Paul Warne (pictured)
is confident enough in the teams ability and he confided, "For me personally, it's great news if we're going into the game as the underdog. I don't think we are. Our record against the teams near the top is probably one of the best in the league, but we've just slipped up against the lesser teams. I'm happy for them to be favourites. I think if you asked Blackpool's players the question they'd say they didn't want to be. The form guide says they're the side to look out for but these are two cup finals which anyone can win. There's no pressure on us and they'll have a big crowd at their place in the second leg too. We've got a good blend of experience and youth in our team so we'll just have to see how it goes."
"We were on a massive run but then lost four on the bounce, and you couldn't say why. Maybe if they come in over-confident and we play to our capabilities we can nick a result, that could be hard for them to correct the following week. All we've got to do is attack and it's sure to be a good game and something to look forward to. I'm sure these two games will be like tense Cup finals, teams won't want to concede goals and will maybe sit back a little, but that's not the way we play."
"As a kid you dream not of playing football in stadiums that are sixty per cent at capacity, but at full ones. I couldn't believe people were queuing for tickets when I came in at 8.30 in the morning. That's amazing and should make for a good atmosphere which will really rub off on the lads. A good home support will obviously be an advantage for us, but it's the same for both sets of players. If I'm waiting in the tunnel in Blackpool and it's a full house, you still get the exciting 'this is it' feeling in your stomach. I'd be lying if I said it didn't add extra pressure, but it's not negative in any way. If you miscontrol a ball in front of 2,000 people you might get the odd groan, but you're more aware of it when there's 15,000 there. On a personal note, all my friends will be watching, so I want to play well so they think I'm a good player rather than an absolute donkey!"
"Things like scoring a goal at the Chaddy End are what it's all about, it was packed in there against Chesterfield on Saturday and hopefully it will be again for the Blackpool game. The best atmosphere I've played in was definitely the Forest home game, and it's that kind of support that leaves you coming off the pitch thinking 'that was brilliant' and those are the type of games you want to play in."
Team-mate Chris Taylor said, "Both teams know that there's a lot of stake. Obviously the tie won't be decided on Sunday as it's decided over a full 180 minutes, but I think the first ninety could go a long way towards determining what's going to happen overall. It's most probably the biggest game of my career so far. There's that bit of extra tension with a being a Lancashire derby, and there's no getting round the fact that it's a massive game. Both teams will feel confident going into the first leg. They had the 6-3 win at Swansea and we also won on Saturday, but really anything can happen in these two games. Blackpool will go into as favourites, so the pressure's on them but they're favourites for a reason. They've won seven on the bounce and got an excellent result at the weekend, but there's no reason why we can't give them something to think about."
"You think different things at different points. At the beginning when we weren't doing so well we were just happy to get out of it. The performances weren't bad, but we didn't have that knack in front of goal. That all changed after about ten games and then we were really on song. When we were top of the league we probably should have gone on to do better, but you can't concentrate on the ifs and buts. The facts are we're playing Blackpool on Sunday in a massive play-off game, and hopefully we can do the job."
Young full back Neal Eardley is also looking forward to the games and it would be something tremendous if he was to appear at the new Wembley in his first senior campaign. Having recently been called up for Welsh international duty he is now dreaming of a fairy-tale finish to his season.
Eardley said, "It is a great honour to be included alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy and Jason Koumas, players I have paid to watch. I had heard speculation I might be selected, but dismissed it as just that and thought may be next season I might have a chance. My dad telephoned last Wednesday morning to say he had seen it on the internet, and initially I thought he was winding me up. I went downstairs and put on Sky Sports News and there was the team with my name on screen. I was completely taken aback but very happy. I was over the moon playing in Latics' first team and for Wales under-21s at the age of 17, but this is unbelievable. It has happened so quickly."
"Wales played three qualifiers for the European under-19s in a mini tournament and I didn't play in the opening two games and had 20 minutes in the third. I remember having a one-to-one with Brian Flynn who asked how I felt. I told him I was disappointed and that I believed in myself and one day I would play for Wales. Brian told me that was the attitude to have. Since then I have been a regular in his under-21 side and he has shown belief in me. Either way that weekend could be special as I could be playing for Latics at Wembley or for Wales. It would be the icing on the cake if I helped Latics win promotion to the Championship and also won my first full cap for Wales. Regardless of what happens, I have had a terrific season as when it kicked off my only aim was to establish a regular place, and I never expected to achieve it so quickly."