Gav says…
I think the Newcastle win was a reminder to everyone that this season is very much not over yet, and that this team is on the brink of achieving something that no other Sunderland team in history has ever done: qualifying for European competition through their league position.
Being able to give that joy and satisfaction back to the supporters after what’s already been a magical season so far is a huge honour, and I really hope they’re hugely motivated to make it happen.
That said, I think the best
approach is not to put too much pressure on ourselves to do it, and can probably derive some inspiration from the Sunderland side that reached the Championship playoffs in 2023.
Nobody had given us a hope in hell of finishing as highly as we did after promotion, and that complete lack of pressure allowed us to flourish where our competitors were probably under a lot more pressure and weren’t able to handle it.
In fact, there are players in the current squad who were part of that team and remember what it felt like going into that final run of games, where we seemed to gather pace and then, by the time we faced Preston on the final day, the shackles were completely off and we managed to finish in the top six.
Obviously, where we are now is a much greater challenge than that, but I do think that there is something to be said for embracing the fact nobody fancies us.
While the other teams around us are almost EXPECTING to qualify for Europe — and, in the case of some clubs, they NEED to qualify for Europe to ensure they don’t lose all their best players and find themselves massively restricted by cost-control measures in the summer — Sunderland just don’t have the same weight on their shoulders.
We have proven winners all over the pitch in this squad who know what it takes to get a team over the line, so I don’t doubt that we can do it. The key right now is to take it one game at a time and see where we end up — starting with Spurs on Sunday.
Beat them, and I might start to really believe that a top eight finish is a real possibility.
Ciaran McKenna says…
There’s a few different phrases that I think the lads need to keep in mind for these last few games.
Firstly: “Give it your all” — something the players have done well so far this season, but is vital now and really, it’s all we can ask from them.
If the lads do their absolute best, come the end of the season, we can rest easily knowing that the players did all they could. Also, with one hundred percent effort being put in, you’d think that positive results would follow — which is of course a benefit for our hopes of finishing as high as possible in the table.
Secondly: “Til the End”. Not my most imaginative creation, but it’s hard to argue against its relevance.
It clearly resonates with the squad, both off the back of last season and from our impressive resilience this season. It’s exactly what the players need to do: work their socks off until the last second of every game.
Working from the first whistle to the last is going to be an even more important characteristic than it’s been this season already. If each player never gives up and we fight relentlessly throughout, the sky is the limit for the red and white wizards.
John Wilson says…
The first thing that came into my mind when I wondered what could be said to motivate the players approaching the end of the season is that the players usually have to motivate themselves — I’m thinking of the games against Fulham, Brighton and West Ham, where they barely turned up.
That said, you would’ve thought it would be a self-motivating target to get this team into Europe. I mean, why would you not want to showcase your talents on the biggest stages? I’m sure it’ll be mentioned on the training ground and in the dressing room but for me, I don’t think motivation will (or should) be needed.
I think the team will take each challenge as it comes and be very close to making history for this club, but the most dangerous fixture for me is Wolves, as it’s the kind of match some might switch off for. It’s in our hands, and history and glory are knocking.
