Head Coach urges his players to enjoy the Wembley Stadium experience as Derby prepare for the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final.
Steve McClaren says his Derby County players will ‘love’ the experience of playing at a packed Wembley Stadium this weekend - but is calling for a ‘normal’ performance from his side.
The Rams face Queens Park Rangers in the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final on Saturday (24th May 2014, 3pm) as they bid to join Leicester City and Burnley in the Premier League next season.
Both clubs have sold out their allocation of tickets and a crowd of in excess of 80,000 will be inside the national stadium for the flagship game of the Sky Bet Championship season.
McClaren says his squad must embrace everything that goes with being involved in such a big occasion, but ultimately he wants his players to perform as normal.
He told Rams Player: “I went to the FA Cup Final last weekend with my son Joe and the father-in-law, who is a Hull City fan, and it was great to be there.
“We had good seats at the top of the stadium and as we walked out we just said ‘wow’ to each other.
“I thought to myself ‘the boys are going to love this’.
“I know they’re going to love the occasion and will have never seen anything like it.
“The atmosphere was terrific and that was with 25,000 fans from Arsenal and Hull City - so imagine nearly 40,000 from both Derby and Queens Park Rangers!
“It looks as if nearly 90,000 people will be there and I’ve told the players already how much they will love it.
“They have to embrace it and enjoy it - we’ve told them to enjoy the week and the preparation.
“We’ve said to all of them that it can’t be a weight on the shoulders or a burden; it has to be something they enjoy.
“The stage is there for them to go out and play their football like they know they can.”
McClaren has stressed, ever since defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 6-2 on aggregate at the Semi Final stage of the Play-Offs just under a fortnight ago, that Derby will be preparing as normal for the clash with Harry Redknapp’s men.
Derby’s Head Coach, who took charge at the iPro Stadium on 30th September 2013, wants his players to be admired for their performance on the big stage.
He said: “It will be a great occasion, I am sure, and it is important we treat it as another game.
“I understand that the stadium we will be playing in is bigger and the occasion is a big one, but the pitch is the same, the dimensions are the same and we have to treat it as another game.
“We have prepared as normal and set the week out as we would for any other game.
“Now we just want a normal performance from the players.
“We’ve heard about people admiring our performances and I want admiration for our performance on Saturday.”
With a prize of a place in the Premier League within touching distance, McClaren has demanded Derby focus on the game itself.
He feels that the secret behind the Rams' success this season has been focusing on what they can make happen rather than a ‘what if’ situation.
He has also stressed the importance of his playing squad being relaxed.
He said: “It’s vital the players focus on what’s happening now and not what might happen in the future.
“This is an opportunity for us and one that we never dreamt of six months ago.
“Before we were confirmed in the Play-Offs I was focused, like the players, on making sure we finished in there.
“Once we got into the Semi-Finals that was the next step and making sure we got through that.
“Every test that we’ve been presented is one that we’ve got through.
“I think we’ve done that by staying in the ‘now’ and not thinking ahead and on ‘what if’ situations.
“Being focused on the next game has worked so well for us and our approach will be the same.
“People talk about defining moments and experience tells me that we need to treat it as an opportunity and not life or death.
“We want the lads relaxed, focused and ready for the challenge and I am hoping that they deliver a performance.”
Much of the media talk this week has been about McClaren returning to Wembley Stadium for the first time since November 2007, when he was in charge of the England national side.
A 3-2 loss to Croatia saw the Three Lions fail to reach Euro 2008 and McClaren left his role some 24 hours later.
However, he has been keen to insist the focus should not fall on himself - but also understands why the spotlight has been pointed in his direction.
Despite the disappointment of that fateful night against Croatia, he has been quick to focus on the positive experiences he has tasted at the national stadium.
He said: “I know there’s a lot of talk about me going back to Wembley and the Croatia game, but Wembley holds happy memories for me as well.
“I was in charge of the England team when the first senior game was played at the new stadium against Brazil.
“It was a massive occasion and with a full house packed in we drew the game 1-1.
“That, for me, was something to remember and of course the last time I managed at Wembley it was a bad experience.
“That’s football though; you have good and bad memories of each place you go to.
“I love Wembley and I always have.”
His first ‘real’ taste of Wembley came in 1999 when he was assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United famously won the treble.
As well as winning the league title and UEFA Champions League, United also lifted the FA Cup with a 2-0 success over Newcastle United at the old Wembley Stadium.
“I was unable to play there but I had the chance to go to the old Wembley with Manchester United and you couldn’t get me off the pitch when we won the FA Cup,” he said.
“It was the same when I was in charge of England; there’s no better feeling than being there."
He added: “I understand people talking about the past because it is a point in my career that will always be there.”
Watch Steve McClaren’s full pre-match interview on Rams Player.
