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

Sheff Utd claiming the momentum swung when Hamer went off after 70 minutes ...

... absolute bullshiit.

I'm just not having that become a fact.

The momentum swung as soon as we came out for the second half and Hamer vanished.

 

Maybe don't allow your best player to be unfit and he'd be able to make an impact for 90minutes. No surprise when Wilder runs the team like it's Sunday League though.

 

That chest bump is class ain’t it.

 

I've no doubt Hamer is a very good Championship player ...

... but don't see him in the PL.

 

Well I think they'll be finding out soon! He's a good player mind, and was good at Huddersfield. Typical Robbins signing, but he's not There now to spend the fee.

 

I thought it started to shift on 35 mins.

 

Now that is a lucky piss mate

 

Doesn't have the engine mate.....

 

Agreed, Up until VAR it was 99% them. From VAR until Mayenda's goal it was probably 70/30 us. From Mayenda's goal on wards it was 99% us.

 

Reminded me of O9 celebrating when he nuked one of the Wycombe lads late on in the League One final. Class.

 

3 days on. Still absolutely buzzing

 

You're not the only one! The grandson is still bouncing - going around the house singing Oi Big Lad! Whats your name? and Sunderland till I die at the top of his voice. Its doing the daugther's head in!

Its starting to sink in with me with reading posts on here about the match, watching reels and the like and the excitment is starting to build back up

 

The fact is they were never going to win once their manager decided to wear his pyjamas to the final.

 

Pyjamas? I thought he was trying to get the Milk Tray man adverts brought back!

 

That beggars the question: Are there any others who Regis has worked with that would not look out of place in the Premier League? I pose this question to people with a much better knowledge of European Leagues than myself.

 

Eliezer Mayenda has reflected on a breakthrough season, Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League, and the powerful connection between players and fans following the Club’s Wembley triumph.

The Spaniard, 20, became the third-youngest player to score in a Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final when his right-footed rocket flew past Michael Cooper to level the game on 76 minutes.

Teenager Tommy Watson then completed an incredible turnaround, stroking the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards to send the 36,000 Sunderland supporters into ecstasy.

The victory sealed the Lads’ return to the Premier League for the 2025-26 season, ending an eight-year absence and capping a superb individual campaign for the Spain Under-21 international, who registered 15 goal contributions.

“I think everybody deserves it, the fans, the staff, the players, the president, everybody,” he said.

“The team spirit was very good in all the season.

“On Saturday, we were feeling it on the pitch. We knew we could do more. We knew we could be more brave. We knew we could attack more and we could put more intensity into our play, especially in the second half.

“I think the team spirit was special, especially the connection with the fans in the second half. We tried to keep pushing in every attack. And the fans pushed us again.

He continued: “If you compare it to last season, it was better. I scored goals, made some assists and I helped the team a lot, I think.

“I’m very happy for this season, because I think I did a good season and we got the promotion. So I'm just very happy for that.”

 

I know it's true that he is the now the third youngest but when he scored didn't he become the second youngest only for Watson to then become the second youngest?

 

I don't think I've ever heard a group of players go on about the supporters as much tbh ...

... it obviously has a major effect on them.

We need to harness that from the very first game of the season.

The Sheff Utd players looked lost in the second half because their support went quiet.

Let's hope we show the same faith if we go behind and support them til the end.

 

I said it in my post earlier on, we finished the half the better team in the last 15 or so minutes (including stoppage time). We were just getting a bit of a foothold in the game when they scored.

Watching it back I think it was more us taking time to settle and being sloppy that allowed them to be on top for the first 35 minutes. But they weren't as dominant as it was made out. Yes they scored and Patterson made a genuinely world class save, but it wasn't shots raining in on our goal regularly and us being forced back. It was a great header in the first couple of minutes while we were cold and not started, a sloppy short corner routine where they broke and we didn't properly cover the break and a bit of sloppy defending giving away a cheap corner which we'd actually cleared pretty well but they had two players in offside positions in the middle of the goal when the shot is taken. They didn't really create that much else. It only looks it because we took our time getting into the game and didn't create much ourselves.

 

I’d have him here in a heartbeat personally. Every time I’ve watched him he’s looked a top player