Reason to feel confident against Sunderland

[mackempaddy]

I think it’ll be a good game, but I do hope we show a bit more attacking intent than we did in the 2 legs against Coventry. I was there last night and it was a tough watch but obviously an amazing way to win the tie.

We looked much better when Mundle was on and Le Fee moved inside.

You are clearly the better team, as has been shown throughout the season with you finishing so far above us. Both of our games have been close encounters however, with injuries and referees affecting both.

 

[ormester]

Mickey gray was furious with Sunderland’s players saying it celebrations

 

[The Fox]

1. We're a better team
2. It's our time

 

[Jon P]

Just watched Lampards interview from last night. He’s right they completely dominated possession and wave after wave of attack but couldn’t find that final bit of quality. If Coventry gave them a game (and won in 90 btw!) then we can

 

[Jon P]

Nerves play a big part at Wembley, we’ve all seen that.

This time we have a handful of players who have all played at Wembley before

 

[kingy1889]

Part of me is pleased it's Sunderland — I’ve always had time for their support. I’ve been up there a few times and they’ve always been welcoming and a good laugh.


That said, part of me would have loved to have smashed Coventry.


Either way, I think this will be a great game — even if I carry a bit of baggage from past trips to Wembley

 

[ReeceofBDTBL]

I think it’ll be a good game, but I do hope we show a bit more attacking intent than we did in the 2 legs against Coventry. I was there last night and it was a tough watch but obviously an amazing way to win the tie.

We looked much better when Mundle was on and Le Fee moved inside.

You are clearly the better team, as has been shown throughout the season with you finishing so far above us. Both of our games have been close encounters however, with injuries and referees affecting both.

Both our league games with Bristol were close, a last minute winner in one and a draw in the other.

Obviously it’s a one off game but I think our ceiling is higher, which is usually THE crucial difference in a final

 

[ZoneManWilf]

I’ve always had time for their support. I’ve been up there a few times and they’ve always been welcoming and a good laugh.

Agreed, all the mackems I know are decent, proper fans.

My feelings towards some sets of fans after we've lost in the playoffs:

Palace - weird, the ones we saw back on the tube were hardly celebrating, whilst we were all devastated.
Sunderland - were great, applauded our support on the way out of SoL, fairly magnanimous and humble in victory.
Wolves - similar, were decent and just happy they had won, no goading from the ones we saw afterwards.
Huddersfield - same, were all decent afterwards, no piss taking
Burnley - absolute cunts
Forest - see Burnley

 

[Houston_Blade]

Just start Dean Windass and we’ll be fine.

 

[Sheffsteel]

I think it’ll be a good game, but I do hope we show a bit more attacking intent than we did in the 2 legs against Coventry. I was there last night and it was a tough watch but obviously an amazing way to win the tie.

We looked much better when Mundle was on and Le Fee moved inside.

You are clearly the better team, as has been shown throughout the season with you finishing so far above us. Both of our games have been close encounters however, with injuries and referees affecting both.

Agree…you were the home side so the attacking intent was poor, for much of the match it was Coventry that looked like the home side.
However maybe it was a deliberate tactic by Le Bris. When we recently played Coventry at Bramall Lane they looked a really good side in the centre circle.
We sat back and let them control midfield but they had zero threat, we didn’t attack as much but always looked dangerous, in the end it was a really easy win for us.
Coventry were all style but little substance, also think Bristol City were similar, very good at passing it around in the centre circle but too slow with zero threat.

We are at our best when teams attack us, our defence is good but a bit slow. Then we break and are good on the counter, with some high quality individuals.
However wouldn’t be surprised if Le Bris invites us to win midfield, so our central defenders push up to the half way line.
Then your tactics will be quick counter attacks using your quicker strikers against our slower defenders. That’s my concern.

Think 1st goal will be massive, this season we usually win when we score first and usually lose when we concede first.
Also this is a mental battle for our fans who will easily have negative flashbacks and go into a meltdown if we concede first. Remember in our 4 play-off finals we’ve yet to score a goal. So if we manager to score a single goal it will be historical and maybe the fans will start to believe it’s our year for a change.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Part of me is pleased it's Sunderland — I’ve always had time for their support. I’ve been up there a few times and they’ve always been welcoming and a good laugh.


That said, part of me would have loved to have smashed Coventry.


Either way, I think this will be a great game — even if I carry a bit of baggage from past trips to Wembley

Might sound negative but if we’re going to lose….you’d rather lose to Sunderland instead of Coventry, whose fans would be insufferable.

 

[loyalblade95]

The fact that it's us Vs Sunderland in the final, is probably the right fixture given how the season has gone.

We might have finished 14 points ahead of Sunderland, but weren't they something like 7/8 points in front of Coventry anyway, and they secured their playoff spot with a good few games to spare.

Up until February when they lost to Leeds, they were still in the race for top 2, came up short but never dropped below 4th, even when they were losing constantly.

 

[MBH]

Just watched Lampards interview from last night. He’s right they completely dominated possession and wave after wave of attack but couldn’t find that final bit of quality. If Coventry gave them a game (and won in 90 btw!) then we can

Everyone does realise what Sunderland's game plan was? We played defensively, sat back - as we did against Sheffield United earlier in the season at home and didn't give two monkeys about possession. They had 75% possession in both games and lost the tie. Sunderland aren't interested in possession - something that seems to have passed Lampard by. Possession nor wave after wave of attacks wins you games. Goals do. We scored more of them over two games.

We may well do the same at Wembley.

sit back - defend - and catch the opposition on the break - a footballing tactic as old as the hills.

It's a bit like saying that you picked an orange lollipop out of a jar full of orange lollipops - well yeah - obviously.

 

[Isar]

Everyone does realise what Sunderland's game plan was? We played defensively, sat back - as we did against Sheffield United earlier in the season at home and didn't give two monkeys about possession. They had 75% possession in both games and lost the tie. Sunderland aren't interested in possession - something that seems to have passed Lampard by. Possession nor wave after wave of attacks wins you games. Goals do. We scored more of them over two games.

We may well do the same at Wembley.

sit back - defend - and catch the opposition on the break - a footballing tactic as old as the hills.

It's a bit like saying that you picked an orange lollipop out of a jar full of orange lollipops - well yeah - obviously.

The difference is, Coventry struggled to create many openings, I think we will do better.

 

[MBH]

The difference is, Coventry struggled to create many openings, I think we will do better.

Yes that's the million dollar question. given that coventry had the most headed goals and it made no difference there is an obvious question to ask of whether playing the ball on the floor would work better?

wilder clearly goes into the game knowing what tactic we might play and given we've played it twice v Coventry and once v Sheffield United (and other times BTW this season - sometimes it wasn't pretty viewing mind you) its clear that against the better teams Le Bris thinks that this tactic works best.

SU are miles better than Coventry though and wilder is a better coach than say Lampard; so who knows what we are in for here. Sunderland might get completely found out.

 

[Corkblade]

I’ve seen it mentioned a few times by Sunderland and United fans that the league games during the season were both close affairs…..with Sunderland causing us problems.
However the last match that was played 1st Jan was at a time we had horrendous injuries and it was before the January transfer window.
Also let’s not forget, our main man Harry Souter had just got injured, so our defence was just finding it’s feet trying to deal with the massive loss of Souter.

Take a look at the team that played up at the Stadium of Light

Cooper
Gilchrist - Ahmedhodzic - Robinson - McCallum
Peck - Davies
O’Hare- Brewster - Hamer
Moore

But take a look at how incredibly weak the subs bench was for that match
Norrington-Davies, Baptiste, Burrows, Brooks, Boyes, Blacker, One, Marsh.

Even with that weak team we had 66% possession up at their ground, more shots, more corners and their winner came from a freak defensive mistake.
Agree, altho Sunderland didn’t attack much, they did look dangerous with their quick counter attacks but we’ll be better prepared for that.

Now we will have Holding, Burrows, Sereki, Choudhury, Vini Souza, Rak Sakyi, Cannon and Campbell available.
Our subs bench was filled with several Academy players in the league match where as now it will be filled with top end Championship level players.

I’m sure Wilder will know this but I reckon the subs bench will be key
It will be demoralising for Sunderland knowing we will be able to bring on the likes of Sereki, O’Hare, Tom Davies, Brewster, Rak Sakyi, Holding and Cannon from the bench. These are all players who would easily make the 1st 11 of almost every other Championship club.

It’s the later stages of the match and maybe in extra time where we will have a massive advantage…where Sunderland simply can’t compete.

This all day long, for the first time this season we have all the player's available, we had Femi and bbd sitting in the stand the other night as we didn't need them,our subs bench could well be the difference in the final.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

1. Chris fucking Wilder. He's dialled in. A focused Wilder is a dangerous beast.

 

[Frank the tank]

Everyone does realise what Sunderland's game plan was? We played defensively, sat back - as we did against Sheffield United earlier in the season at home and didn't give two monkeys about possession. They had 75% possession in both games and lost the tie. Sunderland aren't interested in possession - something that seems to have passed Lampard by. Possession nor wave after wave of attacks wins you games. Goals do. We scored more of them over two games.

We may well do the same at Wembley.

sit back - defend - and catch the opposition on the break - a footballing tactic as old as the hills.

It's a bit like saying that you picked an orange lollipop out of a jar full of orange lollipops - well yeah - obviously.

Hadji wright missed a free header to end your season
Completely unmarked with the goal gaping

If it was your tactic to.sit back and defend you were fucking lucky

 

[Fernandopartridge]

Just watched Lampards interview from last night. He’s right they completely dominated possession and wave after wave of attack but couldn’t find that final bit of quality. If Coventry gave them a game (and won in 90 btw!) then we can

That bit of extra craft from Hamer or O'Hare, and a physical presence from Campbell or Moore will make a difference for you. Hamer scored in his last play off final appearance.

 

[wak1889]

It's not being played on Monday the 26th May so that's a positive we have lost to palace Burnley and wolves on monday May 26th, for the record Huddersfield was Saturday 25th

 

[PaddysMad]

If we don’t win it will never win one imo at what point does it become something more above than just losing them

 

[wak1889]

If we don’t win it will never win one imo at what point does it become something more above than just losing them

I agree and I think it will be similar with PSG in champions league if they don't win this one