Phil Smith: Revisiting Lee Johnson's fascinating first Sunderland press conference and the telling changes that followed ahead of Wigan reunion

Sunderland had dropped to ninth in the table, and had lost against the side who started the day bottom, without a win of any kind in almost two months.

The Black Cats had dominated by most metrics but their failings, particularly in front of goal, were nevertheless familiar.

"I think my honeymoon lasted fifteen minutes," Lee Johnson said.

He had started the day promising a bold and brave Sunderland, stepping into the dugout just hours after being unveiled. Hopes of an immediate boost were rocked when 19-year-old Kyle Joseph scored a superb solo goal just a quarter of an hour into the contest.

It had been a whirlwind 24 hours and it made for a strange dynamic when it came to the post-match press conference.

Perhaps welcomingly so, Johnson's optimism stood at odds with his equally blunt assessment of the 90 minutes he had watched.

Five months on, Sunderland face Wigan again and the head coach's comments that day go some way to capturing the changes that lay ahead....

SHORTCOMINGS QUICKLY ESTABLISHED ON THE PITCH

If the mood after this defeat was not quite as downbeat as it may otherwise have been, then that owed much not to Johnson's arrival but his rapid assessment of what needed to change on the pitch.

Supporters were encouraged that the new boss immediately identified a lack of pace in the squad and particularly in the forward areas. Being able to stretch the game was key, he said, if Sunderland were to perform better on home turf against deep-lying defences.

Johnson was also critical of the delivery into the box, too often from too deep in the half, and the lack of movement in the box that followed.

In short, Sunderland were too easy to defend against and creating a better quality of chance would be key.

It has been far from a linear journey since then, and the football has not always been free-flowing, but Johnson's attempts to rectify those issues have been three-pronged.

Most productive has been the decision to recall Aiden McGeady. The first steps in that process had already been taken by the time Johnson was appointed but the head coach made a concerted effort to demonstrate how important a player he would be.

McGeady was the first player Johnson called after landing the job, and was promptly bumped up to the starting XI from the bench.

In those early weeks McGeady was clearly still searching for match fitness but tellingly, he has started every single league game since then. The results through 2021 so far have been a ringing endorsement of that decision.

Johnson's decision to quickly change shape also gave Jack Diamond, who had featured only sparingly as a wing-back in the opening months of the season, an opportunity.

Though Diamond's gametime of late has been more limited, he has made crucial contributions along the way and his biggest impact has been to bring a counter-attacking threat that was almost non-existent in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The arrival of Jordan Jones in January has also diversified Sunderland's attacking threat; Johnson making good on his promise to be bolder even if the end product from his side has not always been sparkling.

The biggest beneficiary has been Charlie Wyke, absent on that first afternoon with injury. His ruthless finishing in the months subsequent perhaps best sums up the change in Sunderland.

Before Johnson's arrival Sunderland's attacking statistics had broadly been impressive, but of late their threat has been more varied and the quality of chances high.

OFF THE PITCH

Perhaps the most significant change, however, has taken place above Johnson.

If his assessment of Sunderland's on-field travails was well received, then the lack of clarity over what was taking place at boardroom level sparked much consternation.

Though it was understood that prospective new owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus had been instrumental in the appointment of both Johnson and Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman, a takeover deal was still not done and as such, the new head coach was in a difficult position.

There remained significant concerns over the scale of change that would accompany any change in ownership structure, and Johnson was understandably unable to allay them.

The conclusion of Louis-Dreyfus' takeover has not only led to the start of a complete (and long overdue) overhaul behind the scenes under Speakman, but has allowed key players to offer better clarity on the club's long-term direction.

One of Johnson's key targets has been to 'flatten the waves' on Wearside, to ensure emotions aren't too high in victory and too low in defeat.

The form of his side has gone some way to help achieve that, but arguably even more important has been the stability the change in regime has brought.

THE JOURNEY AHEAD

Johnson and Speakman have taken the first steps in implementing a new philosophy but the former's willingness to be pragmatic has also been a key theme of his tenure so far.

A hectic fixture schedule, numerous injury problems and a COVID-19 outbreak have meant little training time and a need to switch systems with regularity.

The summer will present an opportunity to move the squad closer to the front-foot style he has been tasked with implementing (a window that should be overseen by a much stronger recruitment department), while the Black Cats regime aso believe the return of fans will be crucial in taking an aggressive pressing game to the next level.

Johnson himself says an upturn in form was always likely and there is no false modesty there. A coach who places strong emphasis on data analysis, he insists Sunderland's strong numbers before his arrival meant they were always contenders.

He is equally insistent that there remains much to come from his side.

While that is undoubtedly true, his Sunderland are already very different from the team we saw on that bleak midwinter day in December.

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