A unique insight into Johnson, his methods & what he'll bring toCats
“I knew he’d go on to bigger and better things.”
Paul Murray’s endorsement of Lee Johnson is a strong one – and one which should hold a great deal of relevance given the unique point of view the former Oldham Athletic man has.
The 44-year-old played under Johnson as he took the reins at Boundary Park in his first managerial role, before then moving into his coaching team.
The duo then lived together for a period as they took on respective roles in South Yorkshire, meaning Murray can offer an insight unlike any other when it comes to Sunderland’s new head coach.
From the training ground to the living room, Murray has witnessed Johnson and his methods at first hand – with their relationship having begun in 2013…
THE MANAGER
That was the year when Johnson was handed the job at Oldham, with the side sat in theLeagueOnerelegationzone and having won just three of their previous 15 games in all competitions.
Confidence was low and, as an unproven manager – the youngest in the EFL at the time – Johnson faced an uphill struggle.
Murray was still registered as a player at this point as he came towards the end of his career, and was blown away by the work the rookie boss implemented from day one in the North West.
"He was an unknown,” explains the former midfielder.
"He came in with a few recommendationsfromsomesenior figures in football, and he was a breath of fresh air for us.
"For his first job in football, he looked like he’d been in it for a few years.
“He had his own ideas, was very competitive, but the main thing was - even at that young age - how meticulous he was on the training ground.
"And he was ruthless in terms of what he wanted; if you weren’t delivering then he would make some decisions.
"He’s very fiery, and there were some moments it overspilled, but that’s football and whatmakeshimwhatheis-because he is competitive.”
The impact was immediate. Johnson led his side to victory over Hartlepool United in his first game and the side lost only three of their remaining games as Oldham were guided to safety – with Johnson Jr. beating his father Gary’s Yeovil Town side en route to a 19thplaced finish.
So how did a manager with no experience, and who was several years younger than some of the stronger characters in the dressing room, turn things around so quickly?
“With the way he was on the training ground,” says Murray.
"H e ’s o b v i o u s l y b e e n around football, some good clubs,andpickedupsomegood habits.
"If you do really good stuff on the training ground and everyone has that focus on achieving something, then it’s irrelevant how old a manager is. He won people over by being how he was on the training ground.”
THE COLLEAGUE
AfterseeingOldhamsecure safety, Murray decided to call time upon his playing career and was handed the role of first-team coach in Johnson’s coaching set-up.
The 2013/14 season, Johnson’s first in management and Murray’s first in the dugout, saw the Latics consolidate in League One – before the following campaign yielded an impressive start.
“That season we did brilliantly,” recalls Murray.
"I think we went twelve unbeaten.”
A n d fo r th e f i r s t- tea m coach, it was a valuable learning experience as he watched on with interest at how Johnson was transforming the squad.
“Workingwithhimandseeing it first hand, it was really interesting for me.
"Obviously I’m his senior by quite a few years but I was just drawn into everything he was doing - the way he treated the lads in terms of schedule and the way he coached on the training ground.
"Everything was enjoyable, that’s what I remember.
"The players had some enjoyable sessions and there was substance to them, it was always for the Saturday.”
Oldham went unbeaten from mid-September to the start of November, as Johnson’s transformed squad began to catch the eye.
And their fine form was even more remarkable given the financial constraints the manager was working under.
“Our budget that year was peanuts,” says Murray.
"I think it was £1.2million all in, with staff. But he got the personnel to play different systems.
"We had the right players at
that time and they could play in different positions, different formations-soitwasn’tashock if we went from a 4-4-2 to a diamond, everyone knew their roles. The preparation was in the training.”
Johnson had also been able to implement his own tactical approach by this point too which, while showcasing the flexibilityMurrayalludedto,always had Oldham on the front foot.
“We were always attacking,” explains Murray.
"But ultimately we were good defensively too. We had good attacking players but we were really solid at the back - we had James Tarkowski, Jonathan Grounds, some really good players who have gone on to do great things in football.
"You need to start from that solid base and that’s what we had - and he seemed to get the balance right.”
After the fine start to the 2014/15 season, Murray was eventually offered a managerial role of his own at Hartlepool United.
Things didn’t quite go to plan at Victoria Park, though, and the coach would soon be reunited with Johnson – albeit in a slightly different guise. THE ROOM-MATE
Not long after Murray’s
move, Johnson made one of his own – having been offered the managerial post at Barnsley.
By this point, Murray was back in the game working with Sheffield Wednesday’s Under-18 set-up.
With the duo both working in South Yorkshire, they ended-up living together for a year.
This saw Murray given an insight into the life of Johnson away from the training ground.
Although the young manager, a self-confessed student of the game, didn’t exactly switch off when he returned home.
“It was all sorts of planning, whocouldhesignforBarnsley, what about this and that,” says Murray.
"There was all sorts of talk about tactics and players, and even at that time I’m sure he was plotting his future and how things were going to pan out.”
And that future now brings Johnson to Wearside, a place where no shortage of moreproven managers have failed in recent years.
But with a footballing restructure on the horizon, optimism is high at the Stadium of Light – and Murray believes
Johnson will relish the chance to be the man to finally get it right at Sunderland.
“He’ll love it on the sidelines because he knows what it’ll be like when people start rolling back into the Stadium of Light.
"It’s a fantastic place and he’ll relish that.
"He’s hard-working and that’s something the fans can relate to.
“I’m sure he knows it’s a difficultjobforanyoneatSunderland with the expectations, but he’s resilient.
"He’ll definitely give his best shot at turning that club around, for sure.
"What he did at Bristol was create a culture, and he’s got a good chance of doing that now at Sunderland.”
*Chris Kamara has shared a hilarious Roy Keane anecdote from when the former Manchester United captain was still manager of Sunderland.
The ex-Nottingham Forest and Celtic midfielder managed Sunderland between 2006 and 2008, leading the club to the Premier League.
"I’ve got to tell you my Roy Keane story,” Kamara explained to Peter Crouch, on the former striker’s podcast.
"He was manager at Sunderland and we were at the Marriott Hotel in Cromwell Road in Kensington, we used to stay there when we were doing Sky.
"So I get in the lift from the fourth floor down to the ground. Third floor it stops and Roy Keane walks in. Sunderland were struggling at the time.
"Andyouknowwhatit'slike in a lift, the lady goes, ‘Going down?'”
"I said, ‘I think she’s talking to you, Roy!’
"And, to be fair, he looked up and he didn’t give me the glare and I could just see the glimmer of a smirk.”