Cats fan 'raging' after alleged gesture amid team confusion
Sunderland drew with Oxford United in League One yesterday afternoon – but there are some moments that can easily be missed whilst in the stadium.
TheBlackCatsdrew1-1with TheU’sattheStadiumofLight.
Leon Dajaku got the opener for the home side before Matty Taylor equalised for Oxford United. Sunderland had chances to win it in the second half and hit the woodwork twice.
The result leaves Sunderland in fifth position in League OnebuttheWearsidersareonly two points off top spot.
Here,though,wetakealook atsomeoftheeventsyoumight not have caught in real-time:
Lee Johnson in the starting XI?: When Sunderland announced their starting XI at 2pm, there was speculation from some fans that head coachLeeJohnsonhadnamed himself on the bench.
The Wearsiders are currently in the midst of an injury crisis.
Dennis Cirkin is missing until the new year due to a hernia problem with Luke O’Nien and Aiden McGeady both suffering from long-term injuries
Niall Huggins and Denver Hume have also been ruled out until 2022 and the likes of Corry Evans and Jordan Willis remain injured.
Speaking after the Black Cats’ win against Cambridge United, Johnson had jokingly commented: "We might have to register myself and Jamie McAllister! I’m going to have
to be tactically flexible, and every now and then we’re going to have a square peg in a round hole.
"We probably had fifteen players today. We’ll have to go again in this tough spell and bundle through to January.”
And when the name Johnson appeared on Sunderland’s teamsheettofaceOxfordUnitedsomefansthoughtthehead coach had made good on his word and registered himself.
But it was actually 17-yearold youth starlet Zac Johnson on the bench.
Lee Johnson’s brush with fans:Johnsonisgoingthrough oneofthoseperiodsinacoach’s careerwhereeverythingseems to centre around him at the moment. And following the 1-1 draw, one fan is said to have voiced their displeasure towards Johnson after his team failed to win.
The head coach reacted to whatsomearoundtheincident at the Stadium of Light have described as alleged abuse by waving his hand towards the fan and walking off.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle after the match the fan rang in to accuse Johnson ofallegedlystickinghistwofingers up at him.
The fan said to the BBC: “A lotofpeoplehaveseenit[theincident with Johnson]. It is disgusting.Itisembarrassingand I’m angry, really, really angry.
“I’m just raging. Absolutely raging. He turned around and put his two fingers up. Well, you know by the calls you are getting. It is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.
"Therewasnobadlanguage usedonmybehalf,soIdon’texpect it from the manager of my club.”
From the footage, it is unclear as to what gesture Johnson makes towards the fan.
That lead another fan to call the incident a “storm in a teacup” on social media after seeing the video, whilst one added: “Really seems nothing to me. I'm more concerned by things on the pitch. So we need to move away from this non-event.”