Sunderland 'shouldn't be anywhere near League One' as they look to end Wembley woes

For the Black Cats, they'll be hoping it's a case of fourth time lucky as they look to end their lengthy stay in the third tier of England football after falling short in each of the previous three years.

After being beaten in the play-off final in 2019, Sunderland missed out on the top six in 2020 on points per game, before being knocked out in the play-off semi-finals by Lincoln last term.

However with Alex Neil giving the Wearsiders a much more steely look, the hope is that they can go all the way and earn promotion.

Neil has experience of Wembley success having led Norwich to promotion via the play-offs after beating Middlesbrough in 2015, and according to talkSPORT co-commentator and Sunderland legend Micky Gray, there's a feeling of calm around the club going into the weekend's clash.

He told talkSPORT.com: "There's a feeling of optimism more than anything else. I think that when we've been there in the past it's been the bizzarre situation where we've played the occasion rather than concentrating on the football itself.

"There's a little bit of calmness about this squad that we've got now and that's what Alex Neil has brought since he walked through the door.

"There's assurance at the back, we've looked a lot more solid than we have done earlier in the season and some of the results we had away from home, but there's certainly confidence.

"I don't know first hand if the players are confident, but based on the performances in the games that I've covered, I can certainly see it and it seems that everyone is on the same page."

Of course Micky Gray has his own experiences of Wembley Stadium having missed the decisive penalty in the 1998 First Division play-off final with Charlton to send the Addicks to the Premier League.

Asked how Sunderland can conquer the pressure gain a positive outcome after their recent woe at Wembley, Gray said: "They need to play the game and not the occasion.

"It's very difficult to try and switch yourself off from everything in the build-up to one of these games because everyone knows what's at stake.

"Every single player is different, there's certainly been changes in the playing squad.

"The experience in the starting eleven is something that you can fall back on, but also the ability and the goals that we've got in the set-up.

"I'm sure that Alex Neil has done his due diligence on Wycombe, but it's about what you can do as a team and whatever eleven players he picks on the day, they just have to be ready for this football match.

"They need to block everything out and play one game that is an absolutely huge game of football and play it to the best of your ability."

If Sunderland are to come out on top, they'll be hoping that star striker Ross Stewart can continue his fine scoring form.

The Scotland international has scored 25 times this term, including four against the Chairboys which will no doubt give him a real confidence boost ahead of the Wembley showdown, while the likes of Patrick Roberts will still be riding high after his winner in the play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday.

But while things are feeling positive for Sunderland at the moment, there's no doubt that there's a degree of pressure on the club.

For a club the size of the Black Cats, a fifth season in League One is incomprehensible, particularly given the financial restrictions that they're abiding by in the third tier.

According to Gray, it's essential that Sunderland earn promotion so that they can start building towards a much brighter for their incredible fanbase.

He explained: "We say it every season about how important it is to get back into the Championship, but you just look at that fan base.

"In the semi-final with Sheffield Wednesday there was 44,000 supporters at the Stadium Of Light, it's just incredible.

"We shouldn't be anywhere near League One, but circumstances haven't gone our way and we've put ourselves in this situation.

"Different managers have had a try and I think everybody is keeping their fingers crossed that Alex Neil is the man to make it happen.

"A club like Sunderland probably shouldn't be anywhere near League One.

"The Championship and Premier League over the next 6-8 years is progression.

"You've got to start with the foundations, but you can't lay those foundations until you're in the Championship, so it's a huge game."

Asked about the traveling fans, Gray added: "They're absolutely huge.

"Every Sunderland supporter, they love their football club. They're going to make as much noise as they possibly can and there's going to be a lot more than 40,000 fans in the London area!

"The lucky ones who are in the stadium just need to keep getting behind the players from the first whistle to the last whistle and then at the end of it they'll be coming out of the stadium with a big smile on their faces."