Sunderland v Coventry

[4:20]

Coventry have found themselves another rival now

Sunderland have had a low burning rivalry with them since 77'. Revenge for the Jimmy Hill incident tonight.

[jos]

Gonna be an interesting one who wins the toss and wears their near identical home shirts. For me it should be the Blades for finishing 3rd.

They should both wear their away strips!

[Commy]

Gonna be an interesting one who wins the toss and wears their near identical home shirts. For me it should be the Blades for finishing 3rd.

Leeds were in their home kit because they finished third so the same will probably apply.

[karatekid]

Why do players sometimes rip their shirts off when they score?

[Vegas Claret]

Sakamoto was head and shoulders above anything else on the pitch tonight - certainly in the 90 mins.

yeah he was good, did nothing much first leg though whilst Ballard won pretty much everything he could then scored effectively the winner.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Gonna be an interesting one who wins the toss and wears their near identical home shirts. For me it should be the Blades for finishing 3rd.

I hope they show it live.

[Vegas Claret]

Sheff united must fancy themselves in the final but I think it will be a close game. Le Fee still not done anything much so he is due a moment.

[chekhov]

Sunderland players celebrating on the pitch, a bit premature? I’d have them off the pitch and focusing on the final.

[Wile E Coyote]

i like lampard, wish coventry had won that.

[CoolClaret]

Sheff united must fancy themselves in the final but I think it will be a close game. Le Fee still not done anything much so he is due a moment.

I think The Blunts are a clear level above.

Sunderland imo scabbed that. I think Sheff will be too much for them.

[Vegas Claret]

Sunderland players celebrating on the pitch, a bit premature? I’d have them off the pitch and focusing on the final.

You have to celebrate these moments as they don't happen much but they are close to writing Wilder's team talk

[Vegas Claret]

I think The Blunts are a clear level above.

Sunderland imo scabbed that. I think Sheff will be too much for them.

they went into tonight as favourites and they couldn't really handle it, Sheff Utd will have that pressure at Wembley. Season results were 2-1 Sunderland win and a 1-0 Sheff Utd win, I think it'll be tight.

[Hibsclaret]

Anything can happen in a one off game. Head to head is one win each this season. It’s who handles the pressure on the day. I make it 50/50 with the Blades play off record and potential Wilder meltdown possibilities.

[Bow]

Be nice to have Sunderland up with us for a change.

[Darnhill Claret]

Sheff U 0
Sun'land 1

[Vegas Claret]

So who do we want to come up ? Sheff Utd for me as we have a decent record v them

[Bosscat]

Like PNE and Dirty Leeds ... Sheff U don't have a great rep in play-offs ... Sunderland 1-0 Blunts

[Jakubclaret]

I think The Blunts are a clear level above.

Sunderland imo scabbed that. I think Sheff will be too much for them.

It's a 1 off game the winner takes all. The championship playoffs are so unpredictable adds to the excitement. Sheffield United will be clear favourites with their final league finishing/standing & demolishing BC but anything can happen & often does. The underdog mentality can count for a lot we might as well be remembering that ourselves next season backs to the wall. The quiet people that know so much are drowned out but absurdly the noisy people that claim to know so much it doesn't transpire to be reality.

[CoolClaret]

they went into tonight as favourites and they couldn't really handle it, Sheff Utd will have that pressure at Wembley. Season results were 2-1 Sunderland win and a 1-0 Sheff Utd win, I think it'll be tight.

Anything can happen in a one off game. Head to head is one win each this season. It’s who handles the pressure on the day. I make it 50/50 with the Blades play off record and potential Wilder meltdown possibilities.

Fair comments, just think Sheff were uber-professional in their games against Bristol, and Wilder appears to have 'calmed down' from some of the antics he had on display towards the end of the season.

Sunderland for me looked poor in both legs against Coventry, Sheff have the players to hurt them.

[elwaclaret]

Why do players sometimes rip their shirts off when they score?

“It’s all about me, I’m the hero/star”

The league insists on a booking because it reduces the sponsors incentive, but in my opinion the club should also discipline the player as it should not be about one players ego, but a team celebration.

[jdrobbo]

Wow …

Ok. Any targets in the Coventry team?

Milan van Ewijk
Sakamoto
Rudoni
Wright

[Vegas Claret]

Fair comments, just think Sheff were uber-professional in their games against Bristol, and Wilder appears to have 'calmed down' from some of the antics he had on display towards the end of the season.

Sunderland for me looked poor in both legs against Coventry, Sheff have the players to hurt them.

i'm expecting Sheff Utd to win, just think it will be closer that's all - nailed on it'll be 4-0 given my prediction success !

[Enola Gay]

Feel sorry for the Coventry players.

Their weirdo fanbase, not so much.

Be interesting to see how they blame us for it though.

[mdd2]

Feel sorry for ex Claret Booby Thomas
Lost out this time in play off
Last season in extra time in FACup SF and wasn’t he on loan at Barnsley with Michael Duff when they lost in the Division Oneplay off final?

[CrosspoolClarets]

Boro fans who hate Sunderland starting to get behind Wilder again now, even on the point of forgiving him for flashing a bit of leg at Burnley while their manager.

[Commy]

Coventry fans wanting rid of Wright. Saying they have played the two legs with 10 players because he hasn't turned up.

[CaptJohn]

I liked the look of Jack Rudoni. He's the type of player we could do with next season. Only 23 and already a box to box midfielder with an impressive physical presence.

[RVclaret]

I liked the look of Jack Rudoni. He's the type of player we could do with next season. Only 23 and already a box to box midfielder with an impressive physical presence.

Yep you’ve nailed it, particularly that last bit on his physicality, something we need. Has quite a few set piece assists this season too. Get a bid in today Mr Pace!

[THEWELLERNUT70]

The ref bottled it though. 2 minutes added at the end of extra time, goal scored at the end of that second minute, two minutes of celebrations followed, ref then allows Coventry 5 seconds after the restart to score an equaliser!

[agreenwood]

Going to be tough for the three teams who miss out in the playoffs.

Not only have you got 3 parachute payments sides coming down, but you’ve got some wealthy sides coming up from League 1. Then there’s the usual biggish clubs who are relatively well backed by owners and are due a good season - Boro, WBA, Norwich etc.

[RVclaret]

Going to be tough for the three teams who miss out in the playoffs.

Not only have you got 3 parachute payments sides coming down, but you’ve got some wealthy sides coming up from League 1. Then there’s the usual biggish clubs who are relatively well backed by owners and are due a good season - Boro, WBA, Norwich etc.

On the flip side I read its the first time ever, or for a long while, there’s only been 3 parachute teams in the league, with one of them pending a potential points deduction.

[warksclaret]

Think the final will be a cagey affair, and the managers will play their part. However Sheffield have too many players that can hurt you , not only in midfield but in attack. I like the look of Tyrese Campbell-think this kid that can get better. An astute signing by the Blades on a FREE

[Down_Rover]

Coventry missed promotion by 31 points uet avoided relegation by only 20 points.

That a team with such a poor record can get in the play offs underlines how mediocre this league is

[martin_p]

Coventry missed promotion by 31 points uet avoided relegation by only 20 points.

That a team with such a poor record can get in the play offs underlines how mediocre this league is

Apart from the top three it’s been poor this season. Sunderland might go up having lost the last five games of the regular season.

[Targetman]

Coventry missed promotion by 31 points uet avoided relegation by only 20 points.

That a team with such a poor record can get in the play offs underlines how mediocre this league is

Or perhaps it shows how strong the division has been?

We found it difficult in some games against teams in the lower reaches of the table.

[martin_p]

Or perhaps it shows how strong the division has been?

We found it difficult in some games against teams in the lower reaches of the table.

There was less of a gap between the bottom three and the play-off places than usual so that’s either the relegation threatened clubs being better or the play-off contenders being worse. Given that two teams got 100 points and a third 92 (although they gained 94) it would tend to suggest the latter.

[NottsClaret]

The league is the same standard overall as ever, made up of all the players not quite good enough for the Prem. The difference now is clubs like ours are affecting the distribution of the best players in it - a bit like the Prem does to English football generally, and the yoyo clubs are hoovering up all the better '2nd division' players, leaving the likes of Coventry and Sunderland to try and find some bargain gems. Who we'll probably then sign as soon as we come back down.

[Spijed]

The league is the same standard overall as ever, made up of all the players not quite good enough for the Prem. The difference now is clubs like ours are affecting the distribution of the best players in it - a bit like the Prem does to English football generally, and the yoyo clubs are hoovering up all the better '2nd division' players, leaving the likes of Coventry and Sunderland to try and find some bargain gems. Who we'll probably then sign as soon as we come back down.

And to put that into even more perspective, we signed Trafford and Esteve for a combined total of £29 million (including all the add-ons) or thereabouts.

Teams like Preston don't have a chance when we now have that spending power.

[dsr]

The ref bottled it though. 2 minutes added at the end of extra time, goal scored at the end of that second minute, two minutes of celebrations followed, ref then allows Coventry 5 seconds after the restart to score an equaliser!

I would think if Coventry had cleared the corner, he would have blown the whistle at once. If there is only 5 seconds left when Sunderland score, then there can be no more than 5 seconds left when Coventry kick off again.

[dsr]

“It’s all about me, I’m the hero/star”

The league insists on a booking because it reduces the sponsors incentive, but in my opinion the club should also discipline the player as it should not be about one players ego, but a team celebration.

It's FIFA that insists on a booking, isn't it? I think the reason was because players were using it for political statements on their t-shirts.

I agree about club discipline. Surely the reason they like to take their shirt off is because they are making a psychological statement that this goal is not a "team" goal, it's an individual goal. (Or else perhaps they have seen someone else do it and think it looks well cool.)

[Big Vinny K]

Bristol City looked awful against us and even worse against Leeds and Sheffield United. I am struggling to remember a team look this bad in the play off positions in this division.
Coventry have been on a good run and looked decent against Sunderland but I thought against Burnley in the recent game that the score flattered them and we were miles better than them.

Boro and West Brom looked much better sides to me than either Bristol or Coventry but with Boro I think they suffered from bad injuries to key players. West Brom I’m not sure what really happened - thought they played really well at Turf and then just seemed to deteriorate. With manager getting sacked too feels like that all could not be well internally which can easily happen when you are in their financial position and players contracts are up etc

For me the championship is getting weaker other than 2 or 3 teams every year which means the rest of the league is just closer to each other in terms of points - not that they are better than previously but that they are all getting worse and the gap between EPL and teams relegated and still with parachute payments and all the other teams in all 3 divisions is wider than ever. The promoted teams in our division getting 90 plus points or 100 like this year is already starting to become the norm rather than exception.

I also think it means teams like Birmingham next season and Ipswich from a couple of years ago now have a much bigger chance of getting promoted to the premier league in consecutive years than previously. And I think that because if you are spending money like Birmingham did then you are putting yourself right in the pack with all those championship teams that are struggling (many of which are struggling ironically because they have been in the Premier League !!)

[ClaretLoup]

Thought the referee was outstanding last night. The crowd were so wound up they were screaming for handball every time the ball hit a Coventry players chest. The Sunderland players were diving trying to con the referee and ramp up the crowd. It was a real cauldron in there last night. There were a couple of handbags incidents, the Sunderland players surrounded him on several occasions. I thought he kept his cool pretty well.

There was a Richter scale eruption when Sunderland scored.

Could have booked a Cov player for diving would be my only criticism.

[ClaretTony]

There was a Richter scale eruption when Sunderland scored.

I've been in there when they've won a promotion (against us in 2007) and the noise was just unbelievable. Whatever we think of them as a club, their fans are so passionate.

I just think Coventry must have run themselves into the ground because in that last ten minutes or so they lost the control they'd had all night.

I agree with what most say, that Sheffield United will have too much for them, but in a one off game it can go any way.

[eastanglianclaret]

Very definitely can go either way on the day.......one win each for them in the fixtures this season. I reckon it'll be a good game.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Over here the Blades fans are in a state of nervous paralysis based on their 9 playoffs and 0 promotions.

I think they will win, but it is far from certain, and the hoodoo could weigh like a millstone.