Ex-Sunderland man bidding to seal Wembley trip in pivotal play-off semi-final clash
Mike Dodds left Sunderland for Wycombe Wanderers earlier in the season.
After Sunderland’s play-off triumph over Coventry City in midweek, former Black Cats coach Mike Dodds will be bidding to seal a trip to Wembley of his own with new club Wycombe Wanderers on Thursday evening.
The 38-year-old left Wearside earlier in the season to take over at Adams Park, guiding the Chairboys to a fifth-placed finish in League One after a disappointing late slump in form that saw his side lose three consecutive matches at the end of the regular campaign.
As a consequence, Dodds and his squad have been rewarded with a two-legged semi-final clash against Charlton Athletic, who ended the season one point and one place above Wycombe. The first leg between the two teams took place last week, and ended in a 0-0 stalemate on Wanderers’ home patch. The subsequent reverse fixture will kick off at 8pm this evening, with Leyton Orient awaiting the winner at Wembley later this month.
What has Mike Dodds said ahead of League One play-off semi-final second leg?
After dropping out of the automatic spots and down to fifth in the latter stages of the campaign, Dodds admitted that hearing Wycombe supporters sing his name during the first leg of their play-off semi-final provided him with a timely boost.
As quoted by Bucks Free Press, he said: “I’ll be honest, I felt quite deflated after the 3-1 home defeat against Stockport because I’m desperate to do well for the football and the fans.”
On the supporters who attended the match last week, he continued: “I thought they were unbelievable. I think I heard them cheer my name near the end of the second half, and it was a real pick-me-up. I appreciated that.”
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What was said about Mike Dodds’ Sunderland exit?
Speaking at the time, Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman offered his reaction to Dodds’ exit, stating: “I think with a lot of the members of staff behind the scenes it’s often not abundantly clear as to how important they are. You’ve got to remember, Mike joined us in League One. He took the chance, and wanted to be part of, the journey. He’s been really instrumental in so many areas of the club, and obviously ultimately more recently stepped in on behalf of the club to take the team. Just really really pleased with the opportunity he’s got, and really proud that we’re developing those kind of people.”
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