Stephen Elliott: The key Lee Johnson phrase that should excite Sunderland fans

He was referring to Wyke getting in a position across his man at the near post to give himself the best chance of scoring his goal.

Hopefully this is something Charlie continues to take on board and Sunderland continue to see the benefits of it.

I also think the manager has recognised that Sunderland need to maximise the quality they have in the squad if they are to have any chance of being promoted.

By bringing Aiden McGeady back out of the cold, he has done that instantly.

McGeady is the type of player who we all know can win a game on his own with a bit of individual magic, but he is also the type of character that will help others perform better by demanding high standards and quality whenever he is on the pitch or the training ground.

It is paramount that the standards we have seen in the last couple performances continue.

You get the feeling that under Johnson they will, as he is a guy who speaks with confidence and calmness, and you would expect those traits to rub off onto his players.

He has only been in the job a week, but you would have to say he has already had a massive impact within the club and among the supporters.

With his fresh ideas and his seemingly positive approach to things, it could be exciting times ahead on the pitch.

It’s great we are looking forward to the games coming round again, rather than dreading them and worrying about what performance was about to come.

Long may it continue.

Finally, I must give a special mention to Max Power who I’ve been critical of recently.

I thought he looked like a player reborn on Saturday, and put in a really astute performance.

He moved the ball quickly and was a real driving force in the midfield. Let’s hope he continues this level of performance under Johnson.

It’s on to Tuesday now against Wimbledon and instead of hoping Sunderland win the game, I fully expect them to - and with a bit of swagger too.

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