All-action without going over the top

Lee Johnson: bring it on, lads

HE may have been suitably dressed in a suit, snazzy shoes and a typical manager’s padded jacket, but Lee Johnson threatened to get on the pitch and join in the action after only two minutes of his first outing as Athletic’s manager.

After warm applause to welcome him to the club, a hug from Tony Philliskirk preceded the action getting under way.

Straight away Johnson was up on the very edge of the touchline, applauding and urging his defence to move up and squeeze the play.

“Give us a wave” the Boundary Park crowd urged, and a wave they got.

Give us a goal or three, they thought... and they feasted on three of them.

After the second went in, he pointed index fingers at temples. Keep switched on, was the message to his men.

Johnson was all-action on the touchline without ever straying into amateur theatrics.

After the low-key celebration following the final whistle, he was a little hoarse conducting interviews.

If there is one small lesson to heed from an otherwise perfect night’s work, perhaps it is that next time a bottle of cough syrup in the inside suit pocket might be an idea.