Watford / Arsenal v Cambridge U / Sheff Wed
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