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

Bloody hell! We have scored some absolute belters in the last couple of years, really creative wonder goals. But I think that might be the best. Everything there is difficult to do, and everything is made to look easy.

 

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/spor...sheff-utd-championship-play-off-final-5145751

Good article by Phil Smith if it works. Sorry if already posted

 

I agree with almost everything you say but am not convinced that we were that well set up tbh, he picked a good starting 11 , but I expected Mundle and Mayenda to be a front two in a 4/4/2 set up . Watching the highlights and the 90 minutes with Franky and Danny I conclude we were all over the place in that first half hour and Sheffield could and should have been out of sight by half time.

 

I watched it back last night. Full 90. I agree. First half was well below the standard I thought but that said, credit to the manager and team. Came out second half, made the right subs and stepped on the gas.

 

Opposition fans through the whole season, posting on social media, may as well just cut & past the same comments ...

... it's basically,

'We were the better team but just couldn't finish our chances. Individual errors cost us and they took the only chances we gave them.
They're bang average, Jobe is living on his brother's name and Sunderland won't be going up.'

Sheffield Utd fans are at it now

The fact their managers were out thought and couldn't change their tactics to suit the state of play simply escapes them ...

... as does the fact that we were the only team trying to play the beautiful game.

According to these clowns their teams were all much better than one that's now in the Premier League.

 

Probably fair that, though I think we looked nervous at the start and this gave them traction. Watching it through again though, they rely too much on belting the ball up the park. Their opportunities came from errors by us really. After the VAR, we seemed to really get onto it though. I honestly always thought we would win that, which is very unusual for an owld cynic like me!

 

Morning lads. I think I’ve finally calmed down a bit after an historic and memorable weekend. I will spare you my analysis of the game as it’s already been said many times but for me it wasn’t just the game it was the whole weekend. Me and @donkindonuts on his first trip to Wembley and technically his first away game have had the best time and met some great people. Trafalgar on Friday night was unreal. My eyes were stinging from all the flares being let off and then having our beer taken off us by the Police!!! Undeterred, we went for some food and returned with more supplies! Kept myself right for the big day on Saturday. Arrived at the Argyll early - even got there before @Smug in Boots !! Met some of the other lads from the forum, @Bob the Mackem , @marcusblackcat , @Washysafc lovely to put faces to names. I have to give a special shout out to Smug tho. We all know how he helps fellow fans out with tickets but it was amazing to see him at work dishing out the tickets and making sure everyone was sorted. There were 2 guys who turned up at the Argyll without tickets in hope they might be able to get them. At around 1pm when we’re getting ready to set off to Wembley they were sat looking dejected as when I asked them they just shook their heads then suddenly, right at the last minute, Smug pulls out 2 tickets for them. If you could have seen their faces! They were speechless and couldn’t believe it. Bumped into them on the tube coming back and they were coming back to the Argyll to thank Smug personally after having the best day. Only met Smug a few months ago but already consider him a good mate. He had a smile as wide as the Wear when he got back to the Argyll. Special thanks as well to all the staff at the Argyll for making us all feel so welcome. Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday folks

 

Fair to say that the o9 injury really ****ed us up? We looked absolutely lost when he went uff

 

The whole Jobe living off his brothers name annoys the hell out of me

If he wasn't a Bellingham I think he would actually get rated higher. This is a 19 yr old lad, who can dominate games of football and has consistently been the best CM in a team that was never lower than 4th in the championship.

It's clear those people don't watch football at all, or when they watch him just think 'he's not as good as his brother', so that means he's living off his brothers name

Be a big loss to the team as think he's class

 

I’m not a 100% certain but I think we start the majority of games nervous, no idea why though.

 

100%, you could see the balance in the back 4 wasn't right. Mepham looked shaky 1st half, especially when playing LCB. O9 is such a leader and a character that for us to lose him early had a HUGE impact on us

Once we settled into the game it was fine and we were comfortable most of the 2nd half, apart from Cirkins mistake

 

Yeah Cirkin is a worry for me. Hasn’t looked the same since his wrist injury. Basic mistakes and errors being made. Confidence looks shot to pieces

 

Yep, Hume used to be my concern for when we got promoted but I'm more confident of Hume making the step up than I am Cirkin

Hopefully a good preseason for Cirkin gets him back to early season form

 

It was like when the clock it 75 we just went back to our first three months of the season. We didn’t just step up 5 yards like we’ve been hoping we would for weeks we pushed up 15 yards a pressed again.

Imagine saying after the first leg that Mayendas winner wouldn’t even be in the top 3 moments of the play offs. Truly incredible 2 weeks following Sunderland.

 

Absolutely superb.

 

Even Phillips before the game referred to the 5 losses in a row without thinking of the bigger picture. We had 4th spot secured for weeks. That's unheard of.

 

Theres are an awful lot of clowns in football including us on here, its all part of the game. Enjoy thinking about Luton Towns "clowns" to-day two leagues away now, could we have asked for more, but remember weve all been there and how.. Lets be generous to dayand enjoy our good fortune with a modecom of compassion. OaU .

 

People really do forget he’s 19. I also think his name means people are expecting him to walk on the pitch and score worldies every game to justify being a footballer. It puts his valuation up imo because I do think other clubs will thinking he has a LOT of Jude’s traits and they’ll probably be wondering if he’s going to turn out similar but opposition fans use it as a stick to beat him. We know how good he is here we’ve had the pleasure of watching him grow again this season.

Going up against experienced championship midfielders every week isn’t easy for players who’ve played in this division for a decade never mind a teenager.

 

Yep. What do I have to do?

 

Despite the odd error O'Nien has been a pivotal player in defence and, even more, starting moves and bypassing the press.

Yet all I've heard is Hamer, Hamer and more f*cking Hamer ...

... Hamer went off on 70 minutes when he, and the rest of their team, we're already visibly tiring.

It's all very well having strong lumpy players, knocking people around, but after 60 minutes their legs go.

Kieffer Moore lost the ball because he was drained while we were looking dynamic ...

... iirc when the ball hit the back of the net, for the winner, we had 4 players in and around their box.

We didn't just score because of an error, the commentators talk shyte tbh, we scored because of skill, tactics and the stamina RLB gave them over the last month.