Chelsea, who are unbeaten in all competitions this season so far, will pose a huge challenge on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-final.
Despite this, Smerud insists that his team must focus on themselves.
“Chelsea are a great side, and they’re huge favourites. But football is unpredictable. We can’t control everything, but we can control our approach, and I don’t want us to play with fear. We have to fight,” he said.
Smerud also addressed the mental challenges facing his squad. “It’s been a tough season. When you lose a lot of games, fear can creep in.
"I’ve told the players, let’s stop thinking about surviving and start thinking about fighting instead.
"The big challenge that I love with being a coach and a leader is that you actually need to know how to do it.
"It's one thing to write about it and talk about it, but you have to do it in action. That's what I find really inspiring and challenging, trying to affect it, to make a change and make a difference."