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“Wembley War Begins: Wilder Drags Newcastle into Sheffield United vs Sunderland Showdown
Chris Wilder Draws on Newcastle’s Success Ahead of Sheffield United’s Play-Off Final Showdown with Sunderland
Sheffield United are preparing for a high-stakes clash with Sunderland in the Championship play-off final, as both sides vie for a coveted spot in the Premier League.
The Blades breezed into the final with an emphatic 6-0 aggregate victory, while Sunderland had a far more dramatic path—clinching their place thanks to a last-gasp goal from Dan Ballard against Coventry City.
With eight days to go until the Wembley showdown between two Championship heavyweights, the build-up has already begun.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has stirred the pot by referencing Sunderland’s fierce rivals, Newcastle United, as a source of inspiration.
Wilder Looks to Break the Play-Off Curse
Despite Sheffield United’s strong history, they’ve never achieved promotion through the play-offs—a statistic Wilder is determined to change.
Their final opponents, led by Regis Le Bris, will be a tough hurdle, but Wilder remains optimistic.
“I don’t sense any negativity from our past play-off campaigns,” Wilder told The Star. “There’s a freshness in the group, a belief that we can create history and move past what’s happened before.
“I’ve been there for most of it. Our journey started in 2016, six years in League One, and nobody expected us to get out of there in our first season.”
Drawing Inspiration from the North East
Wilder cited Newcastle United’s recent Carabao Cup victory as a sign that long-standing records can be broken—something Sunderland fans likely won’t enjoy hearing.
“We’ve had our share of setbacks. I always point to Newcastle. The Geordies showed up at Wembley and got the job done. There are just as many success stories as failures,” Wilder said.
Fuel for Motivation
Sheffield United’s play-off record is no secret, and no one is more familiar with that burden than Wilder and his players. The long-standing drought could serve as powerful motivation.
Earning promotion is already a huge prize, but etching their names into club history adds another layer of incentive.
Wilder, a lifelong fan of the club, is arguably the perfect figure to deliver that message. While pressure will be on the Blades—widely seen as favourites—Wilder’s experience and leadership could be crucial against a Sunderland side that just scraped through their semi-final.
