Karl Robinson on Manchestser United draw in English League Cup: We’re ecstatic, it’s a dream tie for us

Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking forward to a English League Cup second round tie with Port Vale after his young side progressed thanks to a 2-1 win over League One Coventry.

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Manager Karl Robinson was left revelling in a ‘dream’ tie as MK Dons were drawn to face Manchester United at home in the second round of the English League Cup.

United had not been in the second-round draw of the competition for 19 years after two decades of almost unprecedented success but found themselves in the hat after failing to qualify for European competition last season.

The Dons had gone through on Tuesday evening with a 3-1 victory over fierce rivals AFC Wimbledon and will now be looking to replicate York, who eliminated United in their last second-round appearance in 1995.

“We’re ecstatic, it’s a dream tie for us,” Robinson told mkdons.com. “After beating AFC Wimbledon last night, we are now going to be playing one of the greatest ever football teams at stadiummk, all in our anniversary season.”

In Wednesday night’s first-round ties, Cardiff overcame Coventry 2-1 while Sheffield United beat Mansfield by the same score.

The win for the United sets up an intriguing grudge match as they travel to Upton Park to face West Ham with the Carlos Tevez affair, which some at Bramall Lane blame for their relegation in 2007, still a sour subject in South Yorkshire.

Cardiff, meanwhile, will travel to face Port Vale.

Last season’s beaten finalists Sunderland will face the 2011 champions as they travel to Birmingham.

Gus Poyet’s men lost 3-1 to Manchester City in last season’s Wembley showpiece but will be confident of another cup run after last season’s dramatic escape from Barclays Premier League relegation and a summer of recruitment on Wearside.

League Two Burton, who created the upset of round one by beating Championship Wigan on Tuesday night, will face even higher opposition as they welcome QPR to the east midlands.

Fulham will make the short trip to face west London rivals Brentford while Aston Villa host League One Leyton Orient.

Stoke will be heavy favourites to beat League Two Portsmouth at the Britannia Stadium although Southampton face a potentially tougher prospect with a trip to face Millwall.

West Brom will welcome Oxford to the Hawthorns, Leicester play host to Shrewsbury and Burnley take on Sheffield Wednesday at Turf Moor.

Newcastle will face a long midweek trip as they travel to Kent to take on Gillingham while Crystal Palace head north to face off against Walsall and Swansea host Rotherham.

In the pick of the other ties, there will be a big Yorkshire derby at Valley Parade as Leeds make the short trip to face near-neighbours Bradford.

Huddersfield face Nottingham Forest in an all-Championship affair and Middlesbrough host Preston.

Watford will face Doncaster at Vicarage Road, Bournemouth will take on Northampton and Reading face a testing trip to Scunthorpe

Championship promotion favourites Derby take on Charlton, Brighton face a trip to Swindon, Bolton travel to Crewe and Norwich host Crawley.

The ties will be played on August 26 and 27.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delighted with youngerts at Cardiff City

Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking forward to a English League Cup second round tie with Port Vale after his young side progressed thanks to a 2-1 win over League One Coventry.

Goals from Guido Burgstaller and substitute Kadeem Harris gave the Championship side the victory before Shaun Miller netted a consolation for the Sky Blues.

Solskjaer made eight changes to give some of his squad players valuable minutes - and it took just four minutes for Burgstaller to net the opener as he finished unmarked inside the area.

The second came with 11 minutes to go when two substitutes combined and Mats Daehli’s whipped ball in was converted in at the back post by Harris via Ryan Haynes.

But City got back into it against the run of play three minutes later when substitute Miller turned in Haynes’ cross from close range.

And Solskjaer was pleased with how his squad players acquitted themselves - but admitted he is still in the market to improve his side.

The Norwegian said: “We gave some young players a chance and others a chance and I’m very pleased with their performance.

“I thought we dominated and controlled the game, and when you get the second you think it’s game over. But we stopped playing through them, and they got their reward with the next goal.

“At this point of the season, we need to give the players match-time, and at this moment everyone needs games. We could have taken some of the lads off earlier, but we didn’t have the game secure.

Draw for the second round of the English League Cup

Burton Albion v Queens Park Rangers

Port Vale v Cardiff City

Middlesbrough v Preston North End

Stoke City v Portsmouth

Huddersfield Town v Nottingham Forest

Swansea City v Rotherham United

Watford v Doncaster Rovers

Millwall v Southampton

Bournemouth v Northampton Town

Brentford v Fulham

West Bromwich Albion v Oxford United

Scunthorpe United v Reading

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