Liverpool begin the defence of their FA Youth Cup crown with a third round tie at Wycombe Wanderers tonight and Reds coach Hughie McAuley is predicting a tough test for his team.
The Reds Academy side have won the trophy two seasons on the bounce, and the fantastic win against Manchester United at Old Trafford last season will live long in the memory.
Following Steve Heighway's retirement, McAuley returned to the Academy during the summer and is in charge of the Under-18 side that hopes to do well in the competition again this term.
Wycombe earned the right to face Liverpool when they beat Dagenham and Redbridge 5-0 in the second round, in a game which saw their star striker George Daly net a hat-trick.
"The Youth Cup is a special competition and it gives the boys a chance to go a little bit more under the microscope against decent opposition," McAuley told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"Liverpool will always be the team to beat and for Wycombe this will be their game of the season.
"I saw their match against Dagenham and their two forwards were particularly lively and we will need to be on our toes against them.
"It will be a hard encounter and we will need to compete well and win our battles, and hopefully we can play our football and get a result. It's important we go there with the right attitude and start the game well."
With the exception of Swede Astrit Ajdarevic and Steven Irwin, who came on as a substitute in last season's final at Old Trafford, McAuley has a new team for this season's competition.
If Liverpool are to go far again this season in the Youth Cup then a lot will rest on the shoulders of Ajdarevic, who provides the team with the creativity, and the strike-force of 10-goal Nathan Eccleston, eight-goal Marvin Pourie and seven-goal David Amoo.
"Our side is basically made up of first year Academy players and this will be a new experience for them," added McAuley.
"Nathan is our top scorer and he could have had at least 15 goals so far. He is really focused in his training and he is working really hard.
"Off the field he has really matured into an excellent young man and hopefully in the next 12 months he can push on even further. He can score goals and create chances for others, and he knows the level he wants to be at and we are right behind him.
"Of course Astrit played in the team last season and he knows what this is all about. He is a player that can pass the ball 10 or 50 yards with great accuracy. He can also score goals and he is a very talented and skilful player with a lot to offer. On the day he can be a real match-winner for us.
"Our captain is Steven Irwin who is a local lad and a big part of the team. Stevie is Liverpool through and through. He goes to all of the first team games and is desperate to do well. He has a great attitude every day in training and in every match we play.
"He is so versatile and possibly his best position might be at right back. Stevie is the first name on our teamsheet every week.
"This is a good chance for us to have a look at the boys in one-off knock-out cup matches and see where they are in terms of progress. It will be a special night for them against Wycombe and we will enjoy it."
The match kicks-off at 7pm at Adams Park.
Logged
