The Sunderland youngster who has given Lee Johnson a very interesting decision to make ahead of Lincoln City

If there is a fair amount of goodwill for Lee Johnson in the early stages of his Sunderland tenure, then it owes much to the speed with which he identified one of the issues that has long frustrated supporters on Wearside.
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Quite literally.

In Johnson's first press call, coming just moments after he watched his side labour to a disappointing defeat against Wigan Athletic, the new head coach identified a lack of pace as a key problem which needs rectifying in January.

Opposition defenders, he noted, are too comfortable and not being stretched anywhere near frequently enough. The upshot is that the Black Cats are too predictable, and their creative players don't have the space and options they need to thrive in possession.

Lee JohnsonLee Johnson
Lee Johnson

For many, it was something of a hallelujah moment.

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January, though, is some time away, in the context of this shortened and frenetic season at least.

The other issue is, of course, that pace, like goals, comes at a premium.

So Johnson is acutely aware of the need to be creative that in those comments, he said he did not mind if the option he gets is raw in other areas of their game.

The first thought was to bemoan an ill-timed injury to Benji Kimpioka, who was in good goalscoring form before suffering a hamstring injury in the U23s.

At Boundary Park, though, another option emerged.

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Jack Diamond has looked lively in his brief cameos this season, but that rawness has also been an issue when Phil Parkinson's preferred shape had him adapting to a wing-back role that was almost entirely new to him.

Johnson's arrival has led to a switch to 4-3-3 (though interestingly, Johnson confirmed that Andrew Taylor had already made this decision, Johnson's only contribution last Saturday to bump Aiden McGeady into the team), and in the early weeks it could be Diamond who benefits.

On the left, the selection of either Aiden McGeady or Chris Maguire brings creativity and craft to the side. What it doesn't bring, though, is raw pace and so on that flank, the onus for width falls on the overlapping full-back.

While Sunderland's strikers have industrious in their work an excellent in their pressing of late, it is no secret that speed is not their greatest assest.

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So to play the way Johnson wants, with verticality and aggression, there is a case for Diamond and particularly while Lynden Gooch recovers from injury.

At Oldham, he made his mark.

Johnson said afterwards that a player only gets one chance to make a first impression, and Diamond did exactly that.

In the early stages of the game, Diamond had the misfortune of lining up right in front of Johnson's technical area.

The 20-year-old had his head coach constantly in his eye, talking him through his positioning and decision making.

That, though, was the biggest compliment he could receive.

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Johnson is a coach first and foremost and had a glint in his eye when he discussed the road ahead for the pair.

He stressed more than once just after the game how much work Diamond has to do, and how much he had to improve.

There were more than warm words, though, for his dynamism and willingness to take chances in possession.

When Sunderland moved close to the side that Johnson wants them to be here, it was with Diamond at the heart of it, stretching the play and testing the defence.

With a key game at Lincoln City looming, Johnson has a very interesting decision to make.

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