Are the nerves kicking in yet? Mine certainly are. I’ll have to be honest and say they’ve been there in some shape or form since Tuesday last week. The knot in my chest is already spreading to my stomach, and by Friday night I’m sure it’ll have increased ten fold. Do you know what? I wouldn’t swap it for the world. These are the games that everyone wants to be involved in; players, coaches and most importantly, fans. Whatever happens on Saturday, it will be an emotional one. To be honest, it wouldn’t be Sunderland AFC if it was anything else.
In terms of the game itself, my mind has wandered through every possible scenario already. Everything has been dissected multiple times with work colleagues, friends and family. I mentioned in my last piece that if you don’t turn up on the Wembley stage, no matter who the opponents are, you will lose. I don’t think there is any danger of that happening to this Sunderland side. They will be ready. They absolutely know what is at stake. They are all one game away from becoming Premier League players. As a professional footballer, that is something they’ll all dreamt of achieving.
This group that we have may well be a young side, but they never hide or throw in the towel. The likes of Anthony Patterson, Dennis Cirkin, Luke O’Nien and Patrick Roberts know exactly what it takes to win a play off final at Wembley. It will be these players, along with captain Dan Neil, that players and fans alike will look to for inspiration in terms of guidance and that little bit of added experience. Enzo Le Fee will also be hugely important. The diminutive Frenchman has the keys to unlock any defence in the Championship, and he looks to be finding some of his best form as we head to London. If Romaine Mundle makes it, even if we can unleash him from the bench, then what a huge bonus that could prove to be. This game though, is as tough an ask as they come. Sunderland will have to handle the magnitude of a Championship play off final.
There will undoubtedly be some key battles on the pitch. After his two colossal performances against Coventry, Dan Ballard simply has to start the game, and I’m certain he will relish the physical battle that Kieffer Moore will bring to the table. Keeping Gus Hamer quiet is also an unenviable task but it is one Sunderland must find an early solution to. Hamer has to be nullified as he has all the tools in his arsenal to cause us a lot of damage. I think the middle of the park will be where the game is won and lost though, and it will be interesting to see how Regis Le Bris sets his team up to play. Will he change our shape to add in an extra midfielder? Will Enzo Le Fee play centrally, with Eliezer Mayenda wide? Both of the league games were tight affairs and I fully expect something similar when that first whistle blows on Saturday.
The red and white army will be descending on London once again. The last visit to the capital where Sunderland gained promotion from League One will live long in the memory. If I look back at that game, the final whistle brought joy and jubilation, but also a sense of relief that our four years of third tier torture were over. No more EFL Trophy. No more entering the FA Cup at the first round stage, and ultimately losing. It was all over, and I absolutely don’t want to ever go back. I was brought up on stories of our then single season in the third division in 1987/88, and it was, probably somewhat arrogantly, something that I never thought that I would ever see. Sadly, when our fate was sealed, we stayed there for four seasons, which is why the Wycombe game was so seismic. It really was the start of the journey that has brought us to where we are today; one game away from returning to the Premier League. This game is one of the biggest there’s been in our modern history, and I for one can’t wait to see what unfolds.
I’ve been asked a few times this week how I see the game going. I very rarely put down a definitive opinion in terms of a result in writing, but I’ll have to for this one I think! If Sunderland can navigate the early parts of the game without any issues, and gain a foothold, I can see the tide swinging in our favour. Like I said, Sheffield United possess numerous threats of differing varieties, and we will have to nullify those and find solutions. I trust Regis Le Bris and the players to do just that. I think the game will be a tight one, but at the same time I can see goals for both teams. If I’m going to stick my neck out with an emphatic opinion in terms of the score, I’ll go 2-1 to Sunderland. There, I’ve said it. I think we will win on Saturday. It’s hard to comprehend what that will feel like, and also everything that comes with it, but, despite the palpitations and worsening nerves, I simply can’t wait to find out if I’m right. See you there.
