Alex Neil is fed up of the debate over where Sunderland fit into the football hierarchy - insisting that only by succeeding in the play-offs will they shake off their League One status. The Black Cats secured a 1-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light last night, giving them a slender lead to take into the second leg of their play-off semi-final at Hillsborough on Monday.
Since dropping into League One in 2018, Sunderland fans have fiercely resisted the notion that their club - six-time league championship-winners and two-time FA Cup winners - can be considered a third tier outfit. And while the fans' view is understandable given that Sunderland has only spent five years at that level in its 143-year history, head coach Neil says he is a realist and has to deal with the fact that the Black Cats are a League One team until such time as they achieve promotion.
"The potential is exactly why I came here," he said. "Potential means something that possibly could happen.
