Club in much better shape after Johnson

ATHLETIC’S new manager will step into a role that has considerably more going for it than in pre-Lee Johnson days.

Plans for the new North Stand were still being drawn up when the confident young thoroughbred from Newmarket arrived for his interview, armed with a dossier on the squad’s strengths and weaknesses, a slick powerpoint presentation and a recommendation from Kenny Dalglish.

The team was weak and packed with loan players. Athletic had beaten Liverpool and taken Everton to a replay in a sensational FA Cup run, but some of the league performances were dire, hinting at a collective problem with motivation. Fourth-bottom of the table after a 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth, relegation to League Two was a distinct possibility.

Two years on, Athletic is glancing at an attainable play-off place that is testament to the job Johnson has done in trying circumstances.

Despite being forced into regular player sales, Johnson has assembled a good squad, headed by captain Liam Kelly, defender James Wilson and striker Jonathan Forte, while midfield man Carl Winchester has come on in leaps and bounds.

And plenty of players are tied down beyond this summer’s inevitable player-go-round.

As unpalatable as it is, Athletic is not currently on the same level as Barnsley, but Johnson has helped to lay the club’s most solid foundation in years.

The revenue the North Stand is expected to bring will, by design, help bridge the gap with the Tykes and others. Johnson had to constantly rebuild, but his replacement starts from a position of relative strength.