Sunderland’s fourth place finish means they will travel to Lincoln first, before hosting the Imps in the second leg. There’s been a lot of apathy and negativity around the club recently, but the shining light is the recent announcement that fans will be allowed back in the Stadium of Light for the return fixture!
With that announcement came a new wave of emotion that I haven’t felt in a long time; excitement and optimism for the near future. The lads are playing Lincoln in the semi finals, which is the best outcome considering our history with every other team in the top eight. We’ve played the Imps twice in the league, drawing at home and comfortably winning 4-0 away. We also beat them on penalties in the Papa John’s Trophy, suggesting that Lee Johnson’s team has the mental edge.
The team has looked leggy and disinterested in recent weeks, but fans back in the stadium should provide a much-needed boost for the final stage of the season. Lee Johnson has spoken recently about hitting the “reset button” and what better time to do that than a ten-day break?
It’s no secret that Sunderland are too big to be in League One, whereas Lincoln would be punching above their weight in the Championship. This means that Lincoln City go into the competition with extremely low pressure compared to Sunderland fans’ immense expectations. I think that over two legs, that pressure will actually be beneficial to the Black Cats who have done it before. Look at the Jack Ross season, where we managed a 1-0 win against Portsmouth at home before going to Fratton Park and grinding out a 0-0.
Our victory at Wembley won’t go unnoticed either. The current crop of players and coaches have began to create a winning mentality for the big occasions, and there is no bigger occasion than Sunderland fans being at the ground for the first time in over a year.
Lee Johnson has already admitted that he has a selection ahead of the first leg of the semi final at centre half in regards to Tom Flanagan, "It’s a difficult one, The timing of it means that you’ve chased it, but at the same time, he’s got to feel right and be right. In an ideal world, I would like to have seen him in the game at the weekend (against Northampton). But that came a little bit early. Therefore, we’ve got to make a serious call, whatever that may be. I think there’s a serious call on three or four of the lads to be honest. That’s my job I suppose."
Johnson has also admitted that Lincoln aren't going to be a pushover and will provide a challenging obstacle in getting to Wembley, "I think Lincoln are a really good side, they’ve got a lot of athleticism, and I think their best XI is up there with the best in the league. They’ve got two wide men who are pacey, good footballers and a bit of bite in midfield, and a backline that, on their day, are very solid and secure. There’s no doubt that we’re going to have to be at our best over the potentially 180 plus minutes to get a result."
Despite the 4-0 win at Sincil Bank earlier this season, the gaffer isn't taking any risks in sounding too confident, "You consider everything, but at the same time, it’s the past and a lot of things have changed. I think you’ve got to really assess the last five or six games of the opposition, and also be honest about where you are as a team and a squad. There are a lot of people in different places, both mentally and physically, from both teams back on that day."
