Is Sunderland AFC a 'sleeping giant'?

Today at 01:00 AM

The term is often used to describe football clubs with a big following and infrastructure but with little in the way of success, so how much does it apply to Sunderland?

A popular Second World War myth is that the Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto described the USA as a 'sleeping giant'.

The rumour was that the admiral was worried that Japan had awoken this 'sleeping giant' in attacking Pearl Harbour, in a decision that would lead to the USA joining the war.

As great a line as this is, it was just a myth and it wasn't spoken by Admiral Yamamoto.

However, the term is an interesting one and it's often used in sport, far away from an island off the west coast of America. Indeed, the Admiral used the term 'sleeping giant' in 1941, he definitely wouldn't have been talking about Sunderland AFC, as before the outbreak of war, we were one of the more successful clubs around.

Unfortunately, during the decades that followed, success on Wearside dried up, and the 21st century in particular has been riddled with 'what ifs?', as well as the lowest league finishes in our history.

The term 'sleeping giant' is used to describe someone or something that has a great deal of power without knowing it, and can be demonstrated if and when provoked. A few football clubs fall into this category, and arguments are made over whether Sunderland are one of them.

When it comes to Sunderland, there are plenty of things we do have.

These include a big fanbase, a fine stadium, and in general very good facilities and an infrastructure to boot. These have been in place for years, with the fanbase being around the longest, and each have contributed in their own way.

The League One campaigns saw Sunderland hung out to dry by teams who were much smaller, yet when it counted on the pitch, we often struggled where we should've thrived.

Everyone said we should've walked League One, given the size of the club, but during the majority of these four years, Sunderland was being run like a club far smaller than we were. We can be proud of getting 30,000+ crowds in the third tier, but we were only left in that position due to incompetence in the boardroom.

Sunderland fans who see Sunderland as a big club do so because of the perspective we have.

Attendances of 40,000+ and being the biggest crowd in the Championship by some distance is one way of gauging how big a football club is, but seven years and counting outside the Premier League is a barometer of a club not fulfilling the potential that we know could be hidden somewhere.

Off the pitch in years gone by, we've seen those in charge make decisions that make us look the very opposite of a big club or even a sleeping giant. This difference in mentality is what sometimes makes it feel as though the hierarchy and the fans couldn't be further apart in terms of ideology.

Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday are two clubs whom I would say fall under the 'sleeping giant' tag, and no doubt many of their fans would agree.

There's anger over the Premier League no longer being 'proper' and not currently involving clubs that were Premier League stalwarts in the 2000s. Teams such as Brighton, Brentford, and Bournemouth are sneered at for being in the top flight because 'there are bigger clubs around than them'.

This is true regarding infrastructure, but these clubs have gone up to the top flight and stayed there because they have what it takes to do so.

Bournemouth have a ground smaller than some League One clubs, but I doubt their fans were too bothered about that when they Arsenal to the sword earlier this season. They play good football and have earned their spot among the big boys, and fair play to them.

Sunderland have started this season well and if promotion is the eventual reward, it won't be achieved by going out and breaking the bank. We're in the third year of a supposed five-year plan to get back to the Premier League, and things are going well.

The term 'sleeping giant' can be a troublesome one.

It leads to accusations of a team not fulfilling its potential and whilst in some cases this is true, in others it's not and a club may be exactly where it should be in the general order of things. Some football clubs punch above their weight and end up being just fine, whilst others feel like they could do so much more.

We head into another international break at the top of the league and although the lead has been reduced, we still have a seven point gap to seventh-placed Middlesbrough.

Keeping certain teams at arm's length is vital, and we remain a competitive side and one that's progressing. We may be a sleeping giant, but the day we do wake up will be one that has been worth the wait.