By John May

The play-offs are familiar ground for Burley

Burley managed the Ipswich side who were the last to win the play-offs at the old Wembley in 2000.

Saints, who face Burley's former team Derby in the semi-finals on Saturday, mark his seventh play-offs visit.

Burley said: "I was manager of the last team to win the play-offs at the old Wembley and I'd love to be the first manager to win at the new stadium."

Burley took Ipswich to the play-offs on five occasions during his spell in charge at Portman Road between December 1994 and October 2002.

He also guided Derby to the play-offs in 2005 in his two-year reign at Pride Park, but his only success has been in lifting Ipswich into the Premiership in 2000.

Burley said: "I've got a good record of getting to the play-offs, but my record of getting clubs up isn't great.

"But that's because there is no magic formula to winning the play-offs.

I know there's no secret to winning the play-offs Saints boss George Burley

"You need a few breaks and decisions to go your way, but it's very much in the lap of the gods.

"You have to hope that all the things you have been working on through the season, you carry on into the play-offs and then on into the final.

"Having been there six times already, I know there's no secret to winning the play-offs and I don't think that having been there before several times as a manager gives me any advantage this time round."

Southampton are the proverbial team with momentum going into the play-offs, having won their final three games to dip across the finish line ahead of Stoke.

"The pressure was on us during those last three games and we won them all, so it shows we can react in pressure situations.

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"We've got quite a few young lads in the team, but they've done well, and we've got a good mix of young players and senior ones."

Southampton go into the play-offs without skipper Claus Lundekvam, whose season ended when he was stretchered off in the win over Southend.

Ironically, Lundekvam was out for seven weeks earlier in the season after damaging ankle ligaments seven minutes into the opening game of the season - at Derby.

Derby will be boosted by the return of Darren Moore to their defence, but Burley is confident in his strike force, which will include fit-again Marek Saganowski, who has scored 10 goals in as many games since his arrival on loan from Troyes.