Skip to main content

Roker Report

https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/ | 730 entries published

Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!

Latest Entries

Good Luck At Millwall, Patto!

A couple of months ago, there’s a pretty good chance that the odds of Anthony Patterson, Tommy Watson and Alex Neil spearheading Millwall’s Championship playoff push would’ve been lengthy, to say the least. Three Sunderland playoff heroes — one of whom directed traffic from the Wembley sidelines in 2022, ensuring that our long-overdue escape from […]

10 days ago | 1 read

Starting XI: Three Changes For Sunderland Versus Burnley Tonight?

Sunderland were poor last weekend at West Ham, and Regis Le Bris has had plenty of time to ponder what went wrong against the Hammers. Hopefully a few days off and a few days on the training ground will have got the lads’ heads back in the right spot, and with Habib Diarra fit again […]

10 days ago | 1 read

Score Predictions: Can Sunderland Bounce Back Against Burnley?

Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Burnley 1 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brian Brobbey After last week’s disappointing result against West Ham,we’ve got a huge game tonight. Burnley have picked up performance-wise recently and are more than capable of getting a result tonight, so we’ll have to be far better than we were last time […]

10 days ago | 1 read

Match Preview: Sunderland v Burnley — The Lads Are Favourites In Front Of The Cameras!

Monday 2nd February 2026 Sunderland v Burnley – Premier League Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 20:00 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available on Sky Sports. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the […]

10 days ago | 1 read

On This Day (2nd Feb 2013): Was This The Beginning Of The End For O’Neill?!

With Martin O’Neill getting Celtic back on track north of the border, it’s difficult not to think back on his time as manager of Sunderland – and think what a bloody shame it was that it didn’t work out. Thinking back, it was potentially a case of being the right man at the wrong time. […]

10 days ago | 1 read

Fan Focus: What Can Sunderland Expect From Scott Parker’s Burnley Side Today?

It seems so long ago when Burnley defeated  Sunderland back in August – how would you summarise your season since? Yeah feels like a while ago doesn’t it – the season has not gone well, is an understatement. 10 points adrift by January and looking down the barrel of another relegation. Scott Parker has developed […]

10 days ago | 1 read

Haway The Podcast | ROOM 101 | What Are Your Transfer Window Pet Hates?

We have a free weekend this week and it’s because we play in front of the cameras on Monday We enjoyed it so much last time that we bring you another edition of our Room 101 series as Gav & Jonny present their transfer window pet hates to Chris in the hope they are chucked […]

11 days ago | 0 reads

Would ‘Just Surviving’ Be Acceptable For Sunderland Still?

James Elliott says… When the season started, I think it’s fair to say that staying in the Premier League was the main objective. Despite some mixed results recently, we’ve done incredibly well adapting to the top division, and I’m incredibly proud to support and watch this team each week. For me, the remainder of the […]

11 days ago | 1 read

Sunderland Women 0–3 Bristol City: A Disheartening Afternoon in the South West

There are defeats that sting, defeats that frustrate, and defeats that leave you staring at the pitch long after the final whistle, wondering how a team with so much potential can unravel so quickly. Sunderland’s 3–0 loss away to Bristol City falls firmly into that last category. It wasn’t just the scoreline, nor even the […]

11 days ago | 0 reads

On This Day (1st Feb 1969) Sunderland Survivors Draw On Energy Reserves

Having returned to club towards the end of the 1967-68 season and brought about a much-needed improvement in results, Sunderland manager Alan Brown soon found the going to be much tougher once his first full campaign back at the helm got underway. 12 months on from replacing the at times unpopular Ian McColl, ‘Bomber’s’ initial […]

11 days ago | 1 read

Fan Letters: Dan Neil Exit and Talbi’s Role at Sunderland

Do you want to have your say on something Sunderland-related? Drop us an email and we’ll include your thoughts in the next edition of Fan Letters! You can reach us on: [email protected] Dear Roker Report, I note with interest that some fans on here and other social media say the club should have done more […]

11 days ago | 1 read

Sunderland Lost Their Heads — Temporary Blip, Or Something More?

Ian Bendelow says… Only the Burnley match will provide a clear answer to the question. It is a concern, though, because it is a complete departure from the traits the squad has shown throughout the season. Composure, organisation, professionalism. A rancid first half showing, Granit Xhaka offering some lame-brained helmet of a West Ham fan […]

12 days ago | 2 reads

On This Day (31st Jan 2015): Defoe Gets Off The Mark In A Sunderland Shirt!

In a victory that Sunderland manager Gus Poyet described as ‘much needed’, new Sunderland signing Jermain Defoe got off the mark for his new club after his January move from Toronto FC. Sunderland had been struggling for goals throughout the season where they had become quite the draw specialists and the club knew that something […]

12 days ago | 4 reads

From Last Season’s Team to Premier League Reality – A Look Back

With the current transfer window seemingly being used to ship players surplus to requirements, the news that Aji Alese has joined Portsmouth on loan prompted me to take a look at a typical team from last season and see how they have fared this year. To do this, I dipped into my box of programmes […]

12 days ago | 2 reads

Haway The Podcast | OPPO PREVIEW | Have Burnley Lost All Hope Of Staying Up?!

We have a free weekend this week and it’s because we play in front of the cameras on Monday night as we entertain Premier League strugglers Burnley and we caught up with Joe Redmond from TurfCast to find out if they still have any hope of staying up this year! All of this and more […]

13 days ago | 0 reads

Will Régis Go For It When Sunderland Take On Burnley?

Jon Guy says… I don’t think there will be a major change in thinking. He will set the team up to win and I expect to see a lot more from the team in terms of application on Monday. The big question is who does he put in to replace Xhaka. Diarra and Talbi need […]

13 days ago | 2 reads

Transfer Window Calm – Trusting Sunderland’s Smart Approach

The transfer window closes on Monday 2 February 2026 — in less than 100 hours as I am writing this piece. So far Sunderland have only signed the promising Ivorian winger Jocelin Ta Bi, for a very modest fee. It appears that the recruitment team snatched the young prospect from right under the noses of […]

13 days ago | 2 reads

Should Sunderland Look To Replace Dan Neil In January?

With Dan Neil gone, the Sunderland bench will look very short of midfielders come the Burnley game. So given the lack of options available to Régis Le Bris in order to change a game or cover injuries, do we need to bring in another midfielder during the transfer window? ​You could argue that we were […]

MLS

13 days ago | 0 reads

On This Day (30 Jan 1957): League & FA Team Up To Investigate Sunderland Finances

Most Sunderland supporters are acquainted with Mr Smith. Regardless of age, you know the name, because Mr Smith, to this day, is inextricably linked to the club’s shift from top-flight elite, The Team of all the Talents, and ‘The Bank of England Club’ to a yo-yo club bouncing between second and first divisions, and occasionally […]

13 days ago | 3 reads