Commonwealth Games is high on Wilson’s wish list
Cats chairman Kyril Louis-Drefyus brings in two trusted allies
Running a four-minute mile and gaining selection for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, are Michael Wilson’s long held ambitions.
Heishopingtobuildonhis progression from 2019 after missing the whole of last year throughtheCovid-19pandemic and moving south to a new job as a PE and games teacher at St George’s School in Weybridge, Surrey.
“I want my performances to be good enough to catch the selectors attention for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,'' he said.
“If I can put myself in a position to be considered for the team,thatwillfurtherserveas motivationgoingintothe2022 season.
“Getting into the final of the Olympic Trials is a big aim in either the 800m or the 1,500m.
"A personal best in the 800m is something I feel I have in the locker and aiming forthatsub-3:40barrierinthe 1,500m is a personal aim.’’
The Sunderland Harrier’s personalbestsover800mand 1,500mare1.48.35and3.43.19.
“My training has had to change a little, this is mainly due to the uncertainty with races. Normally we would be sharpening up for some indoor races at this point.
"However, with a third lockdown we have been using this time to work on strength and the build up to the track season this summer. I think wecanbeconfidentthatraces will start to pop up again soon and we will be able to get back to normality.
"Lockdown has given me a chance to work on my weaker areas, mainly my endurance and 5km ability. I want to show off my hard work this summer.’’
When he moved down to the south east, he started jumping in with Geoff Wightman’straininggrouponSaturday mornings.
The group includes Wightman’s son, Jake, a CommonwealthandEuropeanmedalist.
SometimesWilsoncannot always be at the sessions due to work, as he has sports fixtures on Saturdays, but he can
adjust if necessary.
Lockdown has also given him a little bit of extra time to adapt to the training.
“RecentlyIhavebeentraining on my own, however, once a week I have been able meet up with one other person in the training group for a hard session.BecauseoftherestrictionsIhavebeenhavingtorun locally.
"However, before the lockdown I was enjoying exploring a lot of the royal parks, like Bushy Park, Richmond and Windsor, but none quite as good as Herrington Country Park!
“I am very lucky with the location as I am close to the Surrey countryside and only a 20-minute drive from South West London.
“I am currently building back up to a full week’s training, having suffered from Covid-19. However, throughout the winter months I have been hitting a consistent 60 to 70-mile weeks.
"Onthefirstfourdaysofthe week I tend to run steady, between 5:40 and 6:30 minutes per-miles, depending on how Ifeel.Increasingthepaceofmy general runs has been a staple of Geoff ’s training.
"Tuesday’s are usually hill sessions; there’s a long, steep hill in Guildford that we run up between 10 and 16 times, and Saturdays are spent doing long grass sessions with a
long run on Sunday that gets up to 15 miles.”
The 25-year-old added: “The training has been very toughandIamtakingthepositivesofhavingalackofracesas it is giving my body more time to adjust to the training.
“As a group, we do a lot of conditioning work so that we are physically strong enough tohandlethetrainingwithout breaking down.
"Thisismadeupoftwogym sessions where we are lifting heavy weights.
“We do drill and sprint sessions twice a week to improve technique as well as yoga sessionstoimproveflexibilityand mobilitythroughouttheweek.
“Weareveryluckywiththe facilities that we have here at
the school. We have a track on site that I will be using a lot more of in the summer and the gym we have in the activity centre is amazing.
“Sir Mo Farah has used the track on a few occasions so I will be keeping my eye out for him in the summer.’’
Sunderland is still waiting to have an athlete break the four-minute mile and Wilson has got this in his focus to beat the mark.
“Theproblemwiththemile is that there are barely any chances to race them. However, if I get into a race, I will fully committoasub-fourclocking.
"It is a historic benchmark for athletes as I’ve recently learnedthatmorepeoplehave climbed Everest than ran a sub-four, so it is definitely on my running bucket list.”
*British Athletics head coach Christian Malcolm has no doubts that Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be fit and firing in time for the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
The world champion heptathlete has been sidelined by anAchillesproblem,andisone ofanumberofbignamesmissing from Malcolm’s 41-strong Britishsquadfornextmonth’s European Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.
Malcolm admitted he did not know if Johnson-Thompson – who plans to return to training next month – would have taken part in the indoor seasonifnotfortheinjury,but insisted there were no concerns over a bigger setback.
“We know she has picked up a bit of an injury,” Malcolm said. “The main focus for her has always been the Olympic Games.
“For any athlete right now it is the ability to train which isthechallenge,andtravelling, so the safest option is just to stay focused on the end goal, whichforalotofathletesisthe Olympics.”
Askediftheproblemmight dent the 28-year-old’s hopes of gold this summer, Malcolm added: “From what I know about the injury, at this moment, not really.
“I have no doubts about her being 100 per cent (in Tokyo).”
England defence coach John Mitchell insists the recent spate of red cards must not deter players from making dominant tackles.
Five dismissals scarred the weekend’s round of Gallagher Premiership action while two players have been sent off in the Guinness Six Nations, Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony of Ireland and Zander Fagerson of Scotland.
It comes amid an ongoing crackdown on dangerous play, especially involving the head, as the game looks to reduce instances of concussion.
England resume their Six Nations title defence against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday mindful of the need to win the battle on the gainline, while understanding the zero-tolerance approach to any challenge involving the head.
“The only thing we can control is making sure we are disciplined in our practice in terms of the height of our tackles,” Mitchell said.
“That gives players a better chance to not be sanctioned, but ultimately you still really want to be dominant in your contact. The one way around it is that we continue to practise tackle dominance in the best possible way that is going to give the players the best chance of not receiving sanction.
“We can’t control the mitigating circumstances for slipping or sudden changes from high to low, so it’s a matter of making sure we practise the right height. It’s not something
we paint up as a big picture and say: ‘Hey guys, look out for this’. That approach can be quite negative.
“Players take responsibility for their careers. They understand there are consequences, so for us it’s more about the practice of our tackle.”
Wales have opened the Six Nations with impressive wins against Ireland and Scotland, albeit while playing against 14 men on both occasions.
Head coach Wayne Pivac appears to have steadied the ship after his first year in charge produced a six-Test losing run and they are one of only two teams still capable of winning the Grand Slam, alongside France.
“A Wales Test week is one of the best and I’ve been through a few of them.
They’re extremely competitive and require us to work really, really hard for each other,” Mitchell said.
“These games often go down to the wire. We’re really looking forward to it and wanting to show what we’re capable of for the rest of the Six Nations.
“Its one of those occasions that means a lot to both countries and the players. It’s something that countries can get behind. Both countries have had sustained success, but none of that really matters when it comes to playing against each other. The historical background is always there in the contest.
“Wales are playing really well. They’ve got good balance to their game and are more aggressive.
“Wayne’s been in the game a long time and you can clearly see his philosophy come through in terms of playing the game at speed and wanting to move the ball.
“Like any good coach, you have to learn quickly at the highest level when you don’t get things right.
“You have to take your hat off to him because at the moment they’re playing really good rugby.”
Kyril Louis-Drefyus has moved to appoint two close allies as directors at Sunderland AFC.
In a number of significant updates posted at Companies House, it was also confirmed that neither Stewart Donald nor Juan Sartori remain as directors at the club.
Both have retained a minority shareholding in the club alongside Charlie Methven as a result of the deal that has seen Louis-Dreyfus becomecontrollingshareholder and Chairman.
This move nevertheless reflects the limited influence they are now set to exert over club affairs moving forward.
Louis-Dreyfus has unsurprisingly been installed as a director, as have Igor Levin and Patrick Julien Treuer. Both have close connections to Louis-Dreyfus. Levin is a legal representative of the Louis-Dreyfus family. Treuer, meanwhile, is the CFO of the Louis Dreyfus company.
Theupdateshavealsoconfirmed the departure of CEO JimRodwell,asannouncedby the club last week.
Sunderland fans heard from Louis-Dreyfus at length for the first time last night, when his interview with club channels was aired athalf-timeduringtheLeague One clash with Fleetwood.
Speaking after confirmationofthedealwasannounced last week, he said: “I am proud to become a custodian of this esteemed institution, but I alsorecognisethesignificantresponsibilitythatcomeswithit.
"Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter in SunderlandAFC’shistoryand although the current landscape facing football dictates that there are challenges to overcome,Iamconfidentthat together we can weather the present storm and put solid foundations in place to bring sustainable and long-term success to the club.”
These recent updates are the latest in a busy start to the Louis-Dreyfus era. The new chairman had already made his presence felt in the appointmentsofSportingDirector Kristjaan Speakman and Chief Operating Officer Steve Davison.
Speakman was the key figure in the selection of Lee Johnsonasheadcoachandannouncedtheoutcomeofhisinitial assessment of the club’s academy structure.
Head of Coaching Lewis Dickman has been appointed asthenewAcademyManager, with Stuart English arriving fromBirminghamCitytotake up his previous role. Leann Cowperthwaite has been appointed Head of Academy Operations.
When Lee Johnson talks about the future, both the short and the long term, he is careful at the moment to strike a delicate balance.
He has no doubt that the club is moving forward.
Betterdaysandbettertimes are ahead, he has said. The takeover of the club by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus was, he said, an important part of his arrival at the club and confirmation of itscompletionwillallowforinvestment in key areas.
He is encouraged, too, by the performances on the pitch and a growing sense that his squad are gaining a strong understanding of his demands. He is equally eager to keep his squad grounded even as he relishes a growing excitement amongst supporters.
This is a division that can 'slap you in the face very, very quickly', he said after the 3-0 winoverBurton,andthememoriesofgameslikeShrewsbury Town away are a reminder of the work ahead.
Sunderland are a club embarking on a long-term project, but one that also retains ambitions of winning promotion this season. They have left themselves much work to do, but how realistic a prospect is a tilt at the top two?
A delve through third-tier historytellsusitispossible,but will require something special from Johnson and his squad.
What history tells us aboutthepointtargetthey'll have to aim for
For obvious reasons, last season was something of an anomaly in League One. Bury wereexpelledearlyinthecampaign, meaning that it was set tobea43-gamecampaigneven before an early curtailment due to Covid-19.
League One clubs voted to settlethetableonapoints-pergameformulaandperhapsunsurprisingly, the final results were somewhat skewed.
Rotherham United were promoted with a PPG record of1.77,whichaveragedoutover a season would result in a final tally of 81. That would have been the lowest points total recorded by a side finishing in the top two. On the other end ofthescale,sixth-placedFleetwood Town's PPG total would have left them with a final tally of 79, comfortably the highest required to land a play-off spot over the last ten years.
Thecurrenttablesuggestsa strong tally will again be neededtosecureaplay-offposition, butthatlandingsecondwillrequire a much stronger performance than Rotherham’s.
Removing this campaign fromourcalculationsandstudying the previous nine seasons givesusabetterunderstanding ofwhatSunderlandwillhaveto do.Currently,theirformleaves themtrackingwellforaspotin the top six.
They are averaging 1.67 PPG, which if maintained between now and the end of the season will leave them with a final tally of 77 points. That would have been enough to secure a play-off position in any of the nine seasons previous to 2019/20. In fact, the average points tally of the side finishing sixth over that period is 72.
TheirPPGtallyinJohnson's tenure so far is 1.64, and given theirgradualimprovementsin recent times there is good reason to think that this will continue to climb (their PPG over the last six games is 1.8).
The top two is clearly a far steeperchallengeandwithPeterborough United currently tracking at exactly two PPG in second place, there is good reason to think that this season will see something of a reversion to the mean in terms ofpointsneededforautomatic promotion.
Overtheninethird-tierseasons previous to last, the average points tally of the team finishing second is 90. The highestsecond-placedfinishin that time was Blackburn Rovers in 2017/18 with 96 points, and the lowest was Bournemouth in 2012/13 with 83.
Themoretraditionaltarget for teams chasing automatic promotion is 92, which works out as a PPG of exactly 2 across the season. It’s a target set becauseoverthelasttenyears,no side has ever reached that totalandnotachievedautomatic promotion.
Both numbers underline thescaleofthechallengeahead for Sunderland. To reach 90 points they will need to find a
further43from18games,while 45 will see them hit the 2 PPG landmark.Thatsetsaloftytarget of 2.4 PPG between now and the end of the season for Johnson and his side.
The precedents that will give Sunderland fans some hope
Given that the Black Cats still have to face every side currently in the top ten (apart fromDoncasterRovers)atleast once before the end of the season,itstressestheneedtobuild on this current momentum in theimmediatefuturewhenthe fixture list is kinder.
Sunderland’s last two promotion campaigns, though,
set something of a precedent andwilloffersomehopetosupporters. Roy Keane’s side were actuallyfourpointsworseoffat this same stage of the 2006/07 season, but won 46 points from their last 18 games to be crownedwinnersoftheChampionship.
They lost only once in that time and registered 14 wins. Remarkably, the run saw them rise from ninth in the table and ten points behind Derby County at this stage. Derby would finish third, four points behind the Black Cats in the final reckoning.
In 2004/05, Mick McCarthy’s side were sat third in
the table with 50 points at the same stage of the campaign, andwentontosecure44points from their last 18 games to win the title.
It’s a tall order for the Cats, and Johnson will not be getting carried away as he seeks to build greater consistency of performance.
Sunderland are overhauling their playing philosophy and with training time limited and injuries in a challenging schedule inevitable, there will almost certainly be bumps in the road. After the most challenging of years, though, you can forgive supporters just beginning to dare to dream.