Play off final Saturday 24th

[agreenwood]

Hamer already looking lively. The Blades would be half the team without him.

Nailed it.

[CoolClaret]

Thought the same.

Christian Kalvenes looked sharper.

Kalvenes never lost a header!!!

[Steddyman]

What a great end to the match. Keifer Moore would definitely improve us.

Sheff U have got to be in financial trouble now have due to how much they have spent this year. Wages can't be cheap either. Time to gut them.

[willsclarets]

Well that's one of the PL relegation places sorted.

We did a heck of a lot better against Sheffield United than we did Sunderland this season. I personally think they'll be more of a threat to us than sheff united. But it's academic really just need to finish above 3 other teams don't care who they are

[NottsClaret]

Amazing turnaround. United are such a one man team.

[Woodleyclaret]

1-2 to the Alehouse brawlers great result

[Winstonswhite]

If Trafford goes I’d definitely take Cooper. I’d also have Hamer and Souza. Sunderland will get battered most weeks next season

Everyone said that about Luton and they put up a better fight than us.

[CoolClaret]

Sunderland sign Le Fee for £20m now.

Quite 'the fee'.

[Colburn_Claret]

IMG_6385.jpeg

Reminds me of this pic I took in 2009! Not a fan of Shef U so well done Sunderland!

Some things never change.
I think I'll have a quick trip over to SUs messageboard

[kentonclaret]

Hamer going off for Sheffield and Roberts coming on for Sunderland certainly seemed to create a change in fortunes in this Final.

[NewClaret]

Fancy playing Sunderland early in the season.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Luton tough and experienced. Sunderland young, raw and small. Big difference.

They will struggle.

[dougcollins]

What a great end to the match. Keifer Moore would definitely improve us.

Hell, no.

[claretinkorea]

Some things never change.
I think I'll have a quick trip over to SUs messageboard

Disaster tourism

[Commy]

Sheff Utd sitting back changed the fortune. They gave Sunderland a chance to play their way into the game.

[NewClaret]

Everyone said that about Luton and they put up a better fight than us.

True, I think Sunderland are a different beast though.

[Commy]

Some things never change.
I think I'll have a quick trip over to SUs messageboard

First thing on there is Wilder out lol.

[NewClaret]

Sheff U will lose their best players now and be quite average next year. Such a huge game.

[RicardoMontalban]

Everyone said that about Luton and they put up a better fight than us.

That’s not a high bar and only finished 2 points ahead of us. Anyone saying it about Luton last season were broadly on the money.

[Steddyman]

Hell, no.

He is athletic and powerful, something we don't have up front and something you need in the Premier League. A younger Barns.

[dougcollins]

Hamer going off for Sheffield and Roberts coming on for Sunderland certainly seemed to create a change in fortunes in this Final.

That's the problem with Hamer, he's about 70 mins max.

[Rileybobs]

Sunderland ended the season 24 points behind us so as things stand they have a lot of ground to make up. And as I mentioned before, Sheffield United’s parachute money of circa £100m would have been shared around last season’s PL teams had they gone back up, so the rest of the PL is slightly poorer. This was definitely a good result for Burnley.

[CoolClaret]

That's the problem with Hamer, he's about 70 mins max.

Probably why he hasn't had a better team come in for him, teams will have data on all this - not worth it.

[Hedontplayforyou]

Moore isn’t good enough.

[ecc]

Must have been mentioned already but somewhat surprised by the number of empty seats.

[Vegas Claret]

I think that will leave Sheff Utd in a real mess

[kentonclaret]

Sheff U will lose their best players now and be quite average next year. Such a huge game.

The Championship will be a lot tougher next season with both newly promoted teams Birmingham and Wrexham sure to invest heavily.

[Commy]

Must have been mentioned already but somewhat surprised by the number of empty seats.

They could have easily sold them. Reading the Sunderland board, Ticketmaster made a mess of the sales and also Club Wembley didn't sell. They are saying that the club have fired Ticketmaster for next season.

[Leyland Claret]

I think that will leave Sheff Utd in a real mess

I agree. I think they could be in a spot of bother next season.

[Socrates]

Keifer Moore would definitely improve us.

Improve our what? Because you can’t mean our football team.

[Clovius Boofus]

24 fewer points than us and Leeds.

[Silkyskills1]

Think a lot of people got carried away with Le Fee but he’s certainly got a touch of class about him.

Didn't see him involved at all in the game which went on around him. It was Roberts that made the pass for their first goal.

[Darnhill Claret]

Sunderland's final points total wasn't that relevant for two reasons. They knew with several games of the season to go that,
1) They couldn't get automatic +
2) They were guaranteed a play-off place +
3) They couldn't finish lower than 4th

[FCBurnley]

So sorry for the fantastic BBD. Wonder which team he will co into signing him next !!

[RVclaret]

I think the 24 points thing is a bit misleading. Once play offs were secured they properly took the foot off the gas and Le Bris started mass rotating the squad, they lost like 5 in a row while we won them all, or something like that. Perhaps more relevant is they beat us and should have beat us in two games, and drew with Leeds & lost very late on. Would have preferred Sheff U to come up, Sunderland have quite a pull and some real talent.

[Rileybobs]

Sunderland's final points total wasn't that relevant for two reasons. They knew with several games of the season to go that,
1) They couldn't get automatic +
2) They were guaranteed a play-off place +
3) They couldn't finish lower than 4th

Point number 1 is quite relative to their points total though.

[Steddyman]

Improve our what? Because you can’t mean our football team.

Importantly, physicality is much more important in the Premier League.

[RalphCoatesComb]

Wilder to get his P45 before getting back on the coach?

[agreenwood]

Sunderland played very well second half.

Their biggest challenge will be warding off interest in their young players. The promotion should help them do that, but they’ve already lost Watson and you can see plenty of interest in Bellingham, Mayenda, Rigg, Ballard etc.

[ecc]

They could have easily sold them. Reading the Sunderland board, Ticketmaster made a mess of the sales and also Club Wembley didn't sell. They are saying that the club have fired Ticketmaster for next season.

That's a disgrace then.

[Vegas Claret]

have to say the Sunderland lads have spoken very well after the game

[jrgbfc]

Will Sunderland have to move away fans out of the Gods now, or will they just bend the rule like they do for Newcastle?

[ClaretTony]

What a difference Patrick Roberts made when he came on

[houseboy]

The play offs really are a joke. They should be scrapped at all levels. Top three promoted - simple. A team has just won promotion against a team that finished 14 points above them after a one off game. Utter shambles.

[Darnhill Claret]

Rileybobs, I think all 3 points mean that you can start planning, quite specifically, for the play-offs much sooner than the teams still in the running for automatic, or those still trying to cement a 5th and 6th place finish.
Sunderland knew they were finishing 4th quite early in the process, all things considered.

[Darnhill Claret]

Houseboy, don't think you would have said that in 2009.

[Rileybobs]

Rileybobs, I think all 3 points mean that you can start planning, quite specifically, for the play-offs much sooner than the teams still in the running for automatic, or those still trying to cement a 5th and 6th place finish.
Sunderland knew they were finishing 4th quite early in the process, all things considered.

Yes, but the reason they could start planning for the play offs so early was because they were so far behind the top two.

[Squazo]

Get Hamer & Cooper signed up Scott.

and Souza

[CaptainKirk]

The play offs really are a joke. They should be scrapped at all levels. Top three promoted - simple. A team has just won promotion against a team that finished 14 points above them after a one off game. Utter shambles.

Nah, they are the best thing since sliced bread.
Keep the season alive for half the division and bring so much drama.
Everyone knows the rules when they start.

[BigGaz]

Not having a go at anyone's opinion in particular but how anyone sat through 90 mins of that and came out with the main takeaway being that Kieffer Moore would improve us makes me glad that they are likely sat watching on their sofa like me and not involved with our transfer committee.

He's semi effectual at this level at holding the ball up and winning headers but it'd be like playing with a handicap at PL level. I'm struggling to think of a slower footballer I've ever seen, and a worse finisher.

If Harry Maguire played up front for them he'd have scored more.