Was Callum McManaman Sunderland’s unsung hero at the weekend?
George Honeyman has told The Sunderland Echo that Callum McManaman laid the foundations for Joel Asoro to shine in Sunderland’s 2-0 win at Burton Albion on Saturday.
The Black Cats picked up their first win under Chris Coleman and only their second victory in the Championship this season with a dramatic late show over Nigel Clough’s side.
James Vaughan opened the scoring on 84 minutes, before local lad Honeyman added a second for his boyhood team four minutes later after a superb assist from Asoro.
The 18-year-old Swedish starlet, who replaced McManaman on 80 minutes, beat his marker and drilled an excellent low cross across the face of goal as Honeyman crashed home to seal the points.
But the 23-year-old claims the consensus among his team-mates is that McManaman’s relentless running at Burton left-back Tom Flanagan for 80 minutes allowed Asoro to get the better of him en route to the assist.
“Callum did a good job and the lads are saying he wore the full-back out for Joel to come on and run at him,” he told The Sunderland Echo.
“Everyone’s got to contribute and that’s what, as a young player, you’ve got to do. You’ve got to take your chances and Joel has.”
On the whole, it was a superb cameo from Asoro but McManaman will surely keep his place for the visit of Reading next weekend.
The former West Brom winger, signed by Simon Grayson in the summer, hasn’t always looked impressive since joining, but Sunderland fans will be hoping that he can dazzle under Coleman.
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