Roker Rapport

Not long to go now - our Chris Wynn was joined over the weekend by our old friend - ITV's Simon O'Rourke - as he rounds off his 21/22 RR trilogy by looking over the job Alex Neil has done to get us to Wembley, ahead to the party before the final at Trafalgar, and gives his opinion on our chances of promotion from League One on Saturday!What's the crack?Been a crazy season at the Stadium of Light hasn't it? How is Simon feeling ahead of a busy week?What has he made of Alex Neil's efforts to get the lads focused on the task at hand - promotion from this division;#TilTheEnd - Has Alex Neil given the lads some much needed steel since arrival? They don't give up easy do they...How vital is it for everyone - including Kyril Louis-Dreyfus - that we get out of this league now?Which players have stood out over the past few months, and particularly over the two legs against Sheffield Wednesday;What does Simon make of Wycombe - including his take on their Chairman's interesting efforts to sell tickets via weird cringey

Gav, Chris and Phil got together yesterday after a night of celebration (followed by a day of trying to sort tickets) to react to Sunderland's victory in the dying minutes of the second leg of the League One Play-off Semis down Hillsborough! Aye. What's the crack?  The lads try and work out how they feel after the late drama of Monday night;  How do they rate that performance from the Lads? How proud are they of the players?  'Alex Neil has balls of steel' - he stuck with his selection when most wouldn't have done, and it paid off...  The rush for tickets for the final is always a laugh - had any random DMs lately? How confident do we feel ahead of Wembley (we'll go into this in further detail over the coming days) but does this feel like it's time to finally leave League One? Does Alex Neil look like the man who can get the job done? Warrior spirit - It's all we ever want isn't it? Players battered and bruised, covered in mud and blood... Do we now

A very rough and hungover Gav was joined the morning/night after the night/morning before by our ‘man down under’ Martin Wanless and our Phil West, to break down an atmospheric and compelling night at the Stadium of Light - as Sunderland took the lead in our home leg of the Play-off Semi Finals against Sheffield Wednesday - and to look ahead to the away fixture at Hillsborough Monday night! What's the crack? Now that was some atmosphere lads and lasses - an incredible performance from the 44,742 mackems in attendance (and with a few up from South Yorkshire) - so how did it all feel last night? Can the lads remember the last time they felt like that? ROSSCO STRIKES AGAIN; The Loch Ness Drogba drove his way through to take a one goal lead into the second leg on Monday - which row did our Gavin end up in? What did the lads make of Alex Neil’s team selection - do they think he got the balance right? So many good performances it’s difficult to pick out a particular player deserving of al the praise - but

Our Chris Wynn was joined by the wonderful Rob Staton - from BBC Radio Sheffield - to get an idea of where our opponents in the semi-finals are currently, what's been going on down Hillsborough of late, and more importantly preview the upcoming matches/ordeal. What's the crack? No surprises here - It's about Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals of the play-offs. What's the situation with the fitness of key Wednesday players ahead of the match on Friday? Who else does Alex Neil need to keep an eye on? How has Darren Moore performed this season? Is he looking and sounding confident at the moment? Do we need to forget about our previous meetings and just go for it? How does Rob think it'll play out on the pitch - are Wednesday still as vulnerable as the last time they visited? The lads take a quick look at the madness up and down the EFL pyramid; Is anyone brave enough for a prediction then? All this and much more! We're almost there lads and lasses! Ha'waaaay the Lads! #SAFC #TilTheEnd #SW

Gav was joined last night by our Chris Wynn and Phil West as they reacted to the end of the EFL League One 21/22 season, and what it all means for Sunderland as we face Sheffield Wednesday in the Play-Off Semi Finals! What's the crack? So here we are lads and lasses - Sunderland are going to face Sheffield Wednesday over two legs, to see who can get to Wembley to face either Milton Keynes or Wycombe Wanderers. How are the lads feeling about Alex Neil’s more.. methodical.. approach to matches - particularly the match everyone watched on Saturday? Will this ‘by any means necessary’ attitude serve us well in the coming matches? BROADY LAD - He’s there again but it looks like he’s taken a knock, and as of recording we have no idea as to whether he’ll be fit or not this Friday so... what exactly do we do without him if this is the case? Ross Stewart took a knock on Saturday also, although that looked marginally less worrying than Broadhead’s - does nothing for the nerves does it? Which players stand out as

Gav was joined once again yesterday by our Martin Wanless and Phil West, as they looked back in greater detail over our victory on Saturday afternoon, and ahead to Tuesday night's ridiculously important game against Rotherham! What's the crack?We really needed that ahead of our final two regular games of the 21/22 League One season - what did the lads make of the overall performance?Some game from a certain Lynden Gooch - it's a great time to hit form for the lad isn't it?Speaking of form, Alex Neil has Sunderland firing on all cylinders at just the right time - how key is his experience of the play-off pressures going to be?We surely can't not make the play-offs at this stage can we? We are Sunlun of course but still...The lads take a look at the rest of League One and who our rivals are playing this week - some sides are in a far more desperate position than ourselves as they look to stay up; Ahead to Rotherham; how do the lads think we'll set up against them? We owe them a battering for the humil

Our Ant Waterson was joined immediately after the game - at the packed (and loud) Hilton bar - by our Sam Blakey to react quickly to a very comfortable win against Cambridge Utd at the Stadium of Light! What’s the crack? That was nice wasn’t it? Some lovely goals to try chip away at our GD - how do the lads feel after that?EMBO - Brilliance from the lad yet again!THE LOCH NESS DROGBA IS BACK! Haway the Rossco! Another goal for Broadhead, and a return to action for Pritch!A great game from Gooch today - was that his best performance this year?Was that a red? Definitely a penna but a red?One game down, two to go!#SAFC #EFL #LeagueOne See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Well Lads and Lasses… what started out life as a mere Sunderland AFC v Cambridge Utd preview became something else entirely, as our Chris Wynn was joined for a couple of hours on Thursday night by a legend of broadcasting - Mark Saggers - to go over not only his love for Cambridge Utd, but his surprising family ties to Sunderland AFC - as well as his 40 years in the business of sports broadcasting and journalism… It's an epic! What's the crack? Where do we begin? Saggers let's us in on his family history and his links to Sunderland as a club and a city, including his first visit to Roker Park in the 1960's!  Chris gets his deep-dive fix as Mark details his amazing journey through the ever changing world of broadcasting… from Muhammad Ali to Jimmy Carter, from Terry Wogan to Stan Collymore, from covering the Olympic games to the World Cup (and the occasional horse race) Saggers has seen a lot. What moments stand out so far in his long career?  His love of sport in general - particularl

Gav was joined by fellow RR editorial team members Phil West and Chris Wynn to run right through all of the action over Easter - discussing whether four points across the two games vs Shrewsbury and Plymouth are good enough as we approach the final three games of the 21/22 season! What's the crack? The lads delve deep into both of the games over Easter and ponder what this all means for the rest of Sunderland's season... Shrewsbury were almost a banana skin for Sunderland - what did we make of the performance? Alex Neil's interactions with the media are earning him praise - is his approach more of what fans and players like to see and hear? Did the win on Friday impact on how the gaffer approached Monday's game? Sunderland shaded the statistics at Home Park - but is it a good point? Our defensive players shone, but our attackers struggled... Do some of our big-hitters look jaded by the busy schedule? What does this all mean ahead of next weekend's round of fixtures? This and much more - tune in! #S

Gav was joined this week by the lovely Simeon Gholam - Sky Sports EFL Editor - for a bit of a chat about the massive weekend of League One football to come, as Sunderland face Shrewsbury on Friday and Plymouth on Monday to try keep our resurrected Play-Off hopes alive! What’s the crack?How has Simeon been since last we spoke? That Manager of the Month award kiss-of-death still working it seems? The insanity of Easter Weekend in the EFL - It’s always a crazy few days for the leagues isn’t it? How do we see this weekend playing out? Do we have the pick of the fixtures (particularly against Shrews on Good Friday) or is there a chance we could slip if we don’t remain absolutely focused on one game at a time? The lads look at the fixtures for the sides around us in the race for promotion - There’s a few sides starting to really wobble now and some look to be falling away, so of those sides who would be preferable from an SAFC point of view to be drawn against in a play-off scenario? Does Simeon think Sunderla

Gav was joined last night by our Chris Wynn and Phil West to break down Sunderland’s massive victory over promotion rivals Oxford Utd on Saturday, and look ahead to an absolutely mental looking Easter Weekend in League One! What’s the crack? We needed that - how do the lads feel following another last minute winner for Alex Neil’s side?The gaffer was frustrated with the Lads losing the midfield battle in the first half so made changes that - once again - came good; but should he be in that position to begin with?Just how important was that win for our play-off hopes, as the sides around us were held to draws - this goes some way to alleviating some pressure doesn’t it?EMBOOOOO - The lad comes good again, what does he have to do to get a start? Is he better as an impact sub?PATTOOOO - Another young lad who has been quietly going about his business looking pretty confident of late... How good a job has he done to grab the Hoff’s starting place and keep hold of it?Shades of the Keano season... this an actual thi

Bit of a last minute change of circumstances, so this morning our Rich Speight was joined by notorious Oxford fan - Wor Gavin - to preview SAFC’s visit to the Kassam tomorrow! What’s the crack?How are the lads feeling ahead of the match? Has Oxford’s loss to Morecambe on Tuesday night gone some way to alleviating any anxiety over the fixture, or has it made it somehow worse? We chat about the player of the year awards - Was Ross Stewart a worthy winner for the Lads? George Forster is always a worthy winner of course... How do we think Alex Neil will set up tomorrow? Is he likely to be a little more cautious? The lads take a look at Oxfords recent form (honest) and just how badly they need the 3 points - It’s do or die for Karl Robinson here isn’t it? Besides maximum points, what do the lads want from this fixture? Will this - like every match at this stage - define our season? All this and more! Listen in! #SAFC #EFL #OUFC #LeagueOne See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gav returned to pod action yesterday with Martin and Phil, all looking at another vital win - this time over the Gillingham team bus on Saturday - and a bit of a chat about the coming mayhem as Alex Neil attempts to keep Sunderland in the League One play-off race! What’s the crack?What did the lads make of that performance? Could Gills have tried any harder to keep us out? In a match where we had 80% of the ball and faced absolutely no threat of any kind - should it have been easier to find a way around the bus? NATHAN F***ING BROADHEAD! What a moment that was... What do the lads make of the way Alex Neil has had us set up these past few games? Is he being ruthless enough with certain players? Are we getting sick of sides setting up like this against us? Can they be blamed for it really? Corry Evans - Not the most popular captain the club has ever fielded - but does he deserve to be booed before taking a kick? Gav doesn’t think so...Looking at who the sides around us are facing n

Rich takes back over hosting duties as our Chris (and half the hosting team) have been struck down temporarily by our old friend Covid... so this week we’re delighted to be joined by the lovely Henry Collier of Kent Live - a massive Gills fan and former club employee - to chat about their upcoming visit to the Stadium of Light this weekend! What’s the crack? Both clubs have made a few changes this January, with Gillingham replacing Steve Evans with Neil Harris in a bid to avoid relegation - what happened under Evans, and how well has Harris done in the short time he’s had down at Priestfield? How are the club and fans faring looking around and below them in the league right now? Does it feel particularly safe with so few games to go? Who has stood out for Gills this season, and who is starting to come good for the final run-in? What did Henry think about Sunderland’s decision to replace Lee Johnson with Alex Neil - Is Neil actually the better option in his opinion? Predictions: how do both

Chris Wynn was joined by pub crawl extraordinaire (and ITV Tyne Tees Sports Reporter) Simon O’Rourke - to look back at what’s happened at the Stadium of Light since last we spoke in September, and ahead to a nerve-racking end to Sunderland’s 21/22 campaign in League One. What’s the crack? Right. Quite a bit has happened since the heady days of challenging for the automatics... Where do we begin? How does Simon feel about the last few months in particular - what did he make of the spectacular collapse and the chaos that ensued? What did Simon make of the signing of Jermain Defoe? Did it make any sense to him? Kyril Louis-Dreyfus - does Simon feel the club should’ve done better with the PR disaster that was sharegate? What would he have preferred they do? The end of Lee Johnson’s time at the club - that wasn’t the way to go about it all was it? Did he agree with the decision or does it lead to a few questions about the experience level of the people involved? “To run a football club, you have to be a bit of

Our Bomber and Malc got together to quickly go over an improved performance... but a frustrating result, as the Lads took just a point from Michael Appleton’s men at Sincil Bank! What’s the crack?A frustrating game with a lot of skill on display but very little end product - just wasn’t going our way today in front of goal; The lads pick a couple faults with the team selection - namely one Corry Evans getting the nod over Jay Matete for reasons unknown - but besides that we set up pretty well didn’t we? Patrick Roberts had an absolutely brilliant game - the lads try to wring every bit of positivity out of his and Dennis Cirkin’s performance as they can... Did Lincoln really turn up to win? How does that result feel overall, with so few opportunities to get the points we need left? All this and more! Listen In! #SAFC #EFL #LeagueOne See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our Chris Wynn is back this week with a man who happens to have played in an era Chris specialises in - current match summariser for the Imps at BBC Radio Lincolnshire and former Crystal Palace, Southend United and Lincoln City defender - the lovely Mark Hone! Chatting about his time as a player for a bit before delving into the current state of affairs at Sincil Bank, and ahead to Saturday's game. What's the crack? First things first - how was it coming up under Steve Coppell at Crystal Palace? Did Mark learn a lot from his time there, and does he think the modern approach to player development is largely a good thing in comparison to the old system of cleaning toilets and scrubbing boots?What sort of a career trajectory did Mark have after Palace; At a time with no agent representation and little oversight or protection for players psychologically, financially or otherwise - does he regret the decisions he made at that young age?Roker Park - When he thinks back through his time in opposition at Sunderland'

Gav was joined earlier today by our Martin Wanless - and our old friend Barnesy - to go over yesterday’s result against a pretty dire Crewe Alexandra side and to hear what head coach Alex Neil and goalscorer Dan Neil had to say following the game. What's the crack? The lads attempt to break down those (largely bleak) first 80 or so minutes; Nick gives us his thoughts on the performance... and Alex Neil’s response to some of his thoughts on the performance; Two quite wonderful goals - one a Dan Neil special and the other a well worked attack from a combination of Clarke and Roberts - so... what did the lads think of those substitutions? Would it be wiser to play your best team from the beginning - or is Alex Neil still unsure as to what the best team is after the short time he’s had? Can playing style really be ignored in favour of the results - for example if you don’t actually score that defensive strength doesn’t matter much does it - and should we be set up to attack from the off at home against weake

Our Chris Wynn returns to action as we look forward to another vital game (they’re all vital now aye) against Crewe Alexandra this Saturday - this week we’re joined by the lovely Tim Robinson of The Railwaymen Podcast - letting us in on all the goings on over at Gresty Road! What's the crack? How are things over at Crewe currently, and is that a daft question? How long has Tim himself been suffering from the terrible affliction that is loyalty to your club? So... where did it all go wrong this season? Are the Crewe fans as a whole pretty resigned to relegation from League One now? How is David Artell faring in all this - are there mitigating circumstances for the position they find themselves in? Tim tries his best to terrify us long-suffering Sunlun fans by pointing out how bad things are currently and how a result for them is unlikely... Why aren't Tim's mates and fellow Railwaymen answering his whatsapp messages about travelling up to the Stadium of Light this weekend? All this and much more! Listen in! #S

Brett and Ant got together very, very late last night to react to Sunderland’s nervy home victory against Fleetwood and the quite spectacular return of Luke O’Nien! What’s the crack? About that first half... Just how mad a game and atmosphere was that? From the strange decision making and poor performances in the first half to the dramatic changes and the rescuing victory from the jaws of... whatever that was... how do the lads feel about that win? SWEEEET LUKE O’NIEN BA-BA-BAAAAAA etc Who looked like we should probably see less of them in future... and just how important is the return of Sir Smilesalot? All this and more! #SAFC #EFL #LeagueOne See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.