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“Busy day of sport today, including the footie obviously,” writes Jeremy Boyce. “I will be trying to ‘Man Who Fell To Earth’ navigate my way through the entertainment on various devices, as I don’t actually possess a wall of TVs.
“Starting with that BIG day out at Wemberleee for two clubs whose history goes back over 120 years, to the late 19th century when that there footie started to get itself properly organised. Six league titles (Sunderland) and four FA Cups (Sheff U) sounds like a decent haul, but they have both been living on thin rations for far too long: Sunderland’s FA Cup in 1973 is the only major trophy for either side in almost 100 years. Which means today’s outcome is the only prize either of them have a realistic chance of winning in possibly the next hundred too.
“It’s amazing that so much can ride on finishing third, but that’s modern footie for you. What on earth would Tom Watson and JB Wostinholm make of it all?”
Louise Taylor’s preview
For far too long playoffs have felt impossibly high altitude for a Sheffield United side who have never won promotion this way, losing four finals. Wilder has addressed theproblem by reminding his players that the Wembley air is really not all that thin and maintaining that history is bunk.
His hopes of avoiding another demoralising repetition of the past should be enhanced by Gustavo Hamer’s presence. Two years ago the Brazil-born attacking midfielder scored for Coventry against Luton at Wembley and, as the Championship player of the season, he possesses the confidence and class to alter the Blades’ playoff story.
What’s trigonometry got to do with it?
Louise Taylor answers that question, and four others, in her Pass Notes-style piece on Sunderland.
During Le Bris’s teenage years in the western Breton village of Pont-l’Abbé, he devoted his spare time to completing an in-depth analysis of Arsène Wenger’s tactics as Monaco’s manager. As an adult, he spent holidays touring clubs across Spain and England – Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton and Leeds included – to watch their coaches. “He’s not someone who shouts at you,” the Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor says, “but he makes you understand things really, really thoroughly.” The winger Patrick Roberts agrees. “He’s efficient,” he says. “He’s brought us new ideas and he’s capable of changing our play depending on the opponent. He’s modern.”
Regis Le Bris speaks to Sky Sports
[On his team selection] We have a full squad, probably for the first time this season, so we have multiple options at the start and then from the bench.
I think the players are ready and I hope we’ll have the best version of Sunderland because we deserve to play our best football here today. We’ll see.
From the archive
Chris Wilder talks to Sky Sports
Yeah, we’re ready. I’ve been delighted with everything – the preparation, the detail, the focus of the players. They’re excited, of course, but you’ve got to control your emotions. And we come to win.
I’ve known [the XI] for quite a while. The other players have given me some big issues, even in terms of filling the bench. I think it will be a day where substitutes will have to make an impact.
Team news
Both managers make two changes from the semi-final second leg. Sheffield United bring in Rhian Brewster, so impressive in the first leg against Bristol City, and Tyrese Campbell in place of Andre Brooks and Tom Cannon.
Chris Rigg, 17, and Romaine Mundle start for Sunderland instead of Wilson Isidor and Patrick Roberts.
Sheffield United (4-4-2) Cooper; Choudhury, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Brewster, Peck, Vinicius Souza, Hamer; Moore, Campbell.
Substitutes: A Davies, McCallum, Holding, O’Hare, Brereton Diaz,
T Davies, Cannon, Brooks, Seriki.
Sunderland (4-2-3-1) Patterson; Hume, Ballard, O’Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham; Rigg, Le Fee, Mundle; Mayenda.
Substitutes: Moore, Browne, Roberts, Isidor, Abdul Samed, Mepham, Hjelde, Watson, Jones.
Referee Chris Kavanagh.
The kick-off time of 3.01pm is a nod to the Every Minute Matters campaign, which encourages people to leave CPR and potentially save somebody’s life.
Sheffield United have yo-yoed between the Premier League and the Championship in recent years. It’s been eight years since Sunderland last played in the Premier League, the longest spell outside the top flight in their history.
Scott Murray is such a brilliant writer that he could make traffic entertaining. Here he is on the origin story of the playoffs, and it starts way before 1987.
The problem inherent in this scheme revealed itself during the 1898 Tests, and in some style. The play-off mini-league saw First Division failures Blackburn Rovers and Stoke take on the upwardly mobile Second Division pair of Burnley and Newcastle United. The first Tests panned out in such a manner that when Burnley and Stoke met in their final fixture, they knew that a draw would promote Burnley while also maintaining Stoke’s first-tier status. And there wouldn’t a single thing Blackburn or Newcastle could do about it. Goalless pact ahoy!
Preamble
Hello and welcome to one of the biggest games in the English football calendar: the Championship playoff final at Wembley. Sheffield United and Sunderland will meet to decide which team gets the Premier League Experience next season.
The good news for both teams is that somebody has to win. The two clubs have dreadful playoff records: Sheffield United have never been promoted in nine attempts, Sunderland only twice in seven – and one of those came after defeat in the 1990 final to Swindon, who were subsequently demoted because of financial irregularities.
Sheffield United start as favourites, having finished 14 points ahead of Sunderland in the regular season, but that’s rarely worth a damn in this fixture. May the best team win!
Kick off 3.01pm.
PS It’s worth over £200m to the winners. And that’s the first and last use of the pound sign today, because we’re sick to the back teeth of glory being quantified.
