OK, so my title may be a bit misleading. The two sides will meet on Monday May 25 for the Championship play-off final for the chance to play in the Premier League next season. In terms of financial reward there really is no greater prize in world football, with the winner set for a £40million+ windfall and the chance to take on Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League’s big boys.
Play-off finals are always great occasions, for the winner and the neutral at least, and this one should be no different. Lancashire side Burnley have been a great side in the cup competitions this year and even upset the League Cup odds by knocking out Premiership heavyweights Chelsea, before suffering last minute heart-ache at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final. Burnley boss Owen Coyle knows all about play-off finals, he was on the winning Bolton Wanderers side way back in 1994 when they came back from 2-0 down to defeat Reading in a truly great play-off final and I for one am hoping for similar exploits when Burnley and Sheffield United meet on Sunday.
Sheffield United did well to get past an in-form Preston side in their semi-final and should go into the game brimming with confidence. On paper they are perhaps the better side but when it gets to this stage that counts for very little. The Blades are still smarting from their Premier League relegation two years ago and have plans in place to ‘become a top ten Premier League side’ according to chairman Kevin McCabe anyway.
United boss Kevin Blackwell was in charge of Leeds United when they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Watford in the 2006 play-off final and he won’t want to suffer the same heartache again. He will have all his players seriously buoyed up for this encounter, as will Coyle, and this will be a game well worth watching if you have the chance on Monday at 15.00 (GMT).
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