Championship play-off semi-finals preview
The Championship play-off final is billed as the richest match in world football. For the winners, the fruits of a season inside the lucrative Premier League await. But for the unfortunate losers, another nine months inside the second-tier beckon.
Four teams are in contention for a place in the top-flight – but it all boils down to just five make-or-break matches. Only one club will reach the Promised Land.
First up, on Saturday lunchtime, third place Nottingham Forest will travel to Bloomfield Road in the opening match of the Championship play-offs to take on Blackpool.
This intriguing first-leg clash will pit two teams with rich histories together. Forest are, of course, the former two-time European Cup winners and are desperate to end their 11-year absence from the Premier League. While Blackpool, the famous 1953 FA Cup winners, are bidding to re-enter the top-flight for the first time since 1971.
Flamboyant manager Ian Holloway has transformed the Seasiders’ fortunes this year. Just 12 months ago, the club gladly settled for a place in mid-table obscurity. And a year before that, they only just narrowly avoided the drop back to League One.
Inspired by their in-demand Scottish midfielder, Charlie Adam, throughout the campaign; Blackpool eventually snuck into the play-off positions on the final day of the season courtesy of a 1-1 draw against Bristol City.
Meanwhile, their play-off semi-final opponents, Forest, recovered from a poor start to the season to retain a place in the top three ever since December. With a wealth of talent at the club including Robert Earnshaw, Dexter Blackstock and goalkeeper Lee Camp, they may well be the strong favourites for promotion.
However, after the two results between the clubs this season, Billy Davies may have to invoke the spirit of the club’s most celebrated name, Brian Clough, to hand Forest the advantage going into Tuesday’s second-leg at the City Ground.
Back in September, Holloway’s men made the journey down to Nottingham, won 1-0, and travelled back up the M1 with all three points in the bag. Then, just last month, Blackpool completed the double over Forest with a comfortable 3-1 victory.
In a match of this magnitude, though, the formbook should be tossed out of the proverbial window. Rest assured, Holloway will be doing everything in his power to ensure it’s his squad who enjoy a deserved summer holiday on Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach after a victory in the play-offs.
Meanwhile, Davies may feel he has a point to prove after his ill-fated spell in the Premier League with Forest’s big rivals, Derby County. The County Ground outfit were once a huge club and their supporters are desperate to relive the glory days. This could well be the season they move a significant step closer to doing so.
Once the dust has settled on the first play-off semi-final first-leg, it’ll then be the turn of Cardiff City and Leicester City to battle it out on Sunday afternoon for a place in Wembley’s play-off final.
It’s been nearly half a century since Cardiff last competed in English football’s top-flight; but in recent years they’ve made big strides forward in their bid to rub shoulders with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool once more.
Last summer, the Bluebirds moved from their hostile, compact Ninian Park to their new 26,000 all-seater Cardiff City Stadium. A year earlier, the Welsh club incredibly reached the 2008 FA Cup Final; but on that afternoon, they lost out to their fellow-finalists Portsmouth. Rather ironically, it’s Cardiff who may well take cash-strapped Pompey’s place in the top-flight if they can return to Wembley this month and secure their first ever Premier League berth.
Their opponents, Leicester City, are gunning for back-to-back promotions – the first time a club has bounced from the third-tier to the top in two seasons since Manchester City in 2000. The Foxes have held their place inside the play-offs for the majority of the campaign, only slipping out temporarily around January.
Under the leadership of Nigel Pearson, Leicester have been revitalised. The former Newcastle United caretaker manager has worked minor miracles since arriving at the Walkers Stadium in June 2008 – taking over from the current Blackpool boss, Ian Holloway, who became the first manager in Leicester’s history to lead them into the third tier of English football.
Leicester’s supporters will be hoping they meet Holloway and Blackpool in the play-off final. Revenge is a dish best served cold, after all.
If the previous two matches between the clubs is anything to go by, this first-leg semi-final could be a particularly tight and tense encounter. Both clubs won their respective home fixtures by a one goal deficit, and a similar scoreline will be expected at Leicester’s home ground this Sunday.
However, Cardiff have two goalscorer in their ranks who are almost inevitably going to cause problems for the Foxes over the next two matches. Michael Chopra has enjoyed a typically profitable season in front of goal; while Peter Whittingham has emerged as the unlikely goalscoring hero of the season – reaching a mightily impressive 20 league goals from the wing. Cristiano Ronaldo, eat your heart out.
It’s imperative for all four clubs that they get off to a good start in the first-leg of their play-off semi-finals. Every team, their manager, the players and all the supporters know what the financial benefits of reaching the Premier League are.
But this is more than just about cash. It’s about history, tradition, pride and taking your place among England’s elite. Never mind the richest match in world football; the play-off final is by far and away the most important match in the Football League.
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