Last week was typical for Stuart Murdoch – having to sell players, picking himself and his team off the floor and then watching his lads – and some of them are only lads – bravely pushing Birmingham all the way in the FA Cup.

"Yeah, Monday and Tuesday were among the lowest I’ve known – morale was rock bottom," he admits.

"On Thursday, we started to look forward to the cup-tie. By Friday everyone was buoyant and on Saturday the team gave a performance that proved this club can survive. I was proud of them and I’m feeling a lot more upbeat now."

Such is the topsy-turvy existence at Wimbledon FC. With the club in Administration, virtually all Wimbledon’s experienced players – including strikers Neil Shipperley and David Connolly – went in the summer.

The team moved to Milton Keynes but the wafer-thin squad predictably dropped to the bottom of the First Division. And then a new hammer blow in the transfer window; selling Nigel Reo-Coker, Patrick Agyemang and Adam Nowland while Manchester United picked up Lee Martin.

"We were told we would be out of Administration by now but I’ve heard so many promises I’ve decided not to believe any of them – I just get on with it," admits Murdoch.

"And then I take a young, inexperienced side who had lost their captain and another strong character to a Premiership side and they gave everything.

"We might not survive in the First Division this year but we might survive as a club. We have a real chance with that spirit from the team and the fans.

"Nobody has thrown the towel in. They have lifted my spirits, I was quite despondent but after watching them play like that, you can’t feel like that for long."

Make no mistake, Birmingham were lucky to beat The Dons 1-0 on Saturday, a Dons team that included several youngsters who are still eligible for the FA Youth Cup.

"We had an 18-year-old (Jamie Mackie) up front with his Dad (Dean Holdsworth)," smiles Murdoch.

"Did you know we’ve scored 22 goals this season and 16 of the goals were scored by players who have left the club. Another three were scored by someone lying on the treatment table with a cruciate injury.

"But we soldier on – it’s remarkable really.

"We can’t do anything about the situation. Sometimes I would like it to be done in another way and one day I might put it all down in a book.

"But this is Wimbledon, we are different to everyone else. Things don’t happen for us and I thought that when we hit the post at Birmingham!"

It is 16 years since Dennis Wise, John Fashanu, Vinny Jones and the Crazy Gang lifted the FA Cup against all odds. Plenty of water has passed under the bridge since then but some things haven’t changed, and Murdoch is determined to keep the Wimbledon fairytale going 60 miles up the M1.

"It’s all about coming out of Administration and surviving. I was heartened to see the fans that came up to St Andrews. I feel we have a chance and at Wimbledon that’s all we need."

Stuart Murdoch was talking to Joe Bernstein