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Roker Report

https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/ | 724 entries published

Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!

Latest Entries

Haway The Podcast | REACTION | Arsenal 3-0 SAFC | Lads Did Themselves Proud!

Despite fighting for everything throughout the game, Sunderland were made to punish for their slight mistakes as Arsenal scored three – although, it’s fair to say the scoreline probably flattered them. Join Gav, Jonny and Andrew right on full time as they react to the performance… All of this and more – get subscribed to […]

4 days ago | 0 reads

Starting XI: Same Again For Sunderland At Arsenal This Afternoon?

A ‘tough and exciting challenge’ is how Regis Le Bris describes today’s game at Arsenal, and on paper, this is our biggest challenge of the season against a team that looks like the champions in waiting. There’s room for positivity, however – Arsenal have only won one in their last four league games, three of which […]

5 days ago | 0 reads

Score Predictions: Can Sunderland Shock The Gunners?

Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Arsenal 2 Sunderland 2 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Habib Diarra Arsenal aren’t invincible at home, as Manchester United proved recently, so there’s no reason we can’t get something in North London. Of course it’s going to be an incredibly tough game, but it’s one the Lads will relish and it’s as […]

5 days ago | 0 reads

On This Day (7th Feb 2015): Poyet Praises Defoe After Draw At Swansea

A draw is never a bad result away from home but after the way Sunderland had played in the first half, manager Gus Poyet was left regretting a missed opportunity for a rare three points on the road. Poyet’s side played magnificently well in the first half, where they seemed to be a more confident […]

5 days ago | 0 reads

Match Preview: Arsenal v Sunderland — Tough Task For The Lads In The Capital!

Saturday 7th February 2026 Arsenal v Sunderland – Premier League Emirates Stadium Kick-Off: 15:00 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is unavailable. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker […]

MLS

5 days ago | 0 reads

Lasses Report: The Friday Night Game That Never Was!

There are postponements in football that feel inevitable — and there are postponements that feel like a punchline delivered after everyone has already trudged through the rain, paid their money, rearranged their plans and committed their evening to the game. Sunderland Women’s Friday night fixture against Sheffield United fell squarely into the latter category. It […]

5 days ago | 0 reads

Lasses Fan Focus: Sunderland vs Sheffield United

It was a 4-0 last time out in the league. What are you expecting from the Blades in this tie, and how have things been since we last played each other? Since we last faced each other in league action and after thinking we would be in for a second relegation from the second tier […]

5 days ago | 0 reads

Sunderland’s Emirates Return: From 2021 Cup Run To Premier League Test

It’s another trip ‘darn sarf’ on Saturday to take on Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates, and it’s a fixture I’m really looking forward to. It’s our first game there in just over four years and the circumstances could not be more different than the Carabao Cup quarter-final in December 2021. Then, we walked […]

6 days ago | 0 reads

Simon Adingra’s Exit Is A Sign Of The Times At Sunderland

When Granit Xhaka took what felt like ten Leeds United players out of the game with a sumptuous pass to Simon Adingra, who then composed himself before curling a smart finish beyond the dive of Lucas Perri at the Stadium of Light back in December, was I the only Sunderland fan whose first thought was […]

6 days ago | 1 read

Who Is Sunderland’s Most Significant Signing Since League One Relegation?

Ben McKevitt says… Enzo Le Fée! What does a hard-working, defensively solid Sunderland team which is slightly lacking in creativity need when trying to escape the clutches of the Championship? Well, a French midfield magician of course. Enter Enzo Le Fée. I may just be his biggest fan but I think it’s completely fair to […]

6 days ago | 0 reads

Lasses Preview: Friday Nights Under The Lights!

A February night under the lights at Eppleton always carries its own kind of electricity, but tonight’s game feels particularly charged. Sunderland Women welcome Sheffield United in a fixture that arrives at a pivotal moment for both clubs, with each navigating the fine margins of a league table where a handful of points separate mid‑table […]

6 days ago | 0 reads

On This Day (6th Feb 1993): Butcher’s Reign Gets Off To The Worst Possible Start

Malcolm Crosby’s sacking on the back of a pools panel verdict summed up a lot about the way Sunderland were being ran in the early 1990s, and the immediate days after his dismissal saw a flurry of names mentioned as possible replacements. Steve Coppell, the Crystal Palace manager, had allegedly been offered the job in […]

6 days ago | 0 reads

Lasses News: Proposed Changes To The Women’s FA Cup

Earlier this week, it was announced that The Women’s FA Cup is facing a moment of reckoning — and the proposals currently circulating feel like they pose a threat to the very soul of the competition. The Football Association is considering a series of structural changes that would fundamentally alter how the tournament works, and […]

6 days ago | 0 reads

SAFC Women Strengthen Squad with Double Loan Swoop for Hamilton & Griffiths

On Tuesday evening, Sunderland Women announced a pair of loan signings that immediately reshaped the complexion of their squad for the remainder of the season. Defender Caragh Hamilton arrived from Nottingham Forest, while winger Mared Griffiths joined from Manchester United, giving Sunderland both experience and youthful dynamism in two key areas of the pitch. The […]

6 days ago | 0 reads

The James Hunter Column: ‘The Price Of Sunderland’s Progress’

In his first guest column here on Roker Report, long-time SAFC journalist James Hunter looks at the departures of two of the heroes of Sunderland’s renaissance… Wembley Stadium, 4:59pm on 24 May 2025, was a seismic moment. Who can forget Tommy Watson’s 95th-minute winner against Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final? It ended Sunderland’s […]

MLS

7 days ago | 1 read

On This Day (5th Feb 1936): Remembering The Tragic Life Of Jimmy Thorpe

In today’s world of football, many people complain about the protection — or overprotection — that goalkeepers receive from match officials in games yet this wasn’t always the way it was. Around this time in 1936, Sunderland AFC were riding a crest of a wave in the top tier of English football where they were […]

7 days ago | 0 reads

“You’ll Be Blown Away” — Malmö Coach On New Sunderland Goalkeeper

Matt, thanks for joining us. You’re a former pro goalkeeper, now coaching the U19 and U17 keepers at Malmö FF academy, plus providing goalkeeping analysis for The Athletic. Melker Ellborg is someone you know inside out from daily training — what’s his story at Malmö, and how did this rapid rise happen in the last […]

7 days ago | 2 reads

Fan Letters: No Goalkeeper Was Saving Talbi’s Strike!

Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, Monday night…wow! I witnessed the goal of the season. My seat is in L6 of the Stadium of Light, right behind from where Chemsdine Talbi struck his wonder goal. The moment it left […]

7 days ago | 1 read

Was It A Successful January Window For Sunderland?

Andrew Smithson says… I’d have to say that it was another good window for the club, all things considered. Few transfers seem to run smoothly but it appears as if a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes — both in terms of strengthening Règis Le Bris’ options and with regards helping […]

MLS

7 days ago | 1 read

Lasses Spotlight: Emily Scarr — The Solution Up Front?

It would be an understatement to say that Sunderland Women have struggled this season, occasionally looking bereft of confidence and ideas, as well as struggling to find consistency each week. However, the team has adapted and evolved throughout the campaign, and with that evolution has come a natural and thoughtful debate about how best to […]

7 days ago | 1 read