Lee Johnson reveals the tactical discussion that has helped Leon
Lee Johnson says simplifying Leon Dajaku’s game has been key to his excellent Sunderland form.
The German winger has shown his technical quality since arriving on loan from Union Berlin on deadline day in early September, but inconsistency had seen him struggle to hold down a regular place in the starting XI.
He has nevertheless been a key part of Sunderland’s recent improvement, particularly impressive in the two recent home wins over Morecambe and Plymouth Argyle.
Johnson admits any player of Dajaku’s age would need support, and says he will speak further with the 20-year-old before the trip to Ipswich Town this weekend to underline his progress.
“I’ve been pleased with him,” Johnson said.
“I think he did get a bit confused and so we had to sit down with him and take him through his clips.
“He’s very energetic and I had to be careful that he wasn’t just being a busy fool, because at times that’s what it looked like. He was making too many runs.
“We gave him some simple rules on when to make those runs, when to look to receive, when to hold his width and when to be inside the pitch.
“The sign of a good player is that he has taken that on, and done it really well.
“Don’t forget Cambridge (United) away, either, because we asked him to play a very different role and he was outstanding.
“We’re due to talk to him on Friday to show him those adaptations to his game, and the additions that have really made him shine.
“The more and more he understands why, based on the clarity of the team structure in and out of possession, [the better].
“He’s still a young player. "Until you’ve had 100 league games, as I’ve said before with other players, you haven’t experienced anything.
“So he’s a talented player in a new country, which means he needs a lot of support, and that’s what we’ve tried to give him.”
Dajaku has four goals in 17 appearances for Sunderland this season, and registered his first assist for Nathan Broadhead’s crucial goal against Plymouth Argyle. Dajaku started his career with spells at VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich.