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

[Scout73]

Mind, we played Sheffield United 3 times this season and they were dog **** each time.

Wilder is a shocking gaffer given the squad he has.

I said a few times during the season that I don't think their squad is as good as folk make out. They have a few players that I'm huge fans off, especially Hamer and Souza who are special at championship level. However, the squad has poor balance and I really don't rate their CB pairing.

I know Hamer played well on Saturday, and all season, but he's so much better in the middle of the pitch rather than wide left imo

 

[Yorkie]

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.

Philips - great player for us but useless analyst on us.

 

[Nads]

I said a few times during the season that I don't think their squad is as good as folk make out. They have a few players that I'm huge fans off, especially Hamer and Souza who are special at championship level. However, the squad has poor balance and I really don't rate their CB pairing.

I know Hamer played well on Saturday, and all season, but he's so much better in the middle of the pitch rather than wide left imo

Aye balance is the one. You read their squad list and think ‘best playing off left’ about 5 times, then you see them playing Hamer, bet centrally, off the left. It’s daft.

Don’t rate Ahmedhodzic at all. Burrows is quality.

Too many ‘same players’. And I’ll say it louder for everyone at the back 3-5 times I said I don’t want Cannon, delighted it never happened.

 

[Scout73]

Aye balance is the one. You read their squad list and think ‘best playing off left’ about 5 times, then you see them playing Hamer, bet centrally, off the left. It’s daft.

Don’t rate Ahmedhodzic at all. Burrows is quality.

Too many ‘same players’. And I’ll say it louder for everyone at the back 3-5 times I said I don’t want Cannon, delighted it never happened.

I really like Burrows but defensively he is poor - loved him as a LWB when I've seen him play there

 

[young2077]

Philips - great player for us but useless analyst on us.

I just don't think he is an analyst or pundit, I always feel like he has minimal interest in SAFC and probably extends to football i general these days, but he isn't going turn down a paying gig is he?

I must be I a good mood as I usually slag him right off whenever I hear him talk about SAFC because of him being out of touch!

 

[Smug in Boots]

In tribute to our lads and a cheeky nod to Mickey Gray ...

... I'm taking a lead from ZZ TOP and wearing cheap sunglasses for our first match

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[John Wick]

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.'

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.

Bang average yet couldn't beat us. We played a very dangerous game of chess and we won. RLB clearly makes in game decisions and adjustments accordingly. If their manager had any tactical nouse about him perhaps they would have won. Anyway, I hope they enjoy Wrexham away.

 

[marcusblackcat]

What did everyone think of the VAR decision out of curiosity? I seen it at the time and thought it was harsh tbh, I would’ve been fuming if it went against us. Haven’t watched it since just my initial feeling at the time was that Souza wasn’t really in the line of sight. But we’ve had ****e decisions against us all season so not complaining at all.

He’s certainly going to be in Patterson’s vision field. My take is Patto saves it if he’s not there. He made 2 far more difficult saves than that in the game with clear sight.

 

[Southern A]

Is it wrong that I've watched Hume's tackle on BBD on a constant loop this morning?

could you post the vid if you get chance? Not seen it!

 

[young2077]

He’s certainly going to be in Patterson’s vision field. My take is Patto saves it if he’s not there. He made 2 far more difficult saves than that in the game with clear sight.

That's what Wilder is crying about. Heard at least 2 interviews where he says keeper wasn't anywhere near it and I assume he means he wasn't saving it even if he wasn't their in front of him. Which is bullshit, it 100% prevented him having a decent crack at saving it.

 

[Jme2]

Philips - great player for us but useless analyst on us.

i think he’s clueless and his attempt at Management confirms it.

 

[marcusblackcat]

Ref got most decisions correct on the day too, other than the Roberts foul which was baffling.

I think I read that it’s the first time we’ve not lost with Kavanagh as ref! Might be wrong the fact but read it somewhere

 

[Saf]

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[C19RK73]

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[Brainy Dose]

That's what Wilder is crying about. Heard at least 2 interviews where he says keeper wasn't anywhere near it and I assume he means he wasn't saving it even if he wasn't their in front of him. Which is bullshit, it 100% prevented him having a decent crack at saving it.

Of course it did. Wilder's a misguided fool....all season he's had a chance to take his team back to the big time and they blew it....now he's looking for any excuses he can find. It would do him and his club a lot more good if he came out and said " we thought we were better on the day,but we came up short and got done by a team that never gives up. Good luck to them next season...we'll have another go."

 

[Smug in Boots]

I see i’m not the only one who’s looked at the comments on the Coventry boards then!. They can’t understand that there is more than one way to win a game, they might have had more possession, but over 2 games they had 5 shots on target we had 6. It’s not how much you have it’s what you do with it. And they still wouldn’t have beaten Sheffield.

I've just had a look at the Coventry forum and WOW!!!

They really know very little about SAFC, even football in general, and are incredibly childish ...

... it's so bitter and full of witless 'jokes' about Blunderland that we've never heard before

They're totally carried away with this Lampard hype and really confident that they'll make the automatics.

Even if they hang onto the three good players they have, which I doubt, the rest of the squad is pretty standard Championship level.

That 3-0, against us, was like a snort of cocaine ...

... it's made them ridiculously over confident and distorted reality.

 

[Brainy Dose]

I've just had a look and WOW!!!

They really know very little about SAFC, even football in general, and are incredibly childish ...

... it's so bitter and full of witless 'jokes' about Blunderland

They're totally carried away with this Lampard hype and really confident that they'll make the automatics.

Even if they hang onto the three good players they have, which I doubt, the rest of the squad is pretty standard Championship level.

That 3-0, against us, was like a snort of cocaine ...

... it's made them ridiculously over confident and distorted reality.

That 3-0 was a cunning move by RLB to lure them into a false sense of reality!

 

[Hudson92]

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Rigg

 

[Brainy Dose]

I've just had a look at the Coventry and WOW!!!

They really know very little about SAFC, even football in general, and are incredibly childish ...

... it's so bitter and full of witless 'jokes' about Blunderland that we've never heard before

They're totally carried away with this Lampard hype and really confident that they'll make the automatics.

Even if they hang onto the three good players they have, which I doubt, the rest of the squad is pretty standard Championship level.

That 3-0, against us, was like a snort of cocaine ...

... it's made them ridiculously over confident and distorted reality.

Anyway,which of us gives a **** what Sheff U and Coventry people think....they've come up short....they can deal with it!

 

[Coastal Dolphins]

What an amazing experience the last 3 games have been. Each one outdoing the previous one.
Absolutely buzzing with it. Seen Safc win at Wembley twice in a row now after 6 previous visits and disappointing losses. Barely recovered after the 72 hour bender that started on the train about 9.30am Friday.

What a club we follow. HTL.