Crunch meetings, extra training and McDonalds: The inside track on Chris Maguire's Sunderland resurgence

Dropped to the bench for Sunderland’s games with Burton Albion and Gillingham as the calendar turned into December – and with only six months remaining on his contract – the future looked bleak for the 31-year-old.

It is testament, therefore, to the immense turnaround that has occurred since that Maguire was swiftly tied down to an additional year at the Stadium of Light when his current deal neared its expiry.

He has become a key man under Phil Parkinson and looks set to be an integral cog in the Sunderland side that will look to win promotion from League One at the third attempt next season.

But what happened behind the scenes to turn the forward from on the brink to indispensable? Here’s the inside story:

The Foundations – a meeting and THAT McDonalds photo

It was after that game at Gillingham on December 7 – where Maguire was introduced as an 89th minute substitute in a 1-0 defeat – that things took a turn.

In the aftermath of the game, a photo emerged on social media showing Maguire and teammate Aiden McGeady at McDonalds on their way back from the game.

While many brushed off the photo and its significance, for others it was untimely and unprofessional – especially given that Sunderland were on a seven-game winless run at that point.

What followed, though, was a defence of Maguire from his manager. While Parkinson was quick to confess that the image was far from the most professional, he was loathe to criticise a player who had been working hard behind the scenes to improve his fitness.

“To be fair to Chrissy, in the last three weeks he's been doing extra training every single day,” he said, speaking at the time.

“He's losing weight, he's getting himself fitter, which he needs to do, and he's buying into what we're asking him to do. I'm pleased with that.”

For upon his arrival at the Academy of Light, there was a realisation from Parkinson and his staff that Maguire had to become fitter, faster and stronger. Otherwise, they feared he wouldn’t be able to operate in their desired system.

A training ground summit was held, where Parkinson and physical performance coach Nick Allamby urged Maguire to work on that side of his game.

Also fighting Sunderland’s corner was Maguire’s agent, Mark Obern – a former youth player with Hull City – whose influence was heralded by Parkinson as a key motivator for the forward.

The Pay-Off – the performance data that convinced Phil Parkinson

Maguire continued his extra training for a number of weeks - and the pay-off was significant.

The data in Figure 1 shows Maguire’s involvement in the 0-0 draw with Blackpool, the game which immediately followed the emergence of the McDonald’s photo and was approximately three weeks into his additional training regime. Maguire only touched the ball 62 times with limited success (only 47% of his attempted passes, dribbles and shots were successful). His influence on the side was limited and he struggled to get himself into real attacking positions – as shown by the fact that most of his touches occurred in the centre of the pitch.

But fast-forward to the 2-2 draw with Gillingham in March 2020 – when Maguire was able to benefit from several months of his new fitness regime – and the results are far more convincing.

This was Sunderland’s final home game before football was paused and, while the result was a disappointing one, a delve into the performance data shows the growing influence Maguire was having on the side before the season was curtaied.

As shown in Figure 2, the forward touched the ball 87 times during the draw with a far higher level of success (on this occasion, 63% of his attempted passes, dribbles and shots were successful – a marked improvement). He also covered a far greater distance and was able to carry the ball for longer period and with greater success. The touch map in Figure 2 also shows moments where the forward was able to track back and help defensively, often in the late moments of the game – another notable improvement which comes down to his fitness levels.

Tellingly, he was also able to have a far greater influence on the game where it matters – in and around the penalty area.

The System – flourishing in a 3-4-3 with a new sense of freedom

While an improved level of fitness has undoubtedly aided Maguire’s cause, so too has a switch to a system which offers him the freedom he craves.

Rather than being forced out wide in a 4-3-3, the 31-year-old is given freedom to roam as he operates in one of the two roles behind the lone striker in Parkinson’s 3-4-3.

And it’s paying off. As shown in Figure 3, Maguire was enjoying far more touches of the ball in the penalty area as the season drew to a close – emphasising how this system is playing to his attacking strengths.

Indeed, a look at Figure 4 – which is a comparison between where Maguire touched the ball in the games against Blackpool and Gillingham – clearly indicates that he is receiving the ball in far more dangerous areas now than he was towards the beginning of Parkinson’s reign.

Also interesting is that he is having far more success when he receives the ball, too. He's completing more killer passes, is getting more shots on target and is generally proving a far greater influence on Sunderland’s attacking play than he was beforehand.

And that’s not just in terms of scoring himself, either.

Figure 5 shows Maguire’s shot assists over the course of the 2019/20 season (i.e. how many times per game a pass made by Maguire directly results in a shot from a teammate).

These too grew in number as Parkinson’s methods and system paid-off, while they are also beginning to become more consistent – a trait which Maguire had been somewhat lacking in during the early months of his Sunderland career.

Parkinson made it his mission to try and get the forward to perform on a more consistent basis and the signs were positive as the campaign drew to a close. The Scot was hitting a more regular level of performance – and it’s something of a shame Sunderland fans weren’t able to see whether that could continue.

The Future – looking ahead to 2020/21 and another year of ‘The King’

So what next for Maguire and Sunderland?

It is fair to say that when the 2020/21 season begins - whenever that may be – Maguire will be in pole position for a start.

While there are plenty of concerns over Sunderland’s squad and their attacking output, particularly their lack of an out-and-out goalscorer, little criticism can be put the way of Maguire and Lynden Gooch who have both flourished under Parkinson’s system.

It will be interesting to see how Maguire benefits from a full pre-season under Parkinson and Allamby too, particularly given the clear impact duo and their fitness methods have already had on the forward.

It will be another crucial year for Maguire, given his contract has only been extended by twelve months, but the performance data thus far suggests it could be a productive one for the man dubbed ‘The King’.

All data is courtesy of WyScout s.P.a.