Sunderland face Man Utd at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup quarter final on Wednesday night
"We've had our ups and downs in it, if I'm honest," Fin Lynch says with a broad grin and more than a dash of understatement.
One half of Sunderland's U18 management team alongside Jordan Moore, Lynch is reflecting on the FA Youth Cup journey that tonight leads their side to Old Trafford and a quarter final against Manchester United. It is Sunderland's best run in the competition since Jordan Henderson's class of 2008 made the last four, but it has been far from plain sailing as Lynch explains.
"We played Nottingham Forest first and we won that game 3-0," he tells The Echo.
"The lads put in a fantastic performance from start to finish, we really controlled the game, and we were really pleased with that performance. Then we played West Brom in the next round, and we were very comfortable. We had a man sent off, and then they get back in, and then they score and we go into extra time. We score again in extra time, then they score late on in extra time, it goes to penalties and you're like, this could go either way. But even then we were quite confident who we had a goal, like we had Joe Cowan, who we know is a very good shot stopper, good at saving pens, so we were quite confident still going into that penalty shoot-out, and fortunately for us we did win that.
"And then we played Brighton in the next round, where again we knew it was going to be a very tough challenge. They're a very good team, good academy, produce good players, so we knew this would be a challenge for us but the lads put in another fantastic performance which we were really proud of.
"We went 1-0 up, then we got a man sent off, which we were like, oh, here we go again. But the lads dug really deep, and the character of hard work and showing a proper, solid performance of that industrious and being hard to beat just shone again in that round, and we won so we were really pleased. But the three games, being against three top oppositions, they haven't been easy games, but our lads have shown real good character to get through them games and show their quality and how hard it is to break down a good, solid team."
Now they face the ultimate test, away at the club who have more wins in this competition to their name than any other. Lynch laughs when it's put to him that 'no red cards' will presumably be a key part of his pre-match team talk. There will be nerves for the young Black Cats, but belief too.
Lynch says: "It's massive for us, we know there's a lot of obstacles to get over, but for our lads, we've had majority of these lads from the U9s right through the whole system, the whole academy, so they've seen players both getting opportunities to go and play at these stadium. For them to do it now is fantastic and they're really looking forward to it. So for us as coaches and players, we're just really looking forward to the challenge ahead, we know it's going to be tough, like Man Utd produced, look at the players they've produced over time, we know it's going to be a tough challenge for us, but we feel very confident going into the game that we have a very good opportunity to overcome it.
"It's going to be a little bit nervous for everyone - we know what Man Utd look like," he adds.
"Look at the players they've produced over the years and there's a lot of talk of individuals within that group right now who's performing really well and they are good players. But we have a lot of faith and trust in our players to manage that challenge against them individuals, which is going to be a good test. At the end of the day, this is all still about their learning and developing. It's a great opportunity to showcase how much they've learned and how much they've developed over the time with us, over this season in particular.
"So it's going to be a great test for our lads against them."
Frustration aside, the ability to deal with adversity is a source of immense pride for lynch and his coaching staff. As at first team level, there is a drive right across the club to ensure all teams first and foremost play with an intensity and effort that the club feels best reflects the city and fanbase. Lynch believes this U18 side embody in perfectly.
"Yeah, that is definitely something we bring but we do that right through the whole academy," he says.
"We want to make sure any team that come up against us, if it's an U9s team, an U10s team or an U12s team, they're going up against a Sunderland team. It's going to be hard work and it's going to be hard. So we've always had that within our philosophy of being hard working, industrious, like you know you're going to be in for a game when you play us.
"So no matter what the result is, when they leave here, they know they've been in for a good game against a Sunderland team. So that's something that we've always embedded right through the whole club.
"The majority of this group we're talking about have come through the academy and know what we're about, what we want from them, what they expect from them, and we've just got to make sure that continues, but they're a great group, they have a bit of everything, good physicality, good technical players, but the big thing what they'll do, they'll work hard for each other, they listen, they want to learn, they want to get better, and that's half of our battle for us, if they want to learn and develop and want to get better, it helps us so much if they just get better themselves. Like there's no egos in the group, they just want to get better and they want to keep working hard."
Finn Lynch's clear Sunderland pathway message after Premier League promotion
Sunderland's rapid progress has undoubtedly made the pathway to the first-team tougher for this generation of players than those who came before them in recent years.
Lynch remains adamant that opportunities remain, however, and that their experiences in the academy will stand them in good stead for a professional career either way. Many of tonight's side will have played the majority of the campaign above their age group in the U21s, reflecting the club's philosophy to push them at every opportunity.
Lynch explains: "Listen, I'll be honest, with us being in the Premier League, it is getting tougher but that's what Sunderland's about, we are about pathways, we are about individuals getting opportunities, and I do believe that still will be the case here. If you look at it right now, not just in 18-21, but from the younger groups, people won't realise, we keep challenging and pushing individuals to keep testing themselves.
"If you look at Finn [Geragusian] he was on the bench the other week, so the opportunities are still there. You have Jenson Jones, Harrison Jones, Chrissy Rigg still... There's still opportunities, it is tougher, but we just have to keep working hard and keep producing these players to get them ready for first-team football, and it's just when they get that opportunity, they've got to maximise it and take it, and I'm sure that will come for them individuals. It's the other side of the coin, if they don't make it at Sunderland, they can still have a very, very good career in football. The group of players that I just spoke about, if it doesn't come here, they will get somewhere else, just with how they perform and their characters, they are good footballers and someone will definitely take an opportunity on them. So, for us, we know if they're not ready for Sunderland, they'll be definitely ready for another club elsewhere."
Sunderland face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup quarter final on Wednesday, 18th March (KO 7pm). The game will be streamed live on The FA Cup YouTube account.
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