Cats are a better side with McGeady in it – Parky should’ve handled it better
After getting his first win as boss against Oldham in the Football League Trophy midweek, Lee Johnson took his team to the Sincil Bank Stadium for a tough test against high-flying Lincoln City.
Following a decent performance at Boundary Park, I expected Sunderland to push on and improve again, and well I wasn’t disappointed.
It was a return to the team for top scorer Charlie Wyke and, in my opinion, the best footballer in this division, Aiden McGeady.
On that note, surely Phil Parkinson could have dealt with the McGeady issue better than he did?
People may say that is speaking with hindsight, but it’s clear to everyone that Sunderland are a much better team when he is in the side, and he reminded us all of that fact on Saturday.
With Jack Diamond completing the front three it was a line-up with real attacking intent.
Sunderland rode their luck in the first half, especially early doors, when Lincoln wasted a couple of decent opportunities.
After that though, it was a performance that really lifted my hopes for the rest of this season.
It is clear to see already that Lee Johnson’s Sunderland is a more enjoyable and exciting team to watch than Phil Parkinson’s Sunderland.
It appears that the players seem to be already buying into the new guy’s ‘protocols’ and it genuinely looks like the shackles have been removed.
I have spoken at length for a while now about how Sunderland’s lack of pace has been a huge problem, so it is encouraging to see Johnson trying to address that immediately.
Diamond’s performance, in particular, showed us exactly how important it can be to a team when it includes a player who has a bit of speed and directness to their game.
It was a real livewire performance and in just one half of football, he won a penalty, was heavily involved in the second goal, and scored an absolute stunner himself. Talk about an impact!
So, with Diamond down one side and McGeady down the other, there was a real attacking threat in the team which was refreshing to see.
It was certainly no coincidence the team produced their best result of the season.
It was a joy to watch them play with high energy and on the front foot, with players getting up in support of Wyke at every opportunity. It was a performance deserving of a fourgoal victory.
Charlie Wyke may have had his doubters, but the fact is he has always been a real goal threat at this level and if he stays fit he could finish as the league’s top goal scorer.
So overall, it’s clear to see that Lee Johnson has already had a hugely positive impact on his new squad.
While there’s still a long way still to go, and it’s important not to get carried away just yet, the players played with such freedom and belief in what they were doing.
A side looking like they are capable of scoring goals regularly is a million miles away from the static and almost robotic-looking team we had become accustomed to seeing over the last couple of months.