- 20/05/2025
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00:00Chris, what kind of an opportunity is this for the club, for the players, for everyone?
00:04Yeah, fantastic one. Talk about opportunities, great opportunities give you a chance to make great memories as well.
00:11So not only, yeah, of course, what's attached to the game from a financial point of view for the football club,
00:16of course, it's talked about heavily. But for me, you know, the opportunity of going back to the Premier League
00:22with our football club and for the players, the opportunity of pitting themselves against players
00:29the best players in the world.
00:32How much are you relishing managing Sheffield United at Wembley?
00:35Yeah, it's going to be a proud moment for, I should imagine, for anybody in my position.
00:42Mayer Street, a connection for the football club to lead the club out at Wembley Stadium.
00:46I should imagine in front of, you know, close to, if not over 80,000 supporters,
00:52one of the biggest games in world football, as people talk about.
00:55It's a great, great honour and privilege and responsibility.
00:59But I've got to do my job right and that's the first and foremost and we're here to win.
01:04We talked about it at length. I know you've obviously been here locally as well.
01:08We talked about the reset after the Burnley game, which was really important,
01:12giving players valuable minutes, resting a few players, resetting physically,
01:16but most importantly, resetting mentally.
01:18And I've been absolutely delighted in terms of the reaction that we've got from the Burnley game.
01:22You know, I should imagine the narrative was a negative one.
01:27And then you have to pile on all the stuff that everybody locally
01:30and possibly nationally talks about our playoff record,
01:33but that's not touched as one bit, one single ounce of that has not gone into my thinking
01:39or the players thinking.
01:41They're ultra positive.
01:42They're focused.
01:44They're excited as well.
01:45And they're really looking forward to the challenge of going to Wembley
01:50and hopefully getting that win that we're all after.
01:55You've managed at this stadium before.
01:57You've won here.
01:58So what is it like winning at Wembley?
02:00Yeah, I mean, it's not a place for losers, is it?
02:03Watching the cup final last weekend and you saw the contrast between arguably one of the best teams
02:12in the country over the past 10 years against an outsider
02:17and the joy and the elation of Crystal Palace.
02:22We've got some connections there with Dean Henderson, obviously.
02:24Delighted for Dean and the disappointment and the pain that Manchester City feel,
02:32even though they've won everything that's to be won in European football and domestic football.
02:38So it's no place to lose, as everybody talks about.
02:43A lot of people talk about, you know, it's the best way to go up.
02:46I've been consistent with that I would have rather have gone up automatically,
02:49but we've given an opportunity and we've taken it
02:53and we have another opportunity awaiting us on Saturday afternoon.
02:58Have you been too busy?
02:59Have you had five minutes to drop Dean Henderson a text?
03:01Yeah, I have actually, yeah.
03:02Yeah, I've got one back as well.
03:03So, yeah, delight for Dean.
03:05He was outstanding on the day and he was a major player in terms of them lifting the trophy.
03:12And it was good to see as well.
03:13I thought from a neutral's point of view, Newcastle winning in the Carabao Cup
03:19and Crystal Palace winning in the FA Cup as well, I think it's good.
03:23What's been your message to the players this week
03:25and how have you tried to manage them out of this game?
03:28I haven't had to manage them at all.
03:29The focus, you know, we're always looking and getting the feel right to the week
03:36after, you know, two great performances, a memorable night at Bramall Lane last Monday.
03:42I've got to say, when I look back at that evening,
03:46the noise, the energy that the supporters gave us, the feel of it was incredible.
03:53One of the best nights I've witnessed as anything regarding as a player, supporter and manager at Bramall Lane.
04:01And I know that's been said by a lot of people.
04:04There's a load of energy around this football club at the moment.
04:08And we have to take that into Saturday.
04:11But no, you know, we have to get the preparation right.
04:14We have to get the detail right.
04:15That's really important.
04:17As I've said, one of my old favourites.
04:18And I just imagine the players are a little bit bored of me saying it.
04:21You know, I think, you know, everybody wants to win.
04:23Some want to win more than others.
04:24But it's how you prepare for these situations.
04:28Physically, we're in a good shape.
04:29We've got everybody available, which is fantastic news.
04:32They're all knocking on the door.
04:33They're all putting their hand up to play, which I'm not surprised about.
04:36So physically, we're in a great place from an availability point of view.
04:41Tactically, we've got to find a way to get the job done, to execute the game plan.
04:46Technically, we've got really good players.
04:48That's the good thing about it.
04:49I've got a real good group of players that can produce big moments,
04:53that can keep clean sheets, that can play on the big stage, big occasion.
04:58And the mentality has been really consistent.
05:02So I'm enjoying watching the players.
05:04I'm liking where they're at at the moment.
05:07There's no guarantees, of course,
05:09but I don't think we could have prepared any better.
05:11And we're ready.
05:12You've got a lot of options.
05:14Do you know your team?
05:15Yeah, of course, yeah.
05:16We've worked on that.
05:18But I think the way modern football is now,
05:24Rob, is the use of your substitutions.
05:28We've always been proactive in terms of our substitutions.
05:31There's always, you know, a go-to if we're chasing a game or needed to change it up
05:36or if we need to see a game out.
05:38I think that's the modern way.
05:41Usage of the substitutions has got a vital part to play.
05:44Just looking at the last two games that we've played,
05:49the substitutes have had an impact.
05:51I was a little bit critical towards the back end of the season
05:56in terms of the impact that maybe the substitutes should have made.
06:00But now they're really making an impact.
06:02So everybody's got a part to play.
06:04And everybody had a part to play since the start of the season.
06:06So I'm not wavered from that.
06:08I'm not wavered from how we are as a football club.
06:10We're an all-in football club.
06:12You know, it's not about you.
06:14It's about what happens with the group and the team.
06:18And the group wins and the group loses.
06:20But we're in a good place.
06:21You know, we've won, what, 30 games out of 48 this season.
06:25So we're a winning football team.
06:27We're going for wins.
06:28I think 63-64% win ratio this season.
06:31So we know how to win.
06:34And that has got to be our focus on Saturday.
06:38We're going to go for a win and back ourselves.
06:43Michael Cooper spoke a little earlier and he said when he joined the club,
06:46it really helped him having a manager who knew Sheffield United and what it was all about.
06:51How do you impart your knowledge and experience of this club onto new signings?
06:55And can that knowledge and experience help in a week like this?
06:59Well, the recruitment part of it, of course, you know, is part data-driven, but part feel.
07:07Subjective and objective as well.
07:08So we do our own work on players and we bring players here who we believe can be a success.
07:14And he's certainly been a huge success for us.
07:16And we bring players to the football club for days like Saturday.
07:21Yeah, of course, we would have loved to have gone up automatically.
07:23And I've said it consistently.
07:26You know, the two teams above us have had an incredible season.
07:29And I certainly don't see it as a failure.
07:30I know some people think that, but I certainly don't in terms of the challenges
07:36that we've had to overcome right the way through.
07:38And we've talked at length in here previously about it.
07:42So 92 points wasn't enough.
07:46You know, 101 might not have been enough the way those two have gone about it.
07:52So maybe credit to them and maybe taking a little bit of negativity away from us, I believe,
08:01especially with the challenges that we've had to face.
08:03So maybe both the other clubs have had big challenges, of course,
08:07but maybe not on the scale of what we've had to cope with.
08:11But that's it.
08:12That's done and dusted.
08:14And as I said, we've got an opportunity on Saturday.
08:18But these players come to this football club for big days, big games, big occasions,
08:22and they don't come any bigger than Saturday.
08:24Just one final one on Cooper.
08:25He was asked how would he describe his style of goalkeeping, and he said it chilled.
08:31Does that resonate with what he said?
08:33Yeah, I like it.
08:33And how much does it help having a keeper who's quite chilled?
08:36Well, I've gone from one extreme to the other, haven't I, really?
08:39In terms of having the lunatic in goal for us for two seasons.
08:44It was absolutely outstanding.
08:45And I love him to pieces.
08:47I think he's, for me, the best goalkeeper in the country.
08:51Every time I send him a message, you always say, England's number one, how are you?
08:54And he always comes back in a positive fashion.
08:58And Michael's completely different to it.
09:01So, yeah, listen, ideally, well, the job is to keep the ball out the back of the net.
09:05It's to be calm.
09:06It's to make big saves.
09:07It's to make big saves in big moments when they have to.
09:10And they've both done that.
09:11Michael's contribution to the team this year has been outstanding.
09:16It was a smart signing for us.
09:18And Michael's grown and grown.
09:21And, you know, hopefully this is just another step up for him.
09:27He certainly can play at the highest level.
09:28And that's what we're all aiming to do come Saturday night.
09:32Chris Cavanagh's the referee.
09:34193 yellow cards, seven reds this season.
09:37Do you talk to your players about that?
09:38We know he's a respected Premier League referee, so I've not really gone into the detail regarding yellows and reds.
09:46Yeah, of course, the sort of landscape's changed in terms of the VAR being involved at the weekend.
09:53We had Craig Pawson in at the football club on Monday to go through certain situations and certain scenarios as well.
10:00So I was thankful for that option that we had.
10:04So we've talked to him because the game at that level and refereeing at Premier League level is a different one to championship football.
10:13But we have to play the game cleanly.
10:15We have to be disciplined in our approach.
10:16But we have to be competitive.
10:20So challenging both that competitive aspect, emotional approach as well, because it has to be.
10:29There has to be that fire in your belly, and no doubt there will be.
10:31There's no need.
10:34I don't ever feel I have to motivate my players to pull on our red and white shirt.
10:39I might have to do it now and again at half time, give them a little bit of a poke.
10:43But this group has been motivated right the way through.
10:45So getting the balance right between nice and calm and cool and playing our game and playing in the flow that we have played recently to being competitive and wanting to win.
10:59So we've got to get that balance right.
11:01I think that's said in any big game, in any final, that the team that handles the occasion and plays the game is going to come out on top.
11:10And we've certainly got to do that.
11:11What kind of game do you expect against Sunderland?
11:13I don't know.
11:14I don't know.
11:16I can go on how they played at the start of the season.
11:18I could go on how they played at their place.
11:20Or I could go on in the last two games.
11:23So, you know, everybody has a way of playing.
11:26So we have to prepare for both aspects.
11:30You know, as I said, all three games, two of the three games have been different.
11:37And I don't know how this game is going to pan out.
11:38If I was going off the commentary game, you've seen it.
11:41So if they sit in, then we have to break them down.
11:44But they've played against us at their place where we missed a penalty and we made a couple of mistakes and they punished us.
11:53And we pushed second half.
11:56We weren't strong enough.
11:56I think one of the things that I've talked about is when you talk about substitutions and strength in depth, you know, I look at our bench that day and basically it was another 21 bench.
12:07So that had to be dealt with in January, which certainly have.
12:12I think if you look at our bench now, especially at the weekend, it would be, you know, completely different one to that, the one that was on the 1st of January.
12:23And the home game, they started off very well.
12:25You know, watch them play, the young side, and they've got plenty of energy and plenty of personality and they've got quality.
12:31They've got frets all over the pitch because they wouldn't have got the points that they've got if they weren't a good side.
12:37And I think the same with us.
12:39We wouldn't have got 92 points if we had not done a lot of things right.
12:42So they've done a lot of things right.
12:44So I'll respect that.
12:46And but we've done a lot of things right as well.
12:49So we have to we have to make sure that we're we're we're bang at it and we execute our game plan, whatever is put in front of us.
12:56I appreciate this is not going to have any impact on the game itself, but 14 points difference between the two teams.
13:01There's never been a bigger gap between two playoff finalists ever going back to 1988.
13:08Does that speak to, if nothing else, the achievement of this season at Sheffield United?
13:12And now it's just a case of finishing the job.
13:15100 percent.
13:16Yeah, we can take confidence that we've that we've been consistently good right the way through the season, apart from one daft week, really.
13:24And as I said, you know, we'd have won two out of three games.
13:27It might still not have been enough.
13:29So we can take confidence and belief of of that.
13:34We've been we've been pretty good all season and we need to be pretty good in the biggest game of the lot.
13:40We were excellent in both semifinals.
13:44And so we've we've reset as we talked about the performance at Stoke was good.
13:49I believe we did enough to beat Blackburn at home on the last game of the season.
13:53So currently we're playing well.
13:55We feel the field is a flow to us.
13:58There's a confidence and belief we can keep a clean sheet and we can score.
14:03So and we know we're going to have to be, you know, excellent in a lot of a lot of departments on Saturday.
14:09And if we did, then then it makes our our job more difficult.
14:14But go and go and execute that game plan.
14:17You know, we've it's it's obviously the the plan was after after the Burnley game to reset, get yourself right, plan for it and then go and execute it.
14:29And we've executed the first bit.
14:31Now we're going to have to execute the biggest bit.
14:33Finally, you've had a few.
14:34But would this be your best promotion?
14:37I think we'll talk about that afterwards, Rob.
14:41Every promotion special, whatever it whatever it's been, whether it's the one at Wembley when I was a young manager at Oxford United and or whether it was, you know, the others that I've had.
14:51And everyone has got a special memory, of course, and but we've put ourselves in the position, not just me, but the club.
14:58That's the most important thing, the club to get promoted.
15:00And off the back of that, you know, I've always this this this stories, this this this this that people want to talk about certain individuals and players and managers or whatever.
15:12And I'll be happy to talk about that afterwards.
15:15But knowing that I've got to be a good football manager on on Saturday afternoon,
15:20we've done well so far, but there's no medals handed out to us because we've been pretty good all season.
15:28That will be happening on Saturday afternoon if we're good.
15:30The players good individually and we're good as a collective and we do the business and and and get that win that we're all after.
15:39As I said, there's an enormous amount of energy around the place.
15:43I feel it living in the city as well.
15:45Well, I know people want to talk about the negativity of the playoffs, but I've not felt that one bit at all.
15:52You know, I think we're close to, if not sold out, which is, I think, testament to the belief that the supporters have got the energy and the atmosphere.
15:59And the second leg was as best I've felt as a Sheffield United supporter, player and manager.
16:07And we need to to bring it all together on Saturday afternoon to get that win.
16:11And then I'll be absolutely delighted to talk about another promotion, but still a job to do.
16:16Thanks, Chris.
16:17It's two huge clubs, historic clubs as well at Wembley.
16:25This is a great advert for the English game, right?
16:27Yeah, 100 percent.
16:29You know, Sunderland, incredibly well supported football club.
16:34You know, we watched the second game on to Coventry.
16:38The atmosphere was absolutely electric and that the energy and the support that their supporters gave their players was incredible.
16:47Two tough games against Coventry City.
16:49I think Frank will be a little bit disappointed and Coventry City maybe have not to have got that win.
16:53But that's what happens over two games.
16:55They found a way to win and they'll want to find a way to win on Saturday afternoon.
17:00So, yeah, two big clubs and going head to head in a sea of red and white on Saturday afternoon.
17:08You mentioned, like, they played completely different ways this season, Sunderland as well.
17:12But what do you make of that squad?
17:13Because it's full of young players as well, maybe without too much experience, lacking a bit of fear as well, maybe.
17:20Well, it's both ways.
17:21You don't know, do you?
17:22Unless you've got a crystal ball.
17:23No, I don't.
17:24Who knows?
17:26So, who knows how it rocks up?
17:28You know, it's a new occasion for them.
17:32We've got a certain amount of experience which we can fall back on.
17:36Some of our players have played in big games.
17:38You know, Callum's played in semi-finals of the FA Cup.
17:40Gus has played in, you know, in playoff games.
17:43They've all played in big games, even locally.
17:46You know, that's quite a big game for the young players.
17:50The likes of Sidipek and Cooper, who's not played in no type of games, and Harrison Burrow.
17:55So, they've all witnessed it and felt it.
17:56But, as I said, it's about what happens on the day and who deals with everything that gets thrown into what is a huge football match.
18:04So, yeah, they've got some talented players.
18:08They've got some, you know, young players, but they've got some experience as well.
18:11You know, they've got Mepham and they've got Ballard and they've got some other guys.
18:14You know, the captain's an experienced player and Patrick Roberts has been around the block and he's a good player.
18:21Alan Brown's involved with them as well.
18:24So, yeah, it can work both ways.
18:27We've got a pretty young side as well.
18:28So, with that sprinkling of experience.
18:31So, both teams are balanced.
18:33Yeah, of course, they're the youngest of the two teams and possibly one of the youngest teams in the Championship.
18:41And they've done, you know, remarkably well to get themselves in the position.
18:45And they can be very proud of their efforts.
18:47You mentioned Callum O'Hare there.
18:49And, yeah, they had that experience at Wembley in that semi-final.
18:52I mean, he's got that extra level of resilience, though.
18:54And I guess in these sorts of situations, having that in your locker, something to fall back on,
18:59can give you something extra at this sort of moment, right?
19:03I don't think that they need anything, I've got to say.
19:06I certainly don't.
19:07You know, I'm struggling to, you know, express how much it means to all of us.
19:11And whatever story that they have, well, it's Callum's story that, you know, his experiences at Wembley
19:18or mine being locally or other players that want to go and achieve.
19:23I want to go and play in the Premier League, you know.
19:25I can't really express how much this will mean to us.
19:28But we've got to channel all that.
19:30We've got to harness all that to make sure that we're right and we're nice and calm and we're focused
19:34and we play as best we can individually and as a team.
19:38And as I said, the stories afterwards will all come out.
19:42And I think basically it's only you guys that want to obviously pick up these stories
19:46and I get that and that's the job and that's the media.
19:49So I understand that.
19:51But we've all got, you know, an ambition and an aim and a dream to play in the Premier League
19:57and to get to the Premier League.
19:59And we got close and then we have that ability with the opportunity of the playoffs
20:06and going to Wembley on Saturday.
20:09How different are you from the manager who took Oxford United up at Wembley?
20:12Because I've watched back some of that and you look quite similar actually.
20:15But how much have you changed as a manager since then?
20:19Well, I think every experience you have, you have to learn from.
20:22So in terms of, as I've just said, personally, my desire and ambition and commitment
20:29is as big as it's ever been.
20:32And the fire in me is as bright as it's ever been, as you can imagine as well, with the connections.
20:40But, you know, you learn right the way through your career.
20:42And I don't think you're ever too old to stop learning through every experience.
20:48And, you know, I'm learning stuff now that's new to me, that can improve me and can improve our staff
20:55and it can improve ultimately our football club.
20:57So, you know, I've not got all the answers.
21:00I've never said I had.
21:01I'm not arrogant enough to think that, you know, I've been there, you know, seen it and done it all.
21:07Because football's not like that.
21:10You know, there's been down days as well.
21:12And there's been a couple of stints personally that, you know, I don't think personally my career should be defined by.
21:18But, you know, I think if you're from this part of the world, you know, when you do get poked a little bit,
21:24you want to come roaring back and swinging.
21:26So certainly I've got that in the locker and the club has as well from last year.
21:33A disappointing year, even though we were incredibly undercut.
21:37In terms of at the start of the season, the recruitment and losing two players, our best two.
21:45So it was a real difficult, difficult situation for Paul and the players going into an unforgiving league.
21:53And, you know, you get not found out because we didn't get found out because basically, you know,
21:59the team at the start of the season was underprepared and undercooked.
22:04So it was always going to be an incredible struggle.
22:07So you have to feel that pain.
22:09You have to own that and you do what you do best, which has come fighting back.
22:13And we've certainly done that right away through the season.
22:16From the start where we were short on players, where we got the players in to all the other stuff that we talked about.
22:22Change of ownership that we've had to deal with and change of style.
22:26And obviously, you know, it goes without saying the loss of an incredibly popular player at our football club.
22:36Finally, what's it been like for you this week, given that you are a fan as well and you've got connections here everywhere?
22:43What's your experience been like this week?
22:45Yeah, it's been all right.
22:46It doesn't change.
22:48It doesn't change.
22:49It's just that the stakes get ramped up a little bit higher.
22:51But, you know, if we were playing a pre-season game, I'd still be getting the same noise and nonsense from people around me.
22:59That's excluding family, of course.
23:03But that's how it is.
23:05That's what you live for, what you strive for, what you have to deal with.
23:08And I've had to deal with it for quite a long time.
23:10So another week, yeah, it's just another week in the life of me managing my football club.
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