Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore insists his side are completely focused on preparations ahead of their Sky Bet League One play-off final against Barnsley.
Wednesday reached the final in extraordinary circumstances after pulling off a stunning comeback against Peterborough in the second leg of their semi-final clash.
Moore’s side rallied to win 5-3 on penalties after overturning a four-goal first-leg deficit to win 5-1 after extra time, but the Wednesday boss insists their attention is now firmly on Monday’s final.
“(It’s been) a normal day’s training, normal day’s work as it’s been throughout the week and that’s been that really,” Moore told a pre-match press conference.
“It was a good night for everyone connected to the football club but once we got back into training, it really was that game is over and finished with now and it’s focusing on training, getting ourselves right and getting mentally and physically right for the game on Monday.
“Let’s not beat about the bush, we don’t even talk about the comeback because the comeback’s gone. That was then, it’s gone.
“When we got back in training we just focused on the next game up, which is the final.
“The comeback, talking about that is down to the media world doing that because of the interest that it created, but we can’t do anything about that.
“The only plan we had was to work hard in the game, we went in with a game plan and it was nice to come out the other end and see that game plan come through.
“Afterwards, I leave the talking to you guys, but internally within the football club that’s gone and we’re just focusing on the final and our preparations have been about that.”
There are no fresh injuries for Wednesday, with Marvin Johnson and Dominic Iorfa both available to play, but Moore also hinted that George Byers, who has been sidelined since March, could potentially feature at Wembley.
“George is doing really well, I suppose the supporters will have to see if he is involved on Monday, but I wouldn’t want to say anything too much now,” Moore said.
Lee Gregory is also ready to go for the final after a club appeal to find his protective face mask was answered on Sunday.
The striker lost the specially fitted mask during celebrations at Hillsborough after the second leg, but it was retrieved following a social-media shout-out and Moore thanked the fan who returned it.
“Thank you to the supporter for bringing it back for us!” Moore said.
“That’s very kind because it just meant Lee could train all week, which he has done, whereas before, without it, we would’ve had to have had another one made and he might missed a few days of training.
“The mere fact he’s been able to train all week has been really good, so thank you to the supporter for answering that rallying cry and bringing it back.”
Pep Guardiola eases fitness concerns over Man City players ahead of FA Cup final
Pep Guardiola has eased concerns over the fitness of a number of key Manchester City players ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday.
Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed the champions’ final Premier League game of the season at Brentford last week.
Those players have all since returned to training and are expected to come back into contention for both the Wembley showpiece and next weekend’s Champions League final in Istanbul.
City manager Guardiola said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”
Guardiola has also confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will start at Wembley, in keeping with his usual policy for domestic cup fixtures.
The German, who started two of the last three Premier League games, has not yet conceded in the FA Cup this season.
Guardiola said: “Stefan is going to play. I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”
Nzonzi forever grateful to Allardyce and says Big Sam's management still has a place
Steven Nzonzi feels there is still a place for Sam Allardyce and his style of management, despite the former England manager having suffered two relegations in his last two jobs.
Allardyce could not save Leeds United from dropping to the Championship, with the 68-year-old failing to win any of his four games in charge after he replaced Javi Gracia in May.
Leeds confirmed on Friday that Allardyce would be leaving the club.
It is the second Premier League relegation on Allardyce's CV, after he also went down with West Brom in the 2020-21 season.
Nzonzi, who worked under Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers, feels his old boss' style of management is not outdated.
He told Stats Perform: "Of course, there is a place, there is no question about it, he has great experience and I think that Leeds may have brought him a little bit late.
"I played under Sam Allardyce, and trust me he is a big character, and he has big charisma.
"So, for me, to save a team he is one of the best for sure, but it is difficult to come in and he managed four games. I think it was a bit too late.
"But of course, he has great experience, so he can still manage in the Premier League, in the Championship, he is a great coach, I have great memories of working with him, amazing memories."
Indeed, Nzonzi, who would go on to represent major clubs like Sevilla and Roma after playing under Big Sam, says Allardyce is the coach he is most grateful to.
"That would be impossible for me to say, I enjoyed so many managers," he said when asked who the best coach he had worked under was.
"The one I enjoyed the most was [Jorge] Sampaoli, but the one I am more grateful about is Sam Allardyce, because I came from the second division in France and to start me in the Premier League against Manchester City, for the first game of the season - it was the game that changed my vision and my life.
"It gave me confidence that I have the ability to play at a high level, so I would say Sam Allardyce for that."
Antony ‘unlikely’ to feature in FA Cup final as Man Utd suffer further setback
Manchester United have been hit by a setback for Antony ahead of the FA Cup final, with Erik ten Hag saying it is “unlikely” the winger will be fit to face Manchester City.
The 23-year-old winger went down in agony last Thursday during the first half of the penultimate Premier League game of the season against Chelsea.
Antony left on a stretcher and Ten Hag feared a “serious” injury, only to allay concerns three days later by saying the “first assessment is not too bad” and that he had a “good opportunity” to face City.
But this week has not gone as well as expected and the Brazil international now looks set to miss the first ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.
“Unlikely (he will be fit),” he said. “Dos Santos (Antony) still has a chance but it’s a really small chance.
“He didn’t make the progress, so he still has a chance but unlikely he is available.”
Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek have long since been ruled out of the final, while Anthony Martial’s injury-hit season will end on the sidelines.
The 27-year-old strained a hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s win against Fulham and will miss the Wembley showdown after scans showed a muscle tear.
“These questions so many times about the absence of players in the last couple of months,” Ten Hag said.
“Every time I say the same answer: it’s about the players who are available and many times we were successful.
“We have a good squad and from that good squad we make a good team.”
Absentee-hit United wrapped up third spot last weekend and are looking to complete the domestic cup double for the first time, having lifted the Carabao Cup in February.
View this post on InstagramTen Hag says Saturday will be a “good test” against Premier League champions City, who are looking to take another step towards the treble by winning at Wembley.
United fans are desperate for their side to extinguish those dreams as Pep Guardiola’s men look to replicate Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 treble heroes.
“We want to win, we want to win a cup,” Ten Hag said. “It’s not about stopping them. It is about that we win, that we win the cup. We have a great opportunity.
“That’s great that we deserved that opportunity to be in the cup final and then meet Man City. That’s a great opportunity.
“We fought so hard for it. I think we progressed that well that we are in that FA Cup final.”
City won this season’s first meeting 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium, with United coming back to win 2-1 at Old Trafford in January.
Ten Hag’s Red Devils finished 14 points behind the Premier League winners and a big summer lies ahead as they look to launch a sustained title challenge.
View this post on Instagram“I think they do a very good job,” the Dutchman said days after Ferguson named Guardiola as LMA Manager of the Year – a trophy that carries the United great’s name.
“They play very good football, so they deserve it.
“Of course I look at others because they are opponents and I evaluate it, but we look to ourselves.
“You have to see where you are as club. From thereon, you have to make progress and I think we did over the last season.
“We make very good progress, we are in a good direction and now we use the coming period as well.
“Now we get the opportunity in the summer to make new targets, new goals on the short term.
“But the longer term, yeah, that will stay the same. As I said last year, we want to restore Man United but we have a way to go.”
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