I got a text from a mate on Sunday which said simply, “do not fall in love with a loan player”.
Well, it’s a bit late for that. They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but in this instance, it seems Diamond is also a man’s best friend, as he’s clearly slotted into the way we play and brought the one thing we didn’t have in August; excitement. We looked functional, a little disjointed at times, but you could see where we were going until the final third. That was the problem all last season, and before the Sunderland man penned his deal, it looked like our problem this season.
Cometh the hour cometh the man, and Jack has settled in nicely, creating goals, scoring goals and winning penalties. He looks just like the sort of player we’ve not just asked for but screamed out for, and it’s no surprise since he’s been in the squad, our number nine has scored three goals as well. Last season, a player starting at nine only reached three league goals in February – often, it’s not the player but the service that’s lacking.
How did we bag this wonderfully exciting footballer? Well, the recruitment process that so many were quick to slate in pre-season has played a huge part, as he told the Sunderland Echo.
“I spoke to quite a few people and obviously I didn’t get to go out until quite late,” he replies. “It kind of just materialised when I was speaking to quite a few that Lincoln appealed,” he said of the move.
“With their record of where their loan players are now and kind of how the manager (Mark Kennedy) spoke and how all the club spoke about the way they played. They sold it across really well.”
Brennan Johnson; check. Lewis Fiorini, perhaps? Brooke Norton-Cuffy? I think the big one is Johnson, and his appearance in the Premier League is such a big thing for us as a club. Mind you, it’s not just one player’s progression which has tempted Jack.
“I think when it came to the final decision, they had what I needed,” he added. “They showed me a lot of things on how they played and had a lot of clips on me and their system. The big one was seeing where their loan players have ended up now, and I think they have a good record of bringing in loan players and them going on after and being successful.
“I think that was a big part of it, and speaking to everyone there, it seemed good.”
So, there you have it. Jack Diamond came here not only because of our record with players but because of the effort Jez and the recruitment team put in with videos and analysis. He came here because of the people we have behind the scenes selling the dream and because of the rookie manager (but lifelong footballer, by the way) who is beginning to make a mark on the team.
Sure, we’re a bit rough around the edge, but with a bit of polishing, hopefully, the team can become as shiny as our new gem on the wing.