Newcastle United and Sunderland last contested the Tyne-Wear derby at Premier League level in March 2016.
Simon Jordan believes Newcastle United are a “different beast” to Sunderland when asked about a potential Tyne-Wear derby.
Toon fans watched on intently as their bitter rivals stunned Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final. With the game heading for penalties, Dan Ballard scored a 122nd-minute header to send Sunderland to Wembley.
A mammoth clash against Sheffield United - who finished third in the regular season - awaits with both clubs aiming for a Premier League return. The Black Cats have not competed in the top flight since relegation under David Moyes eight years ago.
Newcastle brushed aside Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the FA Cup last season but the Tyne-Wear derby has not been contested at Premier League level for nine years. St James’ Park held the last fixture, a 1-1 draw made famous for Aleksandar Mitrovic’s crazy celebration that stopped the six-in-a-row rot.
Simon Jordan on ‘gulf’ between Newcastle United and Sunderland
The last Premier League derby featured two North East clubs battling for survival. A lot has changed since, with Newcastle on the cusp of a second Champions League qualification in three seasons.
Meanwhile, the Black Cats have languished in the lower leagues and still have a daunting task against Sheffield United. Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan insisted the two clubs are “gulfs” apart.
“When they play Newcastle United, there will be a gulf in difference between the two clubs, irrespective of how much money they want to spend in the transfer window this summer,” he told talkSPORT. “And it will have to be confined because they will be restricted by the governance of the PSR that takes them from the Championship losses into the Premier League, so they won’t have that wide a margin to spend.
“Look at the quality of Newcastle. When we get into the reality of the game itself. It will be a great spectacle for the North East, but Newcastle are up, up and away. They are a different beast than maybe the last time Sunderland ever played them. It will be a great spectacle.”
Sunderland manager lauds ‘fantastic’ Championship season
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris spoke about “the next step” his players must make ahead of the play-off final. He said: “Getting to the final shows that this season has been fantastic. It is very important to say that because you can win or lose at the end, but what we have lived together this season was absolutely brilliant.
“We cannot forget that. But at the same time, it is really important to think about Wembley now and the final game we have to play. We have one more game.
“It will be another tough challenge, but we will be really focused on that game now. We will switch our attention to Wembley towards the end of the week, and then we will have a full week to prepare for the game. That is the next step for us now."
Continue Reading