James Collins is bracing his under-21s side for the challenge ahead of them this weekend, as they face Chelsea in the Premier League 2 play-off.
The West Londoners finished ten points better off than the Old Gold in the regular season, meaning they play host at Kingsmeadow on Saturday evening.
Head coach Collins has fielded a youthful side at times this season, and they come up against a team they’re yet to face this term, but he is excited to see how they handle a tough test on Saturday.
On facing Chelsea on the weekend
“It’s obviously a tough game. We play in a 26-team league, and you have to make the top 16 to play in the play-offs at the end of the season. Then top play 16th, second play 15th etc.
“Chelsea finished 3rd in the league and, as you’d expect, they’re one of the top academies in the country, so we know the challenge is going to be tough. But we’re excited by it, that’s our challenge at the start of the season within the group, can we make that top 16 with what we knew was a young group?
“The boys have risen to that challenge and made it. Now, we've got to try and enjoy it and see if we can extend the season a little bit longer.”
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One the preparation process
“We prepare how we would prepare for any game. We watch the opponent, we analyse what their strengths and weaknesses are, and they’ve got plenty of both.
“They’re a strong team, they keep possession well, they threaten in behind a lot, and we will come up with a plan for how we’ll counteract that. We think we’ve got a fighting chance. We’re going to give it a real good go, we’re going to try to implement our game onto them but also be resolute and defend well.”
On working with a young squad
“It’s been well documented that we’re young this year. That’s something the club has decided to do, and that gives our players a challenge that stretches them and tests them. That comes with ups and downs, and we’ve had ups and downs with the group. We’ve had some successful results, but we’ve also had some results that have gone against us where we think we could have done better, and that’s what you get with very young players.
“We have to be aware of that. What we do feel is that the experiences that they get in these sorts of games at this young age can only help and benefit them for their future careers.
“Hopefully, it means they learn quicker, adapt faster, and are ready for whatever that next challenge is, whether that’s first-team training, first-team games, or a loan opportunity that comes maybe a little bit earlier than they may have done.”
