The Sunderland selection riddle Lee Johnson will be determined to solve after sparkling cameo at Crewe

It has proven to be sage management on Johnson's part.

Aiden McGeady had barely played for the best part of the year and though he rarely completed 90 minutes, that run of games was crucial in allowing him to find his rhythm.

Even through the period where he was still understandably searching for his best form, there were important contributions and in a week where Sunderland booked their place at Wembley and secured three crucial wins in the league, McGeady was at his most incisive.

For Jordan Jones it has been both a positive and a negative.

After a spell in which he had played little football at Rangers, he too was short on match fitness and McGeady's form has allowed him to build up to something near his best.

McGeady's star turns, though, have also made it difficult for him to break into the starting XI.

There were signs of Jones beginning to state a case difficult to ignore at Burton Albion. Sunderland were 2-0 up when he was introduced but were also having their worst spell of the game. Jones helped tilt the momentum back Sunderland's way and a fine assist for Charlie Wyke was fair reward for his vibrant cameo.

At Crewe Alexandra he took his performance to another level.

Johnson candidly admitted afterwards that he considered making five substitutions at half time, such was the ease with which Crewe had taken a two-goal lead.

Though the Black Cats were marginally better after the break, there was little sign of a revivial until Jones (and Chris Maguire) entered the fray.

It was not just about that goal from Jones, either.

That was a truly stunning strike, but every time he picked up the ball on the left wing he caused problems. Shortly after his goal he again danced past his marker, this time getting to the byline and putting in a cross that almost fell to Charlie Wyke.

His burst of pace also won a raft of free kicks, from which some superb deliveries from Maguire should have yielded at least one goal.

Sunderland were so poor in possession that Johnson had told his team to play 'over and around', rather than 'through'. In short, to be more direct and get at their opponents.

Jones more than anyone turned the tide; a point very much proven.

The challenge for Johnson is that both Jones and McGeady are best playing off the left wing, where they can threaten cutting in and shooting, or going wide and crossing.

The defeat at Shrewsbury is the only time they have started a game together and the balance of the side looked out, the Black Cats too easily overwhelmed out of possession in a wretched defeat.

In the short term, it seems likely that Johnson that will freshen things up and it may be that McGeady takes his first brief pause.

The Head Coach ruminated afterwards that this may have been the game to make five or six changes as the fixture schedule appeared to catch up with his side.

In the long term, you can guarantee that getting both these gamechanging players in the same side will be a puzzle he is determined to try and solve.

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