Lee Johnson looks forward to the Wigan game, speaks about fans returning and has a message for Sunderland supporters...
GETTING STARTED
I can’t wait. I think obviously when I came here, part of that feeling was to experience the atmosphere and the passion of the fans so it’s been great here so far, I’ve loved it but I feel like this is almost like a mini cup final because it’s the first game of the season and obviously everybody’s full of ambition, support and positivity.
FANS’ RETURN
It’s going to be that beautiful blend of anxiety, fear, passion, desire, the work you’ve put in, the hope you’ve got, the belief you’ve got in the players and it’s an eclectic mix of what football’s about and I’m really looking forward to it. I think we’re ready, we’re prepared and we need to show up and put in a great performance.
FAMILIAR FACES
It’ll be good to see the guys, we got on really well both as squad members but also myself personally with those guys. Wigan have spent well, you can have money but you’ve got to spend it well and obviously they’ve done that, but we believe that any Sunderland team we put out have a very good chance of winning the game.
FRESH START
It does feel like a start. I thoroughly enjoyed last year and last season up to the point where we got knocked out in the semi-final, but this is the chance to really bed in the sort of principles and recruit around that philosophy and try and bring our A game as much as possible in front of the fans. We won’t fear it, we’ll look forward to it.
MESSAGE TO SUPPORTERS
Just be yourselves. I know how much these supporters love the club and everything that goes with that is what we want, whether that’s the highs or lows, it makes you feel alive and there’s no better way of feeling alive than a matchday on a 3 o’clock Saturday at the Stadium of Light.
