Sunderland AFC play Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final this weekend, to determine who will be playing Premier League football next season.
Both teams have had a tough few years for several reasons: Sunderland for their fall to League One and subsequent resurgence, and Sheffield United for their inability to stay up in the top division.
The Blades will also go into this game with an unwanted record, having not won a single play-off in their nine attempts, and it being over 100 years since their last win at Wembley Stadium.
Following their back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One in 2016/17 and 2017/18, the Black Cats haven’t been back in the top flight since.
Former defender Wes Brown, who spent five years at the Stadium of Light between 2011 and 2016, knows all too well how chaotic the club’s past was.
“I think the problem we had over the five years I was there is simple: we had seven different managers. That’s over a manager a season,” Brown said on behalf of Best Betting Sites.
“Those managers, they will all want to bring their own players in, they will want to bring their own staff in, and it didn’t quite work.”
Strategy & Continuity
In contrast, this Sunderland side has benefited from a clearer strategy and greater continuity.
Regis Le Bris has been allowed to sign his own players, many of whom have been talented youngsters, and he seems to have the backing of the board.
“But this season’s gone really well up until now and I’m hoping, especially when they look back to where they’ve been, they’ve just got that little bit of edge now going into the final,” Brown added.
That edge will be necessary against a battle-hardened Sheffield United side, recently relegated but carrying experience from the top flight.
With all three newly promoted teams going straight back down this season, clearly there is a gap between the two leagues.
Brown spoke about what Sunderland needs to do if they were to be promoted.
“Yes, they should bring in a few experienced guys, but I think it would be good if that was done carefully, and only in the right places,” he said.
“I think especially if you’ve got some of these players contracted over two or three years, I think you can work with that.”
Reinforcements
The Black Cats won’t be able to outspend many in the top tier. But as Brown pointed out, teams like Ipswich Town have shown how difficult it can be without reinforcements. “In the Premier League, it just didn’t quite work out.
“If you don’t bring in the extra reinforcements, it’s very hard to compete with the top teams.”
That said, Sunderland’s identity this season has been forged through its young core and tearing that up for older Premier League veterans could be equally risky.
For the fans, the final is not just about league status. It’s about pride, identity, and a return to where many feel the club belongs.
Belong
Brown gets that, even if some might scoff at the idea of any club “belonging” in the Premier League.
“Sunderland are a club that have the history. The club and the fans definitely earned the right to feel like they deserve to be there. I completely understand that.
“And it’s not just a case of it being just an opinion of theirs. It’s a state of mind. It’s the belief that is driving them forward from where they once were.
“Believe me, Sunderland is football, and that’s it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you go into the local shop, it doesn’t matter if you go to a restaurant. The whole place is just focused on football.”
Both teams’ seasons now come down to one game, the former defender gave his view on what he believes are the key factors in deciding who will come out victorious on the day.
“I’ve been in many finals and obviously won a lot, but I’ve lost a fair few as well,” said Brown.
“Tiredness doesn’t come into it. The adrenaline will be so high, and it’s all about remembering how you got there in the season, all the difficult times, all the good times, and you must try and focus your mind on playing well for this one game to do the entire season justice.”
Editorial Credit to Best Betting Sites – Check out their article HERE
By Charlie Elliott
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