Page 23 - 370167 LP253351 A Love Supreme Magazine - A5 48pp (Issue 260)

ALS COMMENT
It’s great to see that Winchester has been doing well. After playing so many games and performing well for the majority of last season in so many different posi- tions, many fans would have liked to have seen him given the opportunity to play in the Championship and with so many injuries and suspensions across the defence, he would have been a handy player to have around. However, Sunderland do have the op- tion to recall the Northern Irishman in January.
Next up we spoke to Ben from the Stacey West blog/podcast about Jack Diamond’s development at Lincoln...
STRENGTHS
Jack Diamond has brought a bit of flair and creativity to the squad. We were desperately short in attacking options going into the season and he’s given us the extra spark that we needed. He’s not afraid to run at players and get the ball into dangerous areas in the final third, which gets us all off our seats a bit! He’s already bagged a hat trick and a few other goals as well, so he’s endearing himself to the Imps faithful. He’s being used on the wing at the moment, which seems to be a natural spot for him. Taking on defend- ers, beating them with a drop of the shoulder or some fancy footwork and getting a cross or shot away.
WEAKNESSES
There have been a few moments where a pass looked to be on, but he kept the ball himself and lost possession. He seems to be desperate to control the game as much as possible, which is great to see, but on occasion making the extra pass would be a stron- ger option instead of going it alone. But right now, I’d say he’s pretty crucial to the team. He offers up an extra bit of quality, and he’s one of the first names down on the sheet for me.
PERMANENT DEAL?
If the option was there, and it was within budget, I think it would be a no-brainer to have Jack join us permanently. He’s had a slight dip in form of late, but we all know the saying that class is permanent! There’s a fear that he may be recalled in January though, which could leave us in the lurch a little bit
CHAMPIONSHIP QUALITY?
This is one where it depends who is asking! If it’s a Lincoln fan, a lot would say yes. If it’s someone on the Sunderland board, we’d say definitely not and that he needs a longer time at a League One club who also play in red and white, in the hopes we’d get a decent deal! Seriously though, I think he’s maybe six months or so away from a starting place in the Championship. Without wanting to resort to puns and clichés, there’s a bit of polish that needs applying before he becomes a complete diamond, and given our track record of helping players de- velop, I think he’s in the right place at the moment.
ALS COMMENT
At 22 years old the homegrown talent is at an age where he needs to be playing regular football for
his development. There is a question mark over
the contribution he could have made as a striking option in the months that Ellis Simms and Ross Stewart injuries left us without a forward, but I don’t think he was the answer. Diamond’s contract is set to expire in June 2024. Hopefully he continues to shine with the Imps this season, making him a more well-rounded player when it comes to assessing our options next summer.
ALOVESUPREME ISSUE260 23
BY JACK DODDS