The Championship playoff final is a time for heroes … and a big cash prize

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

This means more. Though in truth, this means more money. Probably not enough money. But a lot of money nonetheless. The long weekend stretching ahead involves English football turning its attention to Wembley and the Football League playoffs. Step forward, David Prutton, Andy Hinchcliffe and, of course, Gary Weaver, the poet laureate of portentous commentary, teeth gritted in anticipation that the very next moment could be the one that changes destiny, changes history, becomes time for heroes. Unleash the Weavergasm.

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First up, the big one, Saturday’s Championship decider between Sheffield United and Sunderland. The cash prize most recently quoted is £170m. The most valuable game in football, they say. The target is the best league in the world™. The lucky winners trouser a load of cash by gaining entry to a competition likely beyond their capabilities. It was only this week Manchester United and Spurs were serving up their Bigger Vase turkey of a final, with the honour of getting gubbed each week in Bigger Cup’s mega-group stage next season heading to Tottenham.

Coincidentally, the winning manager in Bilbao, Ange Postecoglou, seemingly modelled his flamin’ tactics on those of 100% Blade Chris Wilder, who will lead out his beloved club at Wembley. It wouldn’t take too much to transpose Richarlison’s role as chief agitator at San Mamés to a Wilder team. Not that he is without tactical innovations; who can forget those overlapping centre-backs of six years ago? Everyone thinks they know what to expect from a Wilder team, though this current group is much changed from the doomed relegation team he inherited last season for his second spell at Blades. They will give everything for the cause, run their hearts out and defend like demons. So would you if Wilder was waiting for you in the dressing room. Régis Le Bris, Sunderland’s manager who sounds like he should be a high-end West End restaurateur, has proved himself the best of the Eurocrat designer coaches in the Championship.

The attack-minded Le Bris commands a set of sparkling young guns, including Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham. Chat to fans of either finalist, and the excitement of playing in the Premier League is tempered by recent experience and the terrible record of recently promoted teams. “We are really aligned, really together on the plan and we’re going to attack the Premier League in our way, so it’s really exciting,” roared Russell Martin, while signing a new contract following Southampton’s playoff win a year ago. “We’re not going to go mental,” Luton manager Rob Edwards cheered two years back in the aftermath of victory at Wembley. “We have to play to our strengths which is what we’ve tried to keep going since I’ve come in.” Neither went well. This means more … of the same?

QUESTION TIME

Ben Fisher will be at Wembley on Saturday to answer Matchday live reader questions about the playoff final in the buildup to the game. If you have a burning desire to ask him something, email Matchday.live@theguardian.com.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join John Brewin from 7.45pm BST for hot Serie A title-deciding clockwatch coverage of Como 0-0 Inter and Napoli 0-0 Cagliari.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

I get that emotions are high, you’ve got two teams that have got a lot at stake fighting it out on the pitch. But we as a football club can’t accept somebody spitting in the face of one of our staff” – Ross County chief suit Steven Ferguson condemns the Livingston fan accused of spitting on assistant boss Carl Tremarco after the teams’ Scottish Premiership playoff final first leg 1-1 draw.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

As a confirmed slacker who has been lazily praying for a big fat pay-off from The Man for some time now, it saddens me to see Ruben Amorim offer to leave without compensation should his employers have noticed that he really isn’t very good at the job (yesterday’s Football Daily). Perhaps young Ruben would like to spare a thought for all of us other hopeless underachievers out there, for whom a compensated pay-off is a goal rather than an unnecessary encumbrance” – Colin Reed.

Re: Kevin Goddard’s missive (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), the avian description he is desperately looking for is ‘C0ckerels’. Furthermore, it stands out a mile that he’s not watched Spurs recently because, believe it or not, that poor final with its scrappy goal was by no means the most awful and inept performance we have had to endure this season” – Stephen Rankin.

After watching the paint dry on Wednesday evening in Bilbao, I spared a thought for Harry Kane and wondered which was the lesser trophy-winning achievement? Beating the 16th-placed Premier League team in a European final of low quality, or capturing the Bundesliga with perennial underachievers, Bayern Munich (16 out of the last 20 titles, but who’s counting?). Anyway, congrats Harry and Ange and Tottenham” – Che Matthews.

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Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Colin Reed, who lands some Football Weekly merch. We’ll be in touch. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here.

RAIN ON YOUR PARADE?

Here at Football Daily Towers we usually leave the weather reporting for other Big Website departments but, given that we have to make the above subhead work, we feel obliged to update you on the forecast for the various trophy parades that are taking place over the weekend. First up, you may have heard that Tottenham Hotspur or Spurs will be dusting off an open-top bus to show off Bigger Vase down Tottenham High Road (18C, cloudy) at 5.30pm (BST). The 17-year-wait for silverware has made the victory lap such a big deal that the offspring of some Football Daily employees have been sent home early from school despite living six miles away.

On Monday Liverpool will finally set off on their eight-mile schlep through the city (14C, rain) to show off a league title trophy for the first time since 1990 (the bus was kept in storage in 2020 due to Covid). Many fans will be playing spot Jürgen Klopp, with the former manager having said in March he will be attending. But perhaps the most eye-catching celebratory bus trip will be that taken by Crystal Palace (17C, rain) to show off the first major trophy in their history. It promises to be short, sweet and incredibly loud as the bus cruises down Whitehorse Lane to Holmesdale Road. The playoff finals mean there could be even more parades on Monday (and maybe even Tuesday) with Sheffield United (14C, rain) Sunderland (14C, rain), Charlton (17C, rain), Leyton Orient (17C, rain), Wimbledon (17C, rain on Tuesday) or Walsall (14C rain on Tuesday) possibly joining the hit parades.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Former Manchester United player Brandon Williams has received a suspended jail sentence for dangerous driving after he reached almost 100mph before crashing his car in Handforth, Cheshire.

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Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah have been included by Thomas Tuchel for England’s matches next month, but Harry Maguire, Marc Guéhi, Dominic Solanke have not received the call/WhatsApp. Full squad here, but still no recall for Morris Danc [Snip – Football Daily Ed].

Phil Foden has also been left out, but Pep Guardiola thinks a change [of summer plans] may do him good. “For us he’s a baby, a baby boy from the academy,” sniffed Guardiola. “That’s the most important thing. He needs rest and it’s going to happen now, after Sunday.”

Xabi Alonso is poised to be announced as Real Madrid boss after the club finally confirmed Brazil-bound Carlo Ancelotti’s exit.

And Craig Gordon, 78, has signed on for another season as Hearts’ goalkeeper and says he is “determined to make it better than the last”.

ROAD TO HAMPDEN

It’s Aberdeen v Celtic in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday and Dons boss Jimmy Thelin is using Oliver Glasner’s Wembley shock as a template for success. “Does Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup last weekend show what can happen? Yes!” he bugled. “A final is always a final. If you go into the game in the right [frame of mind] … the possibility is always there.”

STILL WANT MORE?

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola gets his chat on with Ben Fisher about his record-breaking season, his love of the south coast and, erm, birdsong.

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For the final time this season, all together now, 10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend! And Ben McAleer picks out 10 players who may be heading for the big top flight door marked Do One this summer so you don’t have to.

Podcasts, ITV, Fox? Gary Lineker transfer speculation swirls after his BBC exit, writes Michael Savage.

John Ashdown on how watching Sheffield United in playoff finals has been a lifetime of hurt.

“It is my favourite place, my lucky place, and it stays with me all the time.” Jerzy Dudek tells Andy Hunter how the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ changed his life.

Suzanne Wrack notes that Alessia Russo has hit another level – but will it be enough against Barça?

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How bad was Spurs v Manchester United in comparison to other European club finals? Michael Butler investigates.

And Jonathan Wilson reckons United face an urgent dilemma: ditch Amorim or revamp the squad?

MEMORY LANE

It’s playoff final weekend: with Charlton and Sunderland bound for Wembley in the League One and Championship deciders, respectively, our minds inevitably drift back to one of the all-time greatest games in May 1998. But to get there in the first place, Charlton needed to see off Ipswich Town in the semis, which is precisely what Mark Bright and co did with 1-0 victories in either leg. The vanquished opposition for Sunderland in their semi … Sheffield United.

ANOTHER BANK HOLIDAY, IS IT? SEE YOU AGAIN ON TUESDAY