Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
Sport
Matty Hewitt

Fans divided over whether they think Lee Johnson is the man to lead Sunderland to the Championship

Sunderland fans are divided over whether they think Lee Johnson is the man to lead them back to the Championship.

The 40-year-old took over at Wearside in December with the Black Cats watching their promotion hopes slide away.

Johnson was able to get their promotion push back up and running and they even managed to get within touching distance of the top spot in League One - with promotion very much in their own hands in March.

However, an end of season slump, coupled with horrific defensive injuries saw the Black Cats finish the season in fourth.

A poor first leg showing against Lincoln City left Johnson's side too much to do in the play-offs. A 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light wasn't enough to see them turn around a two-goal deficit from Sincil Bank.

It was the first chance fans have had to see their side with the Covid-19 pandemic putting a stop to spectators attending matches.

The first-half against the Imps shows just how powerful Johnson's high press can be when roared on by fans.

Charlie Wyke of Sunderland scores the second goal (Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)

However, when the dust had settled, we asked Sunderland fans whether they though Johnson was the man to lead the Black Cats back to the Championship.

Out of 1201 responses, 466 people believe he's the right man to lead Sunderland up.

383 people were unsure while 352 don't think he will. Johnson was able to bring some success to Wearside - winning the EFL Trophy and ending their Wembley hoodoo.

This summer will be his first real opportunity to put his stamp on the Sunderland squad and he's desperate to add promotion to his CV.

When asked who was to blame for Sunderland's failure to win promotion a minority - 96 fans to be precise, believed Johnson was to blame.

However, 501 fans believe it was a combination of the previous owners, players, Phil Parkinson and Johnson.

The Black Cats head coach will be under more pressure next season with a squad of his own and he faces a busy summer rebuild.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.