A delighted Lee Johnson discusses Sunderland's comprehensive defeat of Sheffield Wednesday on Thursday night but notes several areas to improve in the new year...
PERFORMANCE
"Very pleasing after a really difficult run of games. The boys have dug on on heavy pitches and been really professional."
SLOW START?
“We didn't start well, they were the better side in the first ten minutes and the goal was a bit against the run of play. But we recognised their high line and that was the key when you've got Ross Stewart and Leon Dajaku running off the back of people."
ALWAYS ROOM TO IMPROVE
"At half-time, at 3-0 up, I thought we could have been better on the ball. I thought our counter-attack was very, very dangerous, our defending was outstanding, but in terms of control we didn't quite have as much as we normally do. But in the second half we really enjoyed a lot of control on the ball."
LEARNING LESSONS
"The pleasing thing was we learned our lessons from the last game. I'm always looking at that when we get these little tests. We had to earn the right, have a really powerful position of strength to then go and create. I felt we could have been better even when we were 3-0 up. We tweaked a couple of things from that Rotherham game and of course the Sheffield Wednesday game, I won't go too tactical but I was very pleased with what the players were able to implement after what was a lot of studying. We felt we needed a plus one that we didn't quite have (in the reverse fixture). They're simple tweaks, and the lads will have to cope again when we play Wycombe next."
A STAR DUO
"We talked a lot at the start of the season about Pritchard and Embleton and I knew they could play together. You never once heard from me that those two couldn't play together because they are two great footballers and great football brains, and they are technicians."
PRITCHARD'S REJUVINATION
"The key was the physical conditioning of Pritchard, that was a renovation project, but we wouldn't have had Pritchard unless it was a renovation project, he wouldn't have dropped down to League One. I'm delighted with him (Pritchard), I'm delighted with Embleton, I'm delighted with Gooch."
HAT-TRICK COMING AT A COST
"Obviously (delighted with) Ross Stewart taking home the match ball, although unfortunately we are going to have to charge him for it because we can't just be giving balls away. We'll try and do it at cost for him, but it's still 45 quid! When Charlie Wyke left obviously that was a big hole in terms of the goals that he'd scored but I think Rosco adds a lot to the team with his work rate, his energy, his pressing ability and he's just such a joy to manage."
YOUNG GUNS FIRING
"It's great to see young players score goals and obviously Benji, a young academy product, and Callum Doyle on loan from Man City, getting his first league goal, and really well deserved from both players and its nice to see that they get their rewards for all their hard work, we've been pretty tough on them but they're certainly producing at the moment."
AMAZING FANS
"It was a really special night for the players to feel that kind of love in the room (34,000+). We want that as much as possible. The crowd needed to help earn us the win today, and they did. When there were heavy legs, they showed us support all the way through. There's no doubt that the noise and the volume and the decibel levels give the lads a little extra skip in their stride."
GOING FORWARD
“We're going to need that warrior spirit that we had tonight, and that means we can show our footballing ability. When we do that, we look a really good side.”
