Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
Total reads
4,565
This week
2
Rank
#30 of 426
Published
1,801 posts
Most read posts
Featured on Sportsblogs
Run this blog? Add the badge to your site to show readers you're featured — it links back to this page.
Latest Entries
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal – Late drama as the Lads claim a point!
Robin Roefs: 8/10 I don’t think Roefs can be blamed for the first goal even though it was at his near post, it was really well hit and had a great shape on the shot. Absolutely no chance with the rocket of a second. Played well all game, was brave when coming for the ball […]
Haway The Podcast | MATCHDAY PREVIEW | SAFC v Arsenal | Can We Stay Unbeaten At Home?!
The Lads are unbeaten at home and Arsenal are looking to extend their run of five successive victories, will one of these records go today?! Andrew, Jonny, Gav & Chris gather to give their thoughts on today’s game and to be as optimistic as possible as we face league leaders Arsenal! On today’s agenda: All […]
Match Preview: Sunderland v Arsenal — Can The Lads Remain Unbeaten At Home?!
Saturday 8th November 2025 Sunderland v Arsenal – Premier League Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 17:30 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via 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 […]
Score Predictions: What’s Your Call For Today’s Top Four Clash?
Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Arsenal 1 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Ballard This is a game that most definitely says ‘we’re back in the top flight’ and it’s going to be a huge test. If we play like we did in the first 30 minutes against Everton we’ll be dead and buried, but you […]
On This Day (8th November 2008): Keane would ‘rather go to the dentist’ than become a pundit
In 2008 when Roy Keane was Sunderland manager, the now famous pundit had a typically comical rant about pundits insisting that he would never become one! In the managers pre-match press conference before Sunderland took on Portsmouth at the Stadium of Light, the manager was asked whether he would ever do any punditry by one […]
Sunderland Facing The Best Of The Best? Let’s Have It!
Arsenal are bulletproof at the moment, having kept nine straight clean sheets in all competitions. They’ve swept aside teams with relative ease, and come to the Stadium of Light six points clear at the top of the Premier League, seven ahead of Sunderland. They will be the best team we’ve played so far this season, […]
Starting XI: Is this the Sunderland team that will gun down the Gunners?
After an excellent display at Chelsea, our opening 30 minutes against Everton proved there’s no resting on our laurels – and with both Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee pretty critical of the team’s approach in the opening stages last time out, you’d hope we don’t see a repeat of that any time soon. Le […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland U21 4-2 Ipswich U21 – Cirkin Returns As League Leaders Beaten
Ben Metcalf: 6/10 No chance with either goal, the first that was poked past him from short range, the second deflected in from a cross and wasn’t particularly busy the rest of the night. Managed to get something on a couple of scrambles but rarely tested. Jenson Jones: 6/10 Caught out of position a couple […]
Sunderland vs Arsenal: Stay Grounded Amid Hype
To state the obvious, Arsenal have many players who can change a game in an instant, a rock-solid defence, and an exceptional set-piece conversion record. It’ll be difficult to get a result against them on Saturday — there’s little point getting too down about it, or wallowing in post-mortems after the event; it is what […]
Haway The Podcast | OPPO PREVIEW | The Athletic’s Amy Lawrence Talks All Things Arsenal!
Is this the year Arsenal end their wait of over twenty years for a league title?! We caught up with The Athletic’s Arsenal reporter (and huge Gunners fan!), Amy Lawrence to talk to us about that and all things Arsenal! On today’s agenda: All of this and much more – get subscribed to you don’t […]
Fan Letters: “Xhaka Loves Us, And We Love Him!”
Do you fancy writing us a letter that we can use here on the Roker Report website? Want to pick our brains on something, or simply just have your say on Sunderland? Drop us an email and we’ll include it in a future edition – you can find us at [email protected] Dear Roker Report, I […]
Sunderland’s DNA & Evolving The Model
Since KLD and Speakman have taken the reins at Sunderland, fans and commentators have fixated on the term ‘model’. In the years since their ownership commenced, we have strategically invested in young prospects that we have taken time to develop. One clear message I received from the interview on Monday night is that this way […]
Fan Focus: Arsenal fan Laura has “nothing but love” for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka!
Currently top of the table, Arsenal have had a brilliant start to this season and look like prime contenders for the title. What would you say are the key differences from previous seasons? The obvious one would be personnel. Arsenal have brought in players who have elevated our existing style of play and crucially offered […]
On This Day (7 November 2014) Wickham linked with Lazio move
The signing of Connor Wickham three years earlier had seemed like a huge coup by Steve Bruce. The young Ipswich striker was the talk of football at the time, and at just 18 had the physicality and seeming the ability to really make an impact in the game. Fast foward three years, however, and things […]
Sunderland’s Mentality Is Growing Ever Stronger!
Sunderland started sluggishly but ended strongly during Monday’s draw with Everton, coming from behind for the fourth time this season to pick up points. On reflection, it was a good point overall but there was a nagging sense that given our second half dominance, perhaps we could’ve taken all three. The draw moved us back […]
Enzo Le Fée: Sunderland’s Determined Magician!
Towards the end of pre-season, Régis Le Bris discussed Enzo Le Fée’s omission from what seemed to be his “preferred” starting eleven with an air of sadness. When Granit Xhaka joined and immediately came in to sit at the base of midfield against Real Betis, he was flanked by Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra, not […]
How Impressive Have Sunderland’s Powers Of Recovery Been Thus Far?
Alex Charlton says… Resilience is a trait that many teams at the bottom are lacking, but not Sunderland. At the end of last season, Régis Le Bris remained calm and measured despite a woeful run of form. Some may have called him stubborn but I think it highlighted his confidence and belief in the group. […]
On This Day (6th Nov 2013): Poyet “Happy” To Bring Bardsley Back Into The Sunderland Fold!
Following a fall-out with former manager Paolo Di Canio, Phil Bardsley’s Sunderland career looked to be in jeopardy. After being photographed lying on a casino floor swimming in money — along with publicly mocking Sunderland’s opening-day defeat to Fulham — it was difficult to see a way back for the former Manchester United defender. However, […]
Haway The Podcast | REMEMBER WHEN | Arsenal (H) | Looking Back At Some Classic Fixtures!
Martin and Andrew got together to start the build up to Saturday’s big game at home to Arsenal by looking back over some Sunderland v Arsenal clashes of the past! All this and more on Haway The Podcast – make sure you’re subscribed so you never miss another episode!
Haway The Podcast | ON THIS WEEK | 3-9 Nov | Sunderland In Europe – Sporting Lisbon In 1973!
Welcome to today’s Haway The Podcast, and because we were in action against Everton on Monday night we’ve had to hold this week’s episode of On This Week over until today. Join Martin (who’s a bit more dopey than usual after having a wisdom tooth removed), Chris, Andrew and Kelvin as the lads take another […]
Our Disappointment Shows How Far Sunderland Have Come
I think it sums up just how far Sunderland have come in such a short space of time that I sit here today writing this, feeling disappointed that Sunderland aren’t currently sat second in the Premier League table. Whilst a win over Everton would have taken us there, we had to settle for a draw, […]
These Are Exciting Times For Sunderland — Let’s Embrace Them!
I’ve seen some moans on social media and heard some bleating over the radio — but those people need to give their heads a wobble. They need to realise that all teams in this league are going to be good and we won’t be able to turn up and effortlessly turn anyone over. I understand […]
The Inspirational Granit Xhaka Is Sunderland’s Man Of Steel
During my thirty-year love affair with Sunderland AFC, the list of Lads’ captains I could honestly describe as truly inspirational; players with whom you’d want to be in the trenches when the chips were down and the odds of success stacked against you isn’t exactly lengthy. Double promotion-winning skipper Kevin Ball was one. Steve Bould […]
Fan Letters: Suck It Up, Shearer — Sunlun’ Are On The Rise!
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, I’ve touched on this subject in the past, but just what is it with Alan Shearer and his hatred of Sunderland? We all get that he’s black and white through and through, but […]
On This Day (5th Nov 1960): A Damp Squib For Guy Fawkes Or A Crucial Juncture?
Eleven games without a win, equalling their worst ever run without a victory, the Lads went into this fixture under some pressure to get a result. Our opponents on this day were Bristol Rovers, languishing in the bottom third of Division Two but two points better off than us coming into this game. The Gas […]
Displaying items 1676-1700 of 1801 in total