Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Latest Entries
Talking Points: Five Things We Learned From Sunderland’s Win Over Lens
Bright debut for Meunier First of all, as highlighted pretty much every time we’ve spoken about him on the pod, what a specimen of a man. He’s turning 35 in September but popped up all over the pitch in a very bright 45 minutes on his Sunderland debut. He’d press high alongside Hume on the […]
A Pre-Season Catch-Up with the One and Only Ron Manager
It’s been quite a while since I’d caught up with retired football supremo Ron Manager. As the new season approaches, I thought it would be a good time to get flashes of wisdom and some deep and meaningful insight from him about the game in general, and Sunderland in particular. Ron has forged a lifelong […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Lens 0-2 Sunderland – Black Cats Cruise To Victory
Robin Roefs: 6/10 A spectator for most of the game, had a couple of easy claims to make and a soft shot straight at him but most of his involvements were with his feet. Thomas Meunier: 7/10 A really good debut, reliable on the ball and always quick to provide an outlet on the right. […]
Fan Focus: What can Sunderland expect from Coupe de France winners RC Lens?
Lens finished just six points behind PSG last season in what was a remarkable push for the title. What were the key factors behind your excellent form? I would say there are three key factors behind the season’s success: First, the alignment between the ownership, the sporting management, and the coach was solid, with everyone […]
Haway The Podcast | MATCHDAY PREVIEW | RC Lens v SAFC | Avengers Assemble In France!
1500 of Sunderland’s finest are heading to the north-east of France today to watch the Lads take on RC Lens of Ligue 1, who won a cup last season and qualified for the Champions League, so it should be a good test. Join Gav, James and Michael as they get together for today’s show! All […]
Opposition Analysis: Will Lens Test Sunderland’s Mettle?
Can Sunderland come out on top against a Lens side packed with attacking quality and fresh from a strong 2025/2026 campaign? The Lads travel to north-eastern France for a clash with RC Lens, the 2025/2026 Coupe de France winners and Ligue 1 runners-up, with Black Cats defender Arthur Masuaku having spent six months on loan […]
On This Day (8th Aug 1998): The Day Peter Reid’s Great Sunderland Side Began to Take Shape
All great things start somewhere. Maybe the entertaining team under Peter Reid was already making people sit up and take notice the previous season, when we lost that superb play-off final to Charlton Athletic. However, this 1998/99 season opener at the Stadium of Light against Queens Park Rangers was the marker for what was to […]
Match Preview: Sunderland Say ‘Bonjour!’ As We Head To France
1500 Sunderland supporters are heading to the north of France this afternoon to see the Lads take on a Lens side who had one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history during the 2025-26 campaign. Les Sang et Or — who are managed by former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmöller — won the […]
Fan Letters: Fans Praise Sunderland’s Summer Strategy
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, Sunderland’s pre-season tour of the USA was a masterstroke by the club. Pre-season games generally consist of two teams each half, where match minutes are more important than the result. Everybody connected with […]
Haway The Podcast | OPPO PREVIEW | Hugues Honoré on RC Lens vs Sunderland!
BONJOUR! Tomorrow, Sunderland have two friendlies against RC Lens, and with that in mind we had a chat with Hugues Honoré from Culture Sang et Or Podcast ahead of the games! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show. […]
Are Sunderland Ready for the Demands of a Bigger Season?
After all the heroics and triumphs we enjoyed last season, the new one is just around the corner. Are we ready to raise our platform? Do we have the squad that can take on more responsibility when the need arises? More than midway through pre-season, I feel that there are far more questions than answers. […]
Built on Character: Sunderland’s Intangible Recruitment Identity
Gone are the days of desperation, the instinctive decisions, the moments when Stuart Donald was calling Wigan and somehow outbidding himself for Will Grigg. Gone are the days of seeing “Ibrahimovic” at the bottom of this list and wondering what the plan was supposed to be. This time, everything feels meticulous. Everything feels measured. The […]
The Sunderland Generation That Finally Gets Europe
Recently, I wrote that promotion, a top-seven finish and European qualification had not changed Sunderland’s identity. A proper club then, a proper club now. They had simply given Sunderland a bigger stage on which to be Sunderland. Now we’re about to find out if that’s true. For the first time in fifty-three years, Sunderland will […]
On This Day (7th Aug 2014): The Borini Saga — Sunderland’s Summer of Waiting & Hope
After a hugely successful loan spell during the 2013-14 season, Fabio Borini instantly became Sunderland’s number one transfer target after returning to Liverpool for pre-season training in the summer of 2014. Borini became a fans’ favourite at the Stadium of Light after scoring the goals that helped Sunderland beat Newcastle United both home and away, […]
Reader’s Corner: Why Sunderland’s Europa League Squad Is a Transfer Balancing Act
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland AFC?Well, you too can wiggle your finger in the air over here at Roker Report’s Reader’s Corner! To get involved, simply drop us an email – [email protected] – with your views (between 500-800 words) and we’ll publish them on the site! As the summer rumbles on, […]
Haway The Podcast | Haway The Q&A!
Loads to talk about today, so join Martin, James and Ian as they attempt to answer all of your questions! On today’s show: And much more. All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show. Want to get in touch with us? You […]
Do Sunderland Need More Players in Their Prime?
When you look at Sunderland’s remarkable rise over the last few years, there tends to be a common thread running through every discussion about it – the model. There’s not really a lot more that can be written about the club’s recruitment strategy. We’ve had our period of understanding it in the second and third […]
Scouting Report: Who Is Ernest Poku? Sunderland’s Latest Winger Target Analysed
According to fresh reports from German media publication Bild, Sunderland are attempting to lure Ernest Poku from Bayer Leverkusen to Wearside. The 22-year-old winger, who only made the move from AZ Alkmaar to Leverkusen last season, could be allowed to leave as Die Werkself look to reshape their squad. Nottingham Forest have also reportedly shown […]
Talking Tactics: What We Learned from Sunderland’s US Tour
Sunderland rounded out their USA ‘Summer Series’ over the weekend with two games in quick succession, firstly facing Leeds on Thursday evening local time before jetting off to Pennsylvania to complete the final leg of their trip against Wrexham on Sunday morning local time in the battle of the docu-series. With a much healthier squad […]
On This Day (6 Aug 2022): Four Years On – The Championship Win That Changed Everything
It seems like a lifetime ago in many respects – but just four years ago today, Alex Neil’s Sunderland went to Ashton Gate and enjoyed an exceptionally good 3-2 away win to put the club second in the Championship table. It had been a long time coming – our first win in the second tier […]
Meeting the Messiah – A Sunderland Fan’s Unforgettable Story
Part 1 When Bob Stokoe came to Sunderland in November 1972, no SAFC fan of sound mind could have envisaged what would happen to the club over the next five or six months. Some of us who were lucky enough to be around during this halcyon period in the club’s history still have to pinch […]
Who Is Geny Catamo? Sunderland’s Latest Right Wing Target
Sunderland have been on the search for a senior right winger since the departure of Bertrand Traoré at the end of the 2025/26 season, having spent most of the off-season being thorough in their transfer dealings and holding off on any signings unless they felt they would make a direct impact during the club’s first […]
Haway The Podcast | Unpopular Opinions – Pt. 2 | Seb Larsson, Scrapping MotD & Quinny!
It’s part two of our unpopular opinions! Andrew, Ant & Jonny join Chris to finish off going through the unpopular opinions they hold to see if, well they’re actually unpopular, and a lot depends on how much the others take the p*ss or agree! On today’s show: All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway […]
Visit Ghana? Sunderland Must Think Carefully About This Partnership
After some mild discontent in recent weeks, you’d forgive Sunderland for maybe laying low for a little while. However, it seems boxing clever isn’t on the club’s agenda – at least when it comes to recent commercial activity. With reports in Ghana suggesting “Visit Ghana” is to become Sunderland’s primary, and therefore front-of-shirt, sponsor, it […]
On This Day (5th Aug 1932): Jimmy Gillespie – The Scot Who Helped Build Sunderland’s Greatness
James Gillespie passed away in Bearsden, near Clydebank, in 1932 at the relatively young age of 64. Apart from a six-year period, he spent his life living in his home city. Those six years away from Glasgow were spent playing football in Sunderland, most of them as a key member of what became known as […]
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