Watt View - The Play off Special Friday, 31st May 2024 07:45 by Matt Watts It has been a while, but Matt Watts has taken to the laptop to give his thoughts on the play off win at Wembley and the season in general, as usual it is a very balanced view of the situation and it is good to have him back. It is going to take some time to come off the high of victory in the EFL Championship play-off final. What an occasion. What a result. What a club. I have seen and heard so many accounts of fans in tears at the final whistle and I was no different. The emotion was overwhelming, perfectly summed up by the reaction of club legend Franny Benali at full-time which has been circulating on social media. The utter elation, the scenes, the songs, the colours, the celebrations and the memories that all created will truly last a lifetime and, as fans, it is an experience we have all shared as one. I have no doubt it has brought everyone closer together and it will be interesting to see how that plays out next season. After the disaster of relegation from the Premier League and the mess the club was in at that point, it was difficult to see how we could bounce back quickly from such depths of football despair. To go from that dark place to the scenes witnessed so often through the course of the season - and particularly against West Brom in the play-off semi-final and at Wembley - is nothing short of miraculous. This is a club united again and tremendous praise must be given to all involved, including the immense efforts of all supporters which was so evident on Sunday and has sent shivers down many a spine. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to reflect on the day’s events at Wembley on behalf of The Ugly Inside on Sky Sports News Monday ahead of the promotion party at St Mary’s. While it was inevitably easy to be so upbeat after such a momentous and joyous event, what I wanted to convey was just how much the positive influence of manager Russell Martin has reverberated around the club and among the supporters. His conduct, attitude and approach alone - aside from the football - if reflective of exactly the type of individual you want to represent your club. Respect is not something that comes easy to everyone, but he is an example of how you can make it a symbol of your character - and of the impact it can have. The gravity of the task he took on at the time simply cannot be underestimated. He wasn’t just taking on the job of restoring a football team to the top flight. He was tasked by the ownership to lead a complete transformation of feeling and relations with the fans. Faith and belief in owners Sport Republic had been severely damaged at the time by both the initial transfer policy implemented and the appointment and reign of Nathan Jones. This was no fault of Martin but he arrived with that burden as a backdrop. His infectious enthusiasm, coolness and determination to persevere - sometimes in the face of concern and discontent among fans who were still scarred by the recent past - has been unrelenting and it has been rewarded with the biggest prize of them all. But promotion itself and football aside, the revolution he has led - on behalf of and with the support of Sport Republic it must be said - in bringing such pride and togetherness to the fan base has been simply astounding and many will be in awe of what he has achieved. His personal approach and man management has also led to the point where the satisfaction he has ingrained among the players has fuelled a new and genuine connection with the supporters in a way not experienced for some time now (and what feels like even longer after the pain of what came before). I for one had my doubts upon hearing the requests from the ownership after relegation to retain belief that they had a feasible plan to make right the wrongs of the previous season. I will happily eat my words having been given the opportunity to witness the history we took in at the national stadium. While it is undoubtedly a nerve-wracking game of roulette to have everything at stake in that final, if you emerge victorious it must surely be one of the very best occasions to be part of in world football. Not only have we managed to enjoy such success this season, both on and off the field, the manner in which it has been handled instils a real sense of confidence ahead of the first season back in the toughest but best league in the world. Rumours are and will continue to swirl about the comings and goings that are likely (or often unlikely) to occur but, for once, there feels a sense of relaxation around being confident the management and ownership have a plan we can be confident in. It bodes well for a summer of basking in the glory of success of the play-off final victory and looking forward to embarking on a campaign back where we know we belong. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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