Inside key Cats summit as Lee and Speakman plot the future
Earlier this week Lee Johnson held a 'big picture' meeting with Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman.
Johnson arrived around 7am and didn't leave until around 15 hours later. Little wonder.
The pair are tasked with leading a successful January window when a takeover is still in the process of being completed and a strict salary cap limits the picture.
Most of the playing squad see their current contracts expire in six months time, adding another layer of complication to an already challenging market. There is the long-term rebuilding of the club to consider, too, after a year of virtual stasis as takeover talks developed.
The club's Covid-19 outbreak added another serious challenge at the door of a duo who are tasked with turning around the club's fortunes in a deeply uncertain climate. The outbreak reached 14 members of the playing squad, and brought concern given that four of those suffered strong symptoms.
The recovery has been encouraging, though concerns over the long-term impact of the virus persist and Johnson has removed one player from his squad for the trip to Northampton Town.
That break has also yielded some positives, if that is possible. Key players have stepped up their recovery from injury, and the break has allowed Johnson (over Zoom, of course) to present some tactical ideas to his squad.
This is the kind of work that can be hard to carry out amid a busy schedule when match preparation and recovery demands the vast majority of a head coach's time.
High-intensity training sessions were conducted on zoom, too, in garages, living rooms and gardens. The grin with which Johnson reflects on these suggests the adversity may have brought about some solidarity with his new squad.
The break has also allowed Johnson and Speakman to begin getting to grips with those aforementioned challenges and reflecting on their early work, Johnson insists it is exciting, rather than daunting.
"I see it as potential, absolutely," he said.
"This is a wonderful club that should sell itself. We want to sell it as well, but at the same time we've discussed the potential and what can be done with it. It's not just the big picture in terms of the transfer market, we're talking about equipment, software, making sure individuals can do their jobs and have absolute clarity in their roles.
"We need to make sure the communication is good and we'll both try and bring our expertise within that. At the moment, we can't over communicate. There's been a huge amount of energy going into these ideas and then it's a case of what happens next [with the takeover]."
With resolution on that front not expected until the middle of the month, Johnson has been drawing up targets and background information, so he can present a strong case when the opportunity to recruit arises. This has been a greater task than might first appear, given that the pair have inherited very little in terms of recruitment infrastructure. That is one of the elements Johnson is referring to when he stresses the need for investment is not just about transfers.
After all, this window will be about incremental change.
The salary cap poses challenges and it seems increasingly likely there will be outgoings. Johnson, too, continues to insist that he is broadly happy with the strength of the squad at his disposal.
"We obviously know what the headroom is in terms of the salarycap,"Johnsonexplained.
"We therefore have to either create more headroom, or work with what we've got.
"To be honest, I still think this is a good squad anyway. I don't think this is a bad squad at all and I think we've got the tools we need. "The players at the moment are showing that commitment and focus, I've enjoyed working with them and I just see it as a couple of bits of 'help' that we need [from the transfer market] in certain
areas of the pitch.
"But for example, we spoke early on about pace and power.
"Straightaway, we found some of that in Jack Diamond. So that for me was like a signing, because he absolutely supplied what we needed to beable to stretch the game and that ability to go past players.
"I've been so impressed with him at close quarters, and what he hasn't got, we can coach. What he has got is very difficult to coach. That's only a positive for him and us."
Speakman's appointment was based largely on his track record in player development and in his first remarks, he
stressed that this was telling about the plans going forward.
If Sunderland were to take another approach, then the Sporting Director role would have gone to someone with a bigger background specifically in recruitment. This is the context for Johnson's arrival and explains the focus on progressing players like Diamond.
There will be incomings, without a doubt, but equally important is showing conviction in the plan whenever possible.
"We have got to do what's right, that's the thing," Johnson said. "Sometimes you can get so caught up in what other
people want you to do. At some point you have to back yourself and say, 'this is our idea, this is what we believe in, and we're willing to take the responsibility for it, and the criticism if it goes wrong'.
"It's about leadership and making the team better. If that's with a signing, then great. If it's through bringing one of our own up and playing them, like Jack, then that's great.
"We won't do that if they're not good enough, though. It should be a heavy shirt, it shouldn't be easy for any young player to get into the first team. But when they do, it means they've earned it."