Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Sheffield United – Championship Play-off Final - Saturday 24th May 2025 - KO 15:00

Aye bench and introduced earlier I think. Maybe 60 onwards. He can do a lot of damage in that final 30.

 

Let's hope we're still in the game at that point. Not to be negative, but my heart will sink if I see the line up and it's Le Fee on the left again. We need impact players on the pitch in their right positions as well as options off the bench.
Wont be a popular option, but I'd be tempted to play Watson if Mundle cannot start. Get Le Fee in behind Isidor and use Mundle and Mayenda as options in the last 20-30

 

Not announced yet - but it's usually Thursday, or Friday for a home game.

 

He did an interview but presser I assume will be tomorrow

 

I've noticed press conferences for Saturday games are usually Thursday if we've had no midweek game, or Friday if we have had one. So it will probably be tomorrow.

 

I think it's Thursday when we're away and Friday at home.

Pretty sure the presser is Thursday

 

You sure that's not @rooch 3

(just kidding btw totally get it)

 

I honestly do understand this point of view, and we have several fans in here who share it. I don't agree with it, not one bit, but I get it.

Promotion for me first and foremost secures us financially for a longer period, assuming the club don't go out and spend £200m on players, which I'm very confident with this ownership that we won't.

Secondly for me you have to be able to dream that we CAN stay up and we can stay up in style. We are more than capable of doing it and finishing midtable first season with the right shrewd signings.

Thirdly I kinda perversely enjoy being the underdog in games. Every game we'll go into it as underdogs. It will make the defeats hurt less than they do now (albeit there will be more of them), but it will make every win that much sweeter (albeit there'll be less of them).

Fourthly (is that even a word?!) - the increased media coverage of the club on a national and international level will make being a fan outside of matchday more enjoyable.

So I get not wanting to go up, I really do. I just think the potential benefits far outweigh the potential negatives.

 

Agree with all of this.However, most of us want to see our team playing attractive,attacking,winning football and we are very unlikely to see that in the PL next season.....if we do win on Saturday. There have been plenty of occasions in the last 10 or 12 years or so, where watching us was mostly misery. Although,as I say,I agree wholeheartedly with you,I can sympathise with those who aren't keen on us getting promoted at this stage in our progression under KLD. There is a worry about our past history of signing expensive players to try to compete,only to be let down,and placed in a financial stranglehold. One caveat I do have to that is that I have much more confidence in our current recruitment than I ever have had in the past,and I don't think we'll make the same mistakes.

 

Agree with all of this

 

For, probably, the first time ever I believe the club will already be planning for both scenarios next season.

In the past we've gone up and it's been a mad scramble to put a side together, sometimes that works but it's rare.

I won't be devastated if we lose on Saturday and hopeful we can have a better season, next time, with less key injuries and more experience.

 

Romaine Mundle on Sunderland season and Wembley play-off final



https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...dle-sunderland-season-wembley-play-off-final/

ROMAINE Mundle is happy to admit his Sunderland season started with nerves. Come the end of the campaign, there was excitement. Prior to this season, Mundle had only made five Championship starts in his career and yet was suddenly tasked with replacing one of the most explosive and exciting players in the second tier after Jack Clarke left Sunderland for Ipswich.

"A fantastic player like Jack, stepping into shoes like that you obviously feel a bit nervous," says the winger. "But I just told myself to play my game and the rest would take care of itself."

He wasn't wrong. Mundle was one of Sunderland's shining lights as Regis Le Bris' side burst out of the blocks at the start of the season, though his campaign has been heavily disrupted by two injury setbacks.

He returned from the bench in extra-time against Coventry but it has since emerged he was forced to miss some training in the days that followed. Mundle will be desperately hoping he's fit enough to be involved at Wembley, where he once sat in the stands and watched Lionel Messi dazzle on the pitch below.

"It will be a special moment for me. It's a dream for any player, whether you grow up in London or not. It's definitely a big dream of mine and hopefully it will come true on Saturday.
"I've been there for a couple of games. Spurs played there when they were building the new stadium, so I was there when they played Barcelona and Messi was playing. That was an unbelievable night."

It was seven years ago and a Messi masterclass, two goals from the Argentinian in a 4-2 Barcelona win in the Champions League. On Saturday, it's about a place in the Premier League and while Mundle has only been a Sunderland player for 18 months or so, he very quickly realised that it's a club that would be at home in the top flight. Mundle's home growing up was in the capital and all of his loved ones will be in attendance on Saturday.

He said: "Family means everything to me, having them there for that second leg to see all that unfold...I can't imagine them watching me at Wembley. I'm very grateful for all the people around me. To win would mean everything, especially after the season with the injuries and everything, But mainly just for the club really, it's a massive club that deserves to be in the Premier League. The fans deserve it, they travel a lot over the season and you can see how much it means to them. The fans and the club are tightknit, it's almost like a family club. I just hope we can repay them."

This has been an up and down season for Mundle, who has dazzled at times but has been limited to just four Championship starts since mid-September because of two serious hamstring injuries. Mundle will now be closely assessed in the days leading up to Saturday but will desperately hoping he can play some part.

"It was my first proper injury really," he says of his September setback. "It was tough but I had a lot of support from the people around me and the club, so went quickly. I was just grateful for the support network that I had around me. It was something I had to come to terms with, do everything I could to get back. I was with Browney [Alan Browne] every day of my rehab. These things happen but it was good to have him with me, he was experienced and helped me get through that."

After coming off the bench against Coventry in the semi-final second leg last week, Mundle was braced and prepared for penalties - and was ready to take one. Back in March, the winger wanted to take the spot-kick Sunderland won late in the home victory over Millwall and let his frustrations show when Luke O'Nien took charge and grabbed the ball. An apology followed.

"With the penalty, it was just a miscommunication," he says, looking back. "I think it's natural for a player to want to take that pen. I apologised to the team obviously for the way I reacted, it was just a miscommunication. I've been practising, I feel like I'm a good ball striker. I would put myself forward, I know my spot and then what will be will be. That's how I look at it."

 

Think this has been going on for a while now.
I’m so excited for next season already

 

Didn't realise he's only made 4 starts since Sept. Different team when he's playing. Also shows how well we done to manage without him

 

I’ve noticed there’s not that much football being talked on this thread, it’s like everyone has just thought,
‘Let’s leave all the decisions to RLB, trust his judgement and just cheer the Lads on.’

I haven’t spent much time thinking about the match tbh …

… just want to see those lads on the pitch and hope we see a bit of the magic we know they can produce.

 

Craving that PL window mind, i'm sure the champ will be exciting but pls let's experience a PL window with this ownership haha

 

My work productivity as the week goes on is on a sliding scale .. downwards !

Have this
https://x.com/SAFChighlights/status/1925122652462620796

 

We know they’re going to go out there and fight for everything as they’ve shown us all season. RLB’s tactical prowess has made me not worry for this final and think what will be will be.

I’m sure if we lose it’s just a case of not our day rather than any sign of lack of effort or bad set up.

I just know next season regardless of what happens will be fantastic