‘Never too soon’: how Tony Mowbray made Sunderland playoff contenders

12-May-2023 09:42:44 | The Guardian

Under the guidance of their veteran manager, a team of electric youngsters led by Amad Diallo has exceeded expectations

Amad Diallo cost Manchester United £25m and Édouard Michut trained alongside Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé at Paris Saint-German, but they receive no special privileges from Tony Mowbray.

The Sunderland manager’s insistence on good habits – on and off the pitch – involves all players, star loanees included, routinely brushing down their boots and hanging them on the correct peg. Instead of allowing dirty shorts and socks to fall to the dressing room floor, they must be picked up and turned inside out, ready for the kit man to place in the washing machine.