IT’S DAVID V GOLIATH AT WEMBLEY – AINSWORTH
GARETH Ainsworth has no doubt that his side will be the underdogs heading into the League One play-off final, and says it will be a case of David v Goliath under the Wembley arch this afternoon.
Sunderland will be backed by around 46,000 supporters to Wycombe’s 22,000 and while they may be outnumbered, Ainsworth is going to use that to tailor his approach.
The Chairboys are no strangers to the League One play-offs, having won the final against Oxford United behind closed doors.
They finished in the top six thanks to points-per-game after the Covid-19 pandemic halted play. There was a four-month wait for the play-offs to take place, but it was Ainsworth’s side who defied the odds to win promotion and they are looking to repeat that feat.
Speaking to the Bucks Free Press ahead, Ainsworth said: “We’re going to be the underdogs and that is going to be our approach as that’s how we do things here.
“This is a David and Goliath without a shadow of a doubt, and I am very proud to say that this could be the biggest away following Wycombe have had this century.
“That is phenomenal considering there were a few cup runs the club had in the 2000s (2001 FA Cup run and the 2006/07 League Cup run), and this is what football is about. We are a successful side in 2021/22, we’ve got 83 points and we’ve got nothing to lose.
“I want my boys to show what they can do.”
On reaching the final, Ainsworth said: “We would have taken a play-off final at the start of the season all day.
“With everything we experienced in the Championship, we were still not fancied to go straight back up, and rightly so, as we haven’t gone straight back up, but we weren’t fancied for the play-offs.
“And this season was big because two years ago, people always say it was down to points-per-game.
“We still had to win the play-offs but that doesn’t seem to matter to anyone.
“This time, we’ve got to the play-offs after playing 46 games and we’re now in the final which is a great achievement, and I am looking forward to the match on Saturday.”