Ian Holloway has delivered his verdict on the Championship play-off final and paid tribute to both sides involved

Ian Holloway has shared his thoughts on next weekend’s Championship play-off final, hailing the Sunderland vs Sheffield United showdown at Wembley as a huge clash between two massive teams

Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated decider, Holloway described the occasion as one of the biggest in English football outside the Premier League. Holloway said: “It doesn’t come much bigger than that, does it? Wembley, full house, two great sides, two managers who’ve done a great job. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Holloway reserved praise for both teams’ journeys to the final, speaking about both teams’ semi-final clashes. He commended Coventry City for their performance in the narrow defeat to Sunderland and Bristol City for their run before running into a rampant Sheffield United.

“Coventry were very unlucky. Some of them did well to overcome the end of that last-minute goal. Bristol City did brilliantly to get there but came up against a Sheffield United side sore about missing out on automatic promotion,” Hollway added.

As for Sunderland, Holloway highlighted their ability to bounce back after a shaky finish to the regular season and praised their mental resilience to see off Coventry, a side who entered the play-offs in strong form. He added to talkSPORT: “Sunderland lost four or five games to end the season, yet they overcame a very in-form Coventry. That says a lot about their resolve. It’s definitely one to relish.”

The former QPR and Blackpool boss, who has guided sides through the play-offs himself, reflected on Chris Wilder’s impressive rebuild job at Bramall Lane, after the Blades were forced to reset following relegation from the Premier League and a mid-season managerial change.

Hollway added: “They had a fantastic season. Chris Wilder had to rebuild; they weren’t what was wanted at one point, but they ran Leeds and Burnley so close, it was unbelievable. To get so close to two 100-point teams says everything. They absolutely trounced Bristol City. In the first leg, it was harsh; you either give a penalty or send them off, not both. But in the second game, they slaughtered them.”

What has Le Bris said about the play-off final against Sheffield United?

Régis Le Bris hailed Sunderland’s campaign as a tremendous success, regardless of the outcome at Wembley — but insists his squad are fully focused on finishing the season in the best way possible.

The head coach is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits in the Championship play-off final, with opponents Sheffield United amassing 92 points during the regular season, despite starting with a two-point deduction, and cruising past Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate in their semi-final.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Following their dramatic and exhausting two-legged win over Coventry City, Sunderland’s players and staff were given Wednesday off to recover. Preparations for the Wembley showdown will begin in earnest when they return to the training ground on Thursday.

“Getting to the final shows that this season has been fantastic," Le Bris said. "It is very important to say that because you can win or lose at the end, but what we have lived together this season was absolutely brilliant. We cannot forget that. But at the same time, it is really important to think about Wembley now and the final game we have to play. We have one more game. It will be another tough challenge, but we will be really focused on that game now. We will switch our attention to Wembley towards the end of the week, and then we will have a full week to prepare for the game. That is the next step for us now."

Your next Sunderland read: James Copley: Sunderland fans must ignore tone-deaf insults of celebration police after Dan Ballard moment