On This Day (12th December 2020): Champagne football as Sunderland sink Lincoln!

Today at 01:00 AM

Lee Johnson's influence on Sunderland's style was starting to show as we swept away a decent Lincoln City side away from home — a sign of things to come.

It was new, different, and sexy. Lee Johnson's new look Sunderland had a vigorousness, vibrancy, and intent that was so lacking under their former boss, Phil Parkinson.

The fullbacks, Conor McLaughlin and Callum McFadzean, bombed forward, the midfield played forward passes while actually looking up, and our wingers — especially academy product Jack Diamond — played with a confidence that was dearly needed in our team.

Lee Johnson made a brave and bold statement. The team were playing all-out attack football and whilst we certainly rode our luck at times, we were creating so many chances that you always felt there was a goal in us even if we conceded.

Despite a shakey start where we nearly conceded twice through two great opportunities for Lincoln's Brennan Johnson, we maintained a high tempo for the entire half and kicked on after making the breakthrough just after fifteen minutes through a Grant Leadbitter penalty.

Chances galore arrived after this with Johnson's intent on his team playing with a high press at all times ensuring that were picking the ball up high in their half.

Just before the half-hour mark, the impressive fullbacks McLaughlin and McFadzean combined before the latter nodded down ca ross for Charlie Wyke to poke into the net and make it two.

Johnson handed a debut to Diamond - who he took off at half time after he was booked - but before his departure scored a sumptuous third when he was played in by the returning Aiden McGeady who was exiled by his previous manager.

3-0 up at half time - and 4-0 by the end after Wyke's second - was far more than what the doctor ordered, but Sunderland continued to concede and create an abundance of opportunities - a sign of things to come under their new manager.

After the game, Johnson made no apologies for the attacking intent that he wanted his team to play with. His team's high press came with risk his defenders were almost inside the opposition's half.

Despite the fantastic result, there were clear signs that his team were going to concede chances on the break based on this game and the manager suggested that it was worth the risk given the attacking players he had at his disposal.

Listen, we ain't going to draw many games in this division. I tell you that now. There's no way in a million years I'll go into any game to draw.

We were lucky - they had two one-on-ones in the first ten minutes. We have to risk that with the high press, but knowing we can score four should give the boys that feeling that if we do make that mistake, which we will at times because I'm asking to them to be so on the front foot, then we can go and bang in three or four.

In fairness to Johnson, he stuck to his principles until the very end. His style of football brought some great performances and results along the way but it ultimately would be undone with some heavy defeats derailing the progress he made during his tenure at the club.

Whilst games like this one showed everything positive about his style of play, his final game (6-0 defeat at Bolton) showed the contrasting side where when we lost games, we lost them with a bit to spare.