Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth was full of praise for Alex Neil, and spoke of the 'David vs Goliath' nature of the upcoming play-off final...
TOUGH JOB
“He’s done a brilliant job. He’s got some good players and it’s a tough job, Sunderland. I was publicly linked with that job a few years ago and it really is a tough, tough job when you find out just how big that club can be."
PHENOMENAL
“They are probably the biggest club outside the Premier League. So for us to be playing them in a final is just phenomenal, and the job he has done so far has been fantastic.”
UNDERDOGS
"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."
SUCCESS
“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.”
WEREN'T FANCIED
“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."
BIG SEASON
“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.”
EXPERIENCE
“We’ve got a bit of experience. I have got a few boys who were with me from the 2020 final and they know that this isn’t just another game. You can’t say it’s just another game as it’s at Wembley Stadium and you’ve got to embrace it. In a way, there is a different way of playing in a final than there is in a league game, because you’ve got to go through it to know what it’s all about.
DRESSING ROOM DYNAMICS
“I was lucky enough to do it as a player, and I am hoping that some of my experienced boys who have been there and done it will help the younger ones get through. The experience around the dressing room will be vital for me, and it will be an interesting dynamic with some of the boys coming through who have lit up the season."
CROWD
“And that’s going to be key for us as it’s going to be the biggest crowd that most of my players have ever played in front of. It might be the record highest attended League One play-off final ever and the biggest support Wycombe Wanderers have taken away this century. The boys won’t hide away from it as I want them to embrace it and I want them to know what this is all about."
