Don’t let the nerves get to you Onuoha tells Cats
PLAY-OFF FINAL: Former defender’s warning
FORMER Sunderland defender Nedum Onuoha says the Black Cats should put their nerves to one side ahead of the League One play-off final against Wycombe Wanderers.
The Wearsiders have not won any of their previous play-off endeavours, but ended their Wembley hoodoo last year, lifting the Papa John’s Trophy in front of a derelict stadium.
Lynden Gooch and Luke O’Nien were the only players who started that game against Tranmere Rovers, to start in the semi-final second leg against Sheffield Wednesday.
The turnover of players since their previous play-off final defeat to Charlton Athletic, means there should be no lasting scars of defeat under the Wembley arch.
But that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of nerves ahead of the build-up. When asked is Sunderland will mentally prepare for the game in a different manner, Onuoha told Sports Mole: “Yeah, I think so because you’ve played a lot of games to get this opportunity. Obviously, you would have wanted to go up automatically, but this is the next chance.
“I’ve only played at Wembley once (for QPR). After we beat Wigan in the playoff semi-final in 2014, I remember feeling real excitement as I was holding the banner saying: ‘We’re going to Wembley’. You realise not everybody gets the chance to do that.”
The former Black Cats defender is hoping Sunderland will create their own bit of history this weekend.
He added: “When you’re getting ready for the game and you arrive [at Wembley], you understand the context of the game in terms of going into the next division. But then also, I’ve spoken with some of my friends like and he said, it’s only ever a great day if you win.
“You understand the importance of it because to be at Wembley and lose is awful, I’ve heard it’s literally awful because there’s nothing worth celebrating. You’ve had all your fans out there. “There’s the hope of something being at the end of it because you don’t play there for nothing, you’re not going to play out a draw, there has to be a result on the day and it has significant meaning to it, which is why it’s being played at Wembley.
“This is a one-off, this is the opportunity and you can’t do anything that either plays into the opposition’s hands or plays into not being at your absolute best for that occasion.
“When you arrive, you stay at the hotel and you can see the stadium from the hotel. You see your teams advertised on the boards and stuff outside, you get in there you see the crowd it’s incredible.
“It’s truly, truly historic to play there and you think of all the people that have played there beforehand, but in the same breath, you don’t want to be overawed by the occasion.
“I think whoever arrives there and feels a sense of: ‘Oh my god, I’m at Wembley, this is really nerve-wracking’, you know you’ll see them struggle. You can’t be comfortable because you don’t play there every single time, but you try and play your best game at Wembley because there’s something on the line and if you manage to do that, then you get rewarded.”