Sunderland 6 Wycombe 4
Well that’s the score over the two games so far this season.
Do you think it will be high scoring at Wembley?
Alex Neil has sorted out our defence, under Johnson, we could play some fast attacking football but left us open at the back, so I don’t think we are looking at another 3-3.
I might take up the offer of a pint with you before the match, which you suggested after the first game at our place, if the offer is still there
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Before tonight’s game I fancied having Sunderland in the final. But then tonight Wednesday looked very beatable as well..bring it on!
MK beat us four out of five games. We are good at winning the one that matters!
I’m sure Sunderland are already looking at the championship fixtures for next season, Wednesday was the game to win and we are just a formality.
They’ll need to get the open topped bus booking in now.
I've been to the Sunderland forum, and tbh as far as they are concerned we might as well not bother turning up ! We're a shithouse crap football team who are going to get battered by prime Barcelona apparently. I used to like Sunderland but the state of your fans and their whole attitude since you've been in League one is why most other league one teams can't stand you now.
One thing for sure there is absolutely zero pressure on us now.
As mentioned above, the constant comments of Sunderland fans has made them no friends which is a shame as in High Wycombe there are lots of Sunderland fans from families that moved away over the years.
I think they have 3x £10m plus players in Roberts, McGeady and Pritchard. Earlier in the season they were going on about Dan Neil being worth that and being sold to the Prem, then of course is Ross Stewart who is undoubtedly one of the best strikers I’ve seen at this level. The wage bill still must be astronomical in comparison to us!
However we love being underdogs, they haven’t lost for a while and all runs must come to an end, and above everything this is Ainsworth versus Alex Neil and in Gareth I trust! We also have lots of playoff experience and successful big game players in Stockdale, McCleary and Vokes in addition to the playoff winners 2 years ago in JJ, Stewart, Gape, Wheeler etc.
I’ve already had the exchange with a SAFC friend and said it was theirs to lose. We can’t compete on budget. We can’t compete on infrastructure. We can’t compete on support. And that’s our strength. It’s a free hit. The pressure (read any social media platform) is huge. It’s a must win for SAFC and if must win turns into entitled to win then that’s our chance.
Little side note I like a panto villain. I like a player who gives it out in a battle. 09 has turned into one of the worst examples of neither. He gives but dives like a horrid turd when he gets it. He really has turned into a hateful player. Such a shame as there was a decent lad there when he joined us.
The kitman must hate O Nien as he's constantly on the floor. Surely he wasn't this bad for us?
I think he was, always had that smug look on his face
They are all going on about Alex Neil being the man who has got them where they are. Last January we absolutely demolished his Preston side 4-1 at home and he's only ever beaten Gaz once in five attempts and that was when Preston were top end of Championship and we were Lge2 with a budget around 15% of Prestons.
Alex Neil is definitely the right manager to be taking Sunderland to Wembley against us. Gaz has his number.
"Do you think it will be high scoring at Wembley?"
No.
It's evident in all the results since that both teams are now vastly different compared to when we last played. We're a lot more solid. So are you.
You have better individual quality, especially in attacking areas, the big crowd and are better suited to the bigger pitch.
We have the grit, team spirit and vast experience in these situations.
I think it's going to extra time.
agreed, always a gobby little shite, it's just that it was OK when he was our gobby little shite.
Maybe the fact of now playing for a MASSIVE CLUB has made him even worse, who knows, but he was hardly a bastion of gentlemanly conduct when he was here.
I kind of want to like Sunderland, but some of their fans do make it difficult. That's probably harsh, as comments on social media don't necessarily represent the entire fan base. What I will say though, is that their fans by continually mocking and writing us off are piling huge amounts of pressure onto their players. Our lads don't really have any fan pressure, they'll be heroes whether they win or lose.
Player for player, they probably are better than us, but the gap is nowhere near as big as many Sunderland fans like to think it is. We do have some high quality players, with the likes of McCleary, Vokes, Mehmeti (ok, he might well still be injured and unlikely to be thrust back into the starting XI even if fit).
I'd like to fool myself that Ainsworth's record against Alex Neil will make a difference and certainly we were much the better team in all 3 matches against PNE last season. In all honesty, it shouldn't be a factor though. If anything, he'll be one of the few managers who actually know how good we can be on our day and he should prepare his team accordingly. We'll see...
Sunderland's biggest problem is they talk Barcelona, while producing League 1. There is just as much hoof, head tennis and shithousery as from everyone else.
You got O'Nien from us, we got Scowen from you. The difference? We got the man, you got a spoilt brat that needs to grow up.
I hope Sunderland stay in League 1 until they learn to respect where they are, and that they deserve no better than where they have put themselves.
@Wycombe85 - comments on social media definitely do not represent the views of the entire fan base !
09 is a niggly 100% player who gives his all. He did for us...he does for them. He did well for us and we got money for him. He's no more of a shit now than he was before.
I think the first psychological obstacle that Sunderland and Neil face more than we do is that the possibility of losing the final to US of all teams would be humiliating. We don't carry that burden.?
100%. The grief 09 is getting on here is hilarious. We loved him when he did all this shit in a Wycombe shirt, now he's a bellend because he does it in red and white stripes?
Fully agree. Online, Sunderland fans come across as entitled, condescending, and with a huge chip on their collective shoulder. In reality, probably the friendliest city with some of the most amicable fans I've ever visited.
Nailed it
Yep, I'm still an 09 fan. Terrific player, gave his all for us. He was niggly for us and he is for them. I'd happily have him back! I always wish him all the best (expect against us!) and am pleased when he gets on the score sheet. He played a big part in our rise from League 2, that shouldn't be forgotten.
It's going to pens btw
It's true O' Nien has always been a little sh1t, but he's getting worse the older he gets.
The giving 100% is a thing of the past. He now spends more time rolling around on the floor, acting like he's been hit by one of the Tysons.
He should be maturing.
How can anyone have a go at 09? I still love the bloke for his three seasons here when he was central to everything we did
Let's not fool ourselves that he wasn't a niggly little shit when he played for us. That's exactly what he was, and we loved him for it at the time
French owned in the strongest Brexit area in the country, but actually they seem content to be under the Euro-boot heel as long as it makes them the biggest fish in the small pond. As hollow a bunch as you will find and it's quite the horse race at the moment with Derby fans plotting their next 40 purchases and Liverpool's talking about the quadruple as if it has already happened.
The missus and I went for a drink in town after we played there and had Sunderland fans jeering and sneering at us, going on about how they were all over us (they weren't) how boring we are to watch etc. Picking on a innocuous middle aged couple supporting a much smaller club? Definitely a huge chip on their collective shoulder.
Don't get the hate towards 09, he's exactly the same player now as he was for us. Will do anything to try and win except deliberately hurt someone, that's fine.
After so much talk of wycombe shithousing a way to the final playing anti football I was expecting a flowing game with both sides demonstrating their total football. In reality it was two shit sides who didn't have the technical ability of MK, or the defensive grit of Wycombe.
I'm sure it will be a close game, but the big thing in our favour us that you are renowned bottlers at Wembley, whereas our team thrive under pressure and have shown that time and again.
Another huge vote of appreciation for Luke O'Nien. One of my favourite ever Wycombe players, and still love him now. If anything, the fact he plays for Sunderland is even better, because it completely undermines any suggestion that they're some Barcelona-esque football outfit, as opposed to the League One cloggers we saw last night.
Having watched a fair bit of League One football this season I'm fairly certain we've dispatched of the best footballing outfit in the playoffs by beating the Franchise. And there is no way Sunderland can put us under the unrelenting pressure that they did for 90 minutes on Sunday night. Bring it on I say!
It is true that we are confident, as you will be. Any team getting to the play off finals on the back of a good run, 14 unbeaten for us and I think you had a similar run up to the second leg defeat at MK Dons. So don’t knock us for being confident.
As I said in my first post we are a different team under Alex Neil. We can defend! Under Johnson we could play some really good attacking football but it was more we score one more than you stuff. That falls apart when you have a bad day like the one we had at Bolton 6-0 was never acceptable and it had been coming as the defending had got worse and the defenders were short of confidence because they had no cover in front of them.
The way we play now has taken a few pointers from your style, we are getting better at the ugly side of the game , stopping other teams from playing their game. This has been less attractive but much more effective.
The three signings made in the window have all had a positive effect on the team, once they were fit and bedded in. Batth has added strength and height at the back, which will be key against a team like yourselves who are very good at getting in crosses and corners and winning headers. Both Roberts and Clarke took some time to settle, but now that they have they are causing problems in every game, the wide spaces at Wembley should help them as well.
So our style of play and the strength of character to keep going and score important late goals are the big changes since the 3-3, what has changed in you set up since then, you have obviously been done the right things to have the run you have had?
Safc fan here, I’m confident. Mainly because we are class and yous are shite. have a good day all.
What a perfect example.