The dressing room verdict on Lee Johnson's new training ground ideas as Sunderland prepare for Doncaster Rovers clash

The Black Cats have gone three games without victory in League One, with draws against Gillingham and MK Dons followed by a midweek defeat at Shrewsbury Town.

And as the Wearsiders prepare to welcome another side who were on the wrong side of an away defeat in midweek in Doncaster Rovers, Leadbitter has lifted the lid on Johnson’s early impact at the Academy of Light.

"Training has been good,” said the midfielder, speaking to the #SAFCUnfiltered Podcast.

"The manager has come in and he obviously has his own ideas, and a lot of it has been refreshing. He's a young coach, a young manager and I'm an older player now - and it's refreshing to see some of the new things he wants to implement in the football club. I've been impressed so far.

“As for training, it's quite hard to get that intensity. As you know there's three games a week so a lot of it's just preparing for games. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't because I like to be intense every day.”

The visit of Rovers provides a big opportunity for Sunderland to bounce back from their defeat at the Montgomery Waters Meadow – and three points against a promotion rival would undoubtedly lay down a marker.

And Leadbitter is remaining optimistic as the club enters the final months of the campaign, believing now is the time where big players will need to step-u as Sunderland eye a return to the Championship

"I think as a player you always want to improve and as a team we should want to improve,” added the midfielder.

"That's got to be the mentality.

"It's been okay - I'm not going to sit here and say it's good enough, but as I well know throughout my career there's a lot of points to play for and a lot of football to be played.

"I'm a big believer that the business end of the season is when it comes to the fore and that's when you need big players stepping up.”

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