Sheffield United tease Sunderland with cheeky Newcastle United reference before play-off final
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder is using Newcastle United as inspiration to beat Sunderland in the Championship play-off final.
A shoot-out for Premier League promotion takes place next weekend with both clubs desperate to return to the big time. For the Blades, they were relegated at St James’ Park last season are are eyeing an instant comeback.
However, the story has been a more complex one for Newcastle’s bitter rivals Sunderland. The Black Cats have not been in the Premier League since 2017 and suffered a back-to-back relegation to League One.
Sunderland spent four seasons in the third tier before winning the play-off final at Wembley three years ago. They now have a shot at Premier League promotion and all the riches that come with it.
Newcastle fans will be paying close attention as the prospect of a Tyne-Wear derby looms. Eddie Howe brushed aside the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light in the FA Cup last season but the fixture was last played at Premier League level in March 2016.
Chris Wilder references Newcastle United – a subtle Sunderland dig?
Sheffield United – who finished third in the regular Championship campaign – stand in Sunderland’s way of making Tyne-Wear derbies a regular occurrence. Blades boss Wilder noted Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool as motivation to get over the line.
“I reference Newcastle all the time regarding it (playing at Wembley),” he told The Star. “The Geordies turned up at Wembley and got the job done. There are great examples of that, just as many as the negative parts of it.
“I don’t feel there’s a negativity because of our previous campaigns,” Wilder said via The Star. “There feels like a freshness about it, a real belief that we can make history and put to bed all the other things that have gone on previously.
“I’ve witnessed the majority of it. We’ve been on a journey since 2016. Six years in League One, and I don’t think anyone thought we’d get out of League One in our first season. We’ve had to suffer other things.”
Eddie Howe ‘on the fence’ about Tyne-Wear derby
Howe avoided answering a question about whether he wanted Sunderland promoted at last week’s press conference. He said: “I think I was asked about this yesterday, and I am very much sat on the fence.
“If the games come, we’ll embrace the games. But it’s interesting to see the playoffs, obviously I saw a bit of the game last night (Bristol City 0-3 Sheffield United), and I think the playoffs always had a lot of drama, so let’s wait and see.”
Sunderland manager knows importance of Newcastle United rivalry
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris downplayed a rivalry with Middlesbrough before the two clubs met in September – insisting Newcastle are their main competitors. He told reporters: “The most important derby to my knowledge is Newcastle United. Middlesbrough is an interesting fixture but I am not sure if it is a specific derby.
“When we played against local teams at Lorient, we had a specific derby against Brest but we played against Nantes, Rennes, Angers. Maybe we could create many derbies.”
