Roker Rapport

Following on from the breakdown of our home defeat to Cardiff at the weekend, Gav and Chris reconvene to discuss Sunderland's upcoming fixture at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday (in front of the Sky cameras) on Friday night. Given that our Chris has been studying their fans down in their natural habitat of South Yorkshire for a few years now, we turn to him to ask the important questions like.. can we make them more miserable than they already are? What's the crack? Chris needs this win as he's surrounded by their lot; but just because we should win.. well.. you know the rest. Yes things really are that bad down there. The fans are apathetic, agitated, annoyed, sick of the owner and the manager and the struggle. Sounds familiar. In all seriousness, can we take advantage of a side that currently share a terrifying statistic with a former striker of ours? Are we tempting fate with all this? Of course aye. The lads discuss the possible changes (if any) that Tony Mowbray could make, and wax lyrical about a couple of promising performances for the U21 side on Monday, as Rusyn, Rigg and Aouchiche got a decent run out; Is Patto fully fit? Was Bishop held back for a reason on Monday? Is Ekwah anywhere near ready to return? What about Dack for Pritch? How many question marks can I get away with? How do the lads see this all playing out? With the Sky cameras there will we be seeing a protest from their fans, or even (if he loses) the end of another Wednesday manager's time at the club? All this and much more! If you don't get a reference to Saxon or Def Leppard then ask your Da or Granda or Google. Haw'ay the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav and Chris were quite frustrated with the result on Sunday but they managed to sit down and relive it all for a giggle, weaving a few of your points, questions and three word reviews throughout.. and aye just generally being themselves. What's the crack? Gav bans his mate from attending any future home fixtures; How can we dominate like that and yet lose, and why does it feel so Sunlun? The positives: Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham to name a couple; how good is young Jobe, was taking him off a mistake? Just how exceptional a player is Dan Neil going to be? He's already a PL midfielder in our opinion.Do we play better without a striker? It would appear so currently, but can that change? Aye you might've noticed this was actually recorded in the immediate aftermath of the game so Gav and Chris got stuck into the immediate fan reaction and many of our listener opinions; All this and more! Back Thursday with a nice shiny new preview for our upcoming game against Wednesday on Friday. Aye.Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CLARKE, CLARKE WILL TEAR YOU APART, AGAIN! What a match that was man. After picking themselves up off the floor our Gav and Chris sat back down to pick apart another three points on the road, try to put into words what we just witnessed and somehow preview our upcoming home fixture against Cardiff City on Sunday! (Cheers for the title idea @Rachaelthex91) What's the crack? JACK THE LAD! He's only gone and done it again hasn't he the absolutely gorgeous b*stard. The EFL Championship's current top scorer is on fire! DAN NEIL STRIKES BACK! Absolute stunner from our young midfield maestro to get us back in front; Has he been underrated so far this season? Luke O'Nien plays where he wants; some insanity at the back but the Lads got it done any way they possibly could. Hopefully not too a serious knock for Dan Ballard? Pure unadulterated chaos; Are we all ok after that? Everyone got their sedatives aye? Maybe some warm milk or some… valium… Sunderland are now fourth in the league and our main "senior" forward hasn't kicked a ball yet. Not bad going really is it for the red and white wizards? Aye. Cardiff at the Stadium of Light on Sunday so how are we feeling ahead of that challenge? Ridiculously confident? Nervous? Bit of both? Gav gets carried away with it all (again), we read out your three word reviews and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaI'm alright Jack; The p*** biscuit saw red at Loftus Road after trying to snap Jobe's leg in half, before our very own Jack Clarke fired in a beautifully timed equaliser. Funny.Well that was f***in delightful; how do the lads feel after that performance?Ainsworth; what the f*** was he wearing honestly? A lovely 20% possession for the shithouse is all he's got to show for his tactical genius. Again... funny.Goals for Dan Ballard and an assist for one of our new French lads as Abdoullah Ba finished the game off in style! Just class from so many today wasn't it?So as it stands we sit 7th in the EFL Championship with a couple nice wins under our belt; looking forward to Blackburn on Wednesday? All this, your three word reviews and more! Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The international break is over! Sunderland are back to league action against Gareth Ainsworth's QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday. Gav and Chris sit down to preview the trip, try to guess what changes Mogga may make (if any) and react to the official unveiling (finally) of our new Ukrainian forward Nazariy Rusyn. What's the crack? Slava Ukraini! Welcome Nazariy Lad! Are we feeling confident ahead of Saturday? Tony Mowbray is probably unlikely to make any significant changes from the side that started against Southampton last time out, but we do have a few strike options available now; Weird haka performances aside, how has Ainsworth been doing recently in his relatively new role? Are we expecting the same sort of tactics from one of the masters of lower league time wasting shithousery? It's just nice to have options isn't it; the new lads seem hungry from what we've seen and we could even get to the point where Mowbray has a selection headache thanks to our new strength in depth.How do we see this match playing out? Would a draw be enough or should we be looking to take maximum points from sides like QPR?All this and more! Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunderland had a bit of a mad end to the 23/24 Summer Transfer Window and followed it up with an immediate battering of a poorly prepared Southampton side at the Stadium of Light. So now some of the Lads have a bit of time off with the international break, our lads Gav and Chris have had a look at everything from the departure of Batth, Goochy and Stewart to the arrival of five lads we can't wait to see play for the club, to the wonderful spinning top action of our young Jewi! What's the crack? Well it's been quite a week lads and lasses, so hope you're in the mood to revisit it all again as these two are! That absolute battering of Southampton wasn't bad at all was it? Imagine missing that man. The lads look at just how impressive Sunderland were last weekend and try and pick their standout performers from the match; We dish out plenty of credit to lads (a certain Abdoullah Ba particularly) we've previously been critical of, as patience shows itself once again to be a virtue worth having. How confident are we looking ahead with the sort of squad we have now? Who were we most happy to have kept hold of when the window slammed shut last week? Departures; Sad to see a few lads go but is it ultimately for the best for all concerned? Who of the new deadline day signings are we most looking forward to seeing play for the club? Gav struggles with saying Aouchiche for the 100th time in seven days; Risk vs Reward; Every transfer is a gamble and we like to take more than most, but will they pay off? All this and more! Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunderland took a point from our old friends Coventry City in a lively but goalless game yesterday afternoon. Gav and Chris sat down last night to give us their take on the performance and a few other things rumbling away in the background at SAFC! What's the crack? Clean sheet and a point - we'll take that all day long aye?How do we feel after that? Besides mildly infuriated that Ba didn't pass that ball.. We're sticking with Dack but is it working? Tomorrow never came, so new lad in tomorrow aye? Everyone is concentrating on the need for striker by the end of the window, but Chris thinks we need to focus our attentions on the midfield too;Another brilliant performance (on the pitch and down the beach) from Luke O'Nien. Isn't he a good boy? Yes he is. Your three word reviews and more! Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunderland are now a mere three points off the playoff places after our first win of the season against Rotherham on Saturday. Our Gav and Martin sat down the morning/evening after to react to the match and the rise of a new goalscoring star in the Bellingham household! What's the crack? JOBE "STARBOY" BELLINGHAM - The lads wax lyrical about the maturity, skill and promise of our new young starlet as his two first senior goals secure our first few points of the 23/24 campaign! Do the Bellingham brothers have more siblings hidden away anywhere? So do we all feel a bit more upbeat after a win? I bet we do..Was anyone slightly concerned when they saw the starting lineup? Bradley Dack impresses despite clearly not being a striker (that's Jobe now obviously) so how does this look for Alex Pritchard's future at the club?The name is Mr Sunderland - Luke O'Nien continues to prove his worth after a brilliant performance. All this and more! Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tired from a great deal of fiddling on the Stadium of Light roof with Kristjaan Speakman and KLD - our Gav and Chris sat down to console Craig over the loss of footy bragging rights to his wife, react a bit to the loss to Preston with a few days to let it soak right in, look ahead to Rotherham on the weekend, and to try think who else wrote a season off after the second league game. What's the crack? The Sundered Lands; Aye we lost again and Craig's journey back home after the game was less than thrilling… What did the lads make of the game on Saturday, and what do they all make of the first week or so overall?Is everyone feeling ok? Tensions are running high online and every day there's a bit drama but it seems offline the majority are taking it all in their stride; do the lads think the players pay any attention to X/Twitter... and how uninterested in social media is our Chris?Do the Daveh Moyeseh; Can we somehow recover over the remaining 44 games or are we doomed? How do we feel ahead of Rotherham? They've had a couple interesting results, but do they look stronger than when we last played?Are we still looking forward to the rest of the season? Of course we are..All this and more! The only way is up.#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #HWTL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gavin sat down with Craig "usually angry but now quite calm" Chapman to go over the events of the last day or two, looking at the untelevised and scarcely attended cup game on Tuesday night that seemed to start a minor riot on social media, give their own thoughts on the reaction since and look ahead to Preston at the weekend… with a word or two from Craig's lovely wife who unfortunately (for both her and her husband) is actually a Preston fan. What's the crack? Don't Panic? Do Panic? Why are we panicking again? How was the fan experience for these two daft lads who unaccountably turned up to watch the Crewe game? What can we take away from that performance if anything and how did the rest of the Championship do against their respective lower league opposition? How are we feeling ahead of our trip to Deepdale on Saturday? Confident we'll resume our away form and give the fans something to smile about? Is it possible to be slightly concerned about something and not turn it into something else entirely? Should we wait until the window is over before the inquest begins? Gav thinks so.. All this and more! Claps included.#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well that was an interesting way to spend our Sunday evening! Our Gavin wandered back from the pub late last night to record a bit of reaction and rambling with Chris as they attempted to pick apart our first game of the season.What's the crack? Gav has had a drink. He'll tell you in a second.Have ye had a drink Gav aye? The lads try to put their initial feelings into words after a bit of a rollercoaster of a match;Are we planning on learning from mistakes this season? Lacking that killer instinct; They may disagree on a few things here but both agree we need to make more of our dominance on the ball. Any point overreacting to the result?*Can Paddy and Jack stop losing the ball please? Mogga's subs; not exactly inspired yesterday.What can we take away from the game overall? All this and much more! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #HWTL*No. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aye the long wait is over lads and lasses as the new season is finally upon us! Our beloved Lads are back in action later today against newly promoted Ipswich Town and so our Chris Wynn sat down with EFL specialist, NTT20 host, Sky Sports and BBC pundit and the rest - Mr George Elek - for a chat about what expectations are for Sunlun and the rest of the sides in the 23/24 EFL Championship! What's the crack? It's been a long time coming, so is everyone suitably excited for the long season ahead? How has George been since we last spoke and what has he made of Sunderland's progress under Speakman, as well as our top six finish last season under Tony Mowbray? How bold is the approach we've taken to recruitment (from the outside looking in) and should more sides be looking to implement such a model? Does George see any reason Sunderland fans shouldn't be looking at the top six again this season?What's occurring around the division - are the sides who fell looking strong enough to make an immediate return to the Premier League? Could we see more shocks this year than last? Chris had the misfortune to spend last weekend very drunk in Warsaw with a couple of very confident Ipswich fans (who George also happens to know personally) so are they right to be confident in his opinion? Does Chris want to know the answer? Has anyone in League One missed us since we left (as we honestly don't really miss them) and the lads dip into a bit of discussion about the Wrexham trend..All this and much, much more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #ITFC #NTT20 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No we don't talk about Barbenheimer or the weird Twitter logo and brand change to X (or even the recent loan move of Joe Anderson to Shrewsbury Town) but now you're here you should listen to Gav and Chris chat about: Sunderland AFC wrapping up our US Tour with a 4-2 victory over North Carolina at some point in the early hours of Saturday morning, the positives to take from the trip to the States overall, and looking ahead to our upcoming friendly against La Liga opposition Mallorca on Saturday at the Stadium of Light - at a normal time of the day too aye! What's the crack? Gav realises the United States is a big place…The lads reflect on watching matches at weird times of the night and why they're suddenly bothered enough to stay up that late with work the next morning.How do we feel as the tour comes to an end (at the time of recording the Lads flights hadn't yet landed*) and do we think the experience has been beneficial to the squad? Bit of a breakdown of both victories since the last Pod; one over New Mexico United on a baseball field and the other against North Carolina on what turned out (thankfully) to be an actual football pitch..Did Mogga sound concerned about any knocks taken during the latter match? - Update: Since publishing this pod the club has announced that Jay Matete will be out for a while with a knee injury. Mowbray said "It looks as if he is going to need an operation... There are different levels so I can't be definitive on a timeframe but it looks as if it will be between six to ten weeks."What did the lads make of our reserve keepers? Do we still need competition for Patto, and would Nathan Bishop fit the bill for that or could we make do?Gav compares Danny Batth to that other Lineker, we reflect on the effort put in by our host clubs on tour and the wonderful efforts of our American commentators to pronounce English town names and learn a bit of EFL history.All this and a bit more about the upcoming fixture against Mallorca we're sure everyone will get tickets for soon…Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship *Pod slightly delayed by Barbenheimer fallout. Honest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know. Poetry is a calling. After a brief stint in rehab following the nerve shredding culmination of the 22/23 SAFC season, the pod returns to action for the season ahead, and as a few things have happened since our last episode... our Gavin Henderson and Chris Wynn pick up (sort of) where we left off. Chatting about our new arrivals, some sad departures, some weird rumours, a Shields/Gateshead double header, watching our beautiful Lads sweating in a US heatwave, our win over another SAFC, looking ahead to the next couple fixtures at daft o'clock and aye generally just trying to squeeze two months of news into an hour and a bit. Nee bother. What's the crack? So what's been happening since the end of last season? Did that Russian coup work out in the end, can we really 'just stop oil' - and more importantly - who are these new boys Kristjaan has signed and do they increase the average height of the squad significantly? What have we made of preseason so far? Did Gav enjoy his little road trip? How fit and sharp do the lads look at the moment and what updates do we have on the injury front? The Lads currently seem to be competing to see who can be crowned 'most wholesome Sunlun squad member 23/24' and it's lovely to watch. Clickbait reviews - Apparently everyone is buying our best players, they've just failed to inform the club and went straight to a random Journo. The transfer window - what positions do we look like we'll strengthen now and how ridiculously relaxing is it knowing whoever we bring in will automatically be an absolute baller? How do we feel about the running of the club on the business and retail side of things? A few fans are struggling to get the club to help with issues, it's just a shame Speakman isn't in charge of securing merchandise as well as footballing talent. Let's just say Chris isn't happy at all...All this and much more! It's good to be back..HA'WAY THE LADS! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's f***ing delightful! Our red & white wizards made us all very proud yesterday, so our Gavin Henderson and Chris Wynn return - after a brief recovery period - to try to relive one of the greatest atmospheres and performances a packed Stadium of Light has seen in recent memory! As well as to try convince a certain starboy to stay next season.. and to look ahead to the second leg of the Championship Play-Off Semi against Luton on Tuesday night! What's the crack? That was just... Aye. Incredible scenes yesterday and though it's not over yet, the parties continued long into the night on Wearside; so how do we feel today? AMAD LAD - "Never fall for the loan player" is a bit f***ing difficult when that player is Amad Diallo. TRAI HUME - What a performance (and what a header) from a lad playing out of position in a makeshift back three that fought tooth and nail to take his one goal advantage into the second leg! CAPTAIN AMERICA(N MACKEM) - Has Lynden Gooch once again managed to win Gav back over towards the end of a season? Of course he has. I'll stop shouting now, but that there Pierre Ekwah is an absolute baller is he not? The future looks very bright indeed! How do the lads feel after watching that? Can they put it into words? The second leg; are we going to make it to Wembley for a third successive year? Are we confident, nervous.. both? Roll on Tuesday! HA'WAY THE LADS! TONY MOWBRAY'S RED & WHITE ARMY! #TilTheEnd #SAFC #EFLPlayOffs #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The only club that now stands between Sunderland and a return to Wembley - to fight for a return to the Premier League - is Luton Town. Gav and Chris look ahead to our Championship Play-Off Semi-Final fixtures and try not to be too nervous. They almost succeed.What's the crack? How are we even here man? How are Sunderland in this position now? Madness. How does everyone feel? I'm in a state in all honesty. The lads look at Luton and our last few meetings; we tend to draw a lot but could a draw at the Stadium of Light be enough? It's all in our hands again; how confident are we of getting beyond these? How inspiring are our young Lads? How much drive do they have? Were their expectations for this season a lot higher than ours? Strap yourselves in #TilTheEndHa'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFLPlayOffs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Aye. An exhausted Gav and Chris cracked out the defibrillators and sat down just now to try calm themselves after an insane finish to the 22/23 EFL Championship season, as the mighty Sunlun thrashed Preston by three goals (our new best friends Blackburn sank Millwall) and we somehow find ourselves fighting for promotion to the Premier League in our first season back from League One! What's the crack? WE F***ING DID IT LADS AND LASSES! How do we feel? I'm utterly exhausted like, but how do these two feel? DO THE TONY MOWBRAY; He got us there, the gorgeous chocolate covered b*****d, but can he take us one step further?An attacking masterclass; what a team this is, just how good were the Lads today? AMAD LAD! What a goal from the absolute f***ing boy, followed up by equally gorgeous finishes from Pritch and Jack Clarke! Ah they say all kinds. Gav tells you he told you so and the lads think about booking their hotels for Wembley now rather than later…WE ARE THE SUNLUN! HAWAY THE LADS! #SAFC #EFL #EFLCHAMPIONSHIP #TilTheEnd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aye lads and lasses, there's a bit going on this weekend, but frankly nothing as important as Sunderland's upcoming fixture against Preston North End on what is shaping up to be a thrilling and nervy finish to the 22/23 EFL Championship season on Monday! Our Gavin Henderson and Chris Wynn sat down to try and predict the outcome for all the sides in the race and to look at how Tony Mowbray and the Lads might approach (what could be) our final game of the campaign! What's the crack? Promotion or not, we can't say we're not proud of what the Lads have achieved this season can we?So how do we all feel? Are we going into this relaxed and confident or utterly f***ing terrified? Aye.What did the lads make of Tony Mowbray's press conference? Does he sound like he's thinking of anything besides a win?Michut-gate; Mogga was noncommittal when asked about Michut's future at the club. Are we reading too much into it?Looking at the sides around us; who do we think will come out on top as Millwall take on Blackburn Rovers, West Brom face off with Swansea, and our old friends Boro meet our old friends Coventry...How do Preston look currently? We got just about what we needed against Watford after a struggle, but will PNE approach the game the same way? Hopefully there's a few of them already on the beach.Chris tries to trick the Gods of footy into thinking he's not confident by pissing all over our parade (with love) but is countered once again by Gav's boundless optimism.All this and much more! HAWAY THE LADS!ALL HAIL KING CHARLIE (HURLEY) & GOD SAVE OUR LUKE! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aye lads and lasses, results went our way the last few days and we now head into a huge game against Watford tomorrow at the Stadium of Light! Our Gav, Chris and Martin sat down to shake their heads at the insanity of finding ourselves in this position in spite of every obstacle placed in our path. What's the crack? The excitement is building, the stadium is sold out and the scene is set for a crazy finish to the 22/23 EFL Championship season. So how is everyone feeling? Just been a mad couple weeks hasn't it… Should we all calm down? Results elsewhere have put it in our hands now, so will the Lads rise to the challenge in front of what looks to be our highest attendance this season? The lads freak out a bit about how well everything is going… it can't continue can it? This is Sunlun after all. How do Watford look coming into the game? They seem a bit of a wounded animal currently, so how should we approach them? Should we just go for the kill? Gav says something inspirational and doubles down on his bold prediction about finishing in the top six and somehow making it to Wembley for a third consecutive year, but are Chris and Martin as confident? Is someone a little too confident? All this and more! HA'WAY THE LADS! BRING THE NOISE! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #TilTheEnd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The stars are almost aligned, the results have gone our way so far and sexy Dennis Cirkin has struck twice at The Hawthorns to give the mighty Sunlun a fighting chance in the Championship playoff race! Our Gav and Chris try to calm down long enough to let us know how they feel about the result. What's the crack? CIRKIN YOU GORGEOUS B******* What a result; how do we feel immediately after the game? How proud are we of these lads? Has there ever been a more attractive Sunderland footballer than Dennis Cirkin? The goals; that penalty wasn't a penalty was it? The reaction to Cirkin's beautiful head meeting the cross from Gooch to draw level after the break, and the absolutely sensual play that led to a stunning winning goal from the aforementioned (and equally stunning) Dennis "goal machine" Cirkin! Aye. Cirkin wasn't the only lad on the pitch btw, just got carried away a bit… So how did the rest do? Was that the best team performance we've seen so far this year? Mogga; did his subs change the game? Where do we go from here? Dare to dream again? Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #Cirkin #championship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav and Chris return (after telling you they have little hope left for our playoff chances) to tell you that they might have some hope for our playoff chances still.. but only if the stars align and results go our way. They also occasionally mention the fact we play West Bromwich Albion - in front of the Sky cameras yet again - on Sunday. What's the crack? Memories of The Hawthorns; Chris remembers a little further back than Gav aye.So are we in it or aren't we? Is it on or off? How long can we maintain? How do the other sides in the chase look recently? Recent results have resulted in pure chaos in the table… Can Blackburn make it? Can Millwall? Could we somehow still not know if we can until we face fellow chasers Preston in the final game of the season? Our away form this season has been exceptional, so are we confident of three points? Do West Brom have more to lose? What changes would the lads make to the side? Who would they love to see make an appearance, if not a start? Gav makes a bold prediction (probably) Chris laughs at him (probably) and much more (probably)Ha'way the Lads! It's still (probably) on!#SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL #WBA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anything interesting happen lately, lads and lasses? Join our Gav and Chris as they try and figure things out in the aftermath of Sunderland's home draw with Huddersfield on Tuesday night... and then look even further back to everything we have and haven't missed since we all took a bit of an extended Easter Holiday... Aye. What's The Crack? Sunderland drew with Huddersfield at the SOL on Tuesday night, and the result is making everyone feel a bit flat... which has the lads all confused, because despite the amazing season we've had, we're left thinking about the "what ifs" yet again... Did Mowbray get his team selection and tactics right? Why isolate Dan Neil? Why get Pritch on corners? Why not start Ekwah? Why are we like this? It's been a busy old period since we last recorded a Podcast, so where do we go from here - heading into our last few games of the season - besides obviously recording pods again? Where are Neil Warnock's eyebrows? The lads chat about what tweaks are needed to ensure we are primed for promotion next season (if we don't somehow pull off a typically 'Sunlun' miracle soon) and just wax lyrical about the madness of the year we've had! Ha'way the Lads! Back tomorrow-ish with a preview for West Brom, cheers for listening! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav was joined earlier today by our Martin to chat all things SAFC ahead of Hull City's visit to the Stadium of Light on Good Friday, and to try work out what Tony Mowbray is going to do next - as we head into a busy Easter weekend - and the end of the 22/23 EFL Championship season draws ever nearer... What's the crack? Are the lads feeling confident after the Burnley result? Do we think Mogga will change anything significantly regarding team selection for this match, or the one that follows on Monday? Taking a look at Hull's season so far, do they have much to play for now really? Can we use this to our advantage? After a brilliant performance from Gooch last Friday, do we expect Cirkin to slot straight back into that position tomorrow or do we think Mowbray might stick with the former until the latter recovers fully? Sunlun injury updates - Jewi is out for surgery on his shoulder, and Huggins has once again pulled up with an issue... Is the Huggins situation more psychological now? Mowbray seems to think so. Who do the lads want to see more of as the season comes to a close, and what are they expecting from these couple games after assurances that we "will see some experimentation"Predictions, tangents and all the rest. Thanks for listening, enjoy the weekend and Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav was joined by Martin and Phil very late indeed last night - or very early this morning depending where you are - to discuss Sunderland's hard-earned draw against Vincent Kompany's Championship leaders Burnley at Turf Moor on Friday night… without really discussing it much at all. Aye. What's the crack? Was that result as good as a win? Some outstanding performances from the Lads, with Patterson becoming the first goalkeeper since Ederson to keep a clean sheet at Turf Moor. Not bad going really… Could we have took all three points? Did we have the better chances of the two sides? Bigger picture; How do we want to approach these last seven games? Do the lads dare to dream of a late push, or are they happy just getting ready for next season? Who do we think we'll be keeping in the summer - Will Pritchard be offered a new contract? Should he be given one or should we be looking elsewhere? They're basically all full of optimism and hope for the future here, it's quite sickening if you ask me, luckily nobody does. All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav and Chris sat down to record a short and simple reaction to a pretty dull Sunderland draw with Luton at the weekend, only to end up slipping off on a long tangent or two regarding the decisions the SAFC hierarchy face as we head into the final games of the 22/23 Championship season! What's the crack? How do the lads feel after that performance? Did Luton even want it on the day, or did we just not want it enough? If we are going to "attack the end of the season" shouldn't we maybe like, just do it, aye?Too much Joffy, not enough Jewi - There's an ongoing concern over the role Gelhardt plays in the side. Do we play better without the lad? Would he still be selected at this point if he was one of our own young lads? Up the tempo - we have a bit of an issue with coming out the blocks at times, could this be remedied with better team management and team selection? Could Mowbray's substitutions and changes be more decisive and timely? How do we think the Sunlun hierarchy want to approach the end of this season? Is it likely to be similar to how the fans would like them to approach it? It's not mathematically impossible to make the playoffs but it's looking unlikely, so should we be looking to get minutes into the lads we know we'll be needing like.. next season? It's not been a bad season so far has it really? Have we achieved all we set out to achieve as a club? All this and many more tangents! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunderland were robbed last night by referee Matthew Donohue and his presumably partially sighted officials, not to say that the Blades were undeserving of all three points but aye, the goal that shouldn't have stood didn't help our cause. Our Gav and Chris sat down earlier today to try and wrap their heads around it all.What's the crack? Nobody likes losing, but are there more positives to be taken from that performance than negatives for Tony Mowbray? Apologies mean f*** all - apparently the incompetent officiating was spotted by the officials themselves last night after the final whistle, but the goal still stood, so the subject of VAR in the Championship is raised again. TRES BIEN MICHUT LAD - One of our favourite little French lads went and scored didn't he… Sheffield are pretty decent themselves to be fair - quite the squad they've got there - so did the lads think we gave them a decent game? Seriously, that ref was utter shite man.We get all worried about our Luke O'Nien as we don't yet know if he's actually injured - and if he is - how bad the injury is. Game management and risk assessment - It's all about finding that balance! Looking ahead to Luton Town - they're up in fourth at the moment and they don't concede many, but they don't score many either, so do we fancy our chances? All this and more! Ha'way the Lads, **** the refs. #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's better, lads and lasses! Our Gav and Phil got together late last night to react to an impressive performance away against Norwich in the Championship, as the Lads took all three points, ABDOULLAH scored his first goal for SAFC and Luke O'Nien planted those luscious lips of his on yet another unsuspecting opponent... What's the crack? That's a relief for all of us aye.. How do the lads feel after that? Are we less worried this week? A B D O U L L A H - An absolutely outstanding shift put in from the lad, and a lovely finish for the goal. More to come for him, more to think about for Mowbray. Luke 'Lips' O'Nien - He only went and did it again didn't he... Is he the king of shithousery? Gav once again sings the praises of our Mr Sunderland! Gelhardt - There's a player there, but is he the player we need right now? Your questions, your three word reviews and plenty more chat as the lads cover yesterday's win and look ahead to Sheffield United visiting the Stadium of Light this Wednesday! HA'WAY THE LADS! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of RR editorial gathered late last night to react to what can only be described as the worst performance from a Sunderland side we've seen this season, and to talk about the state of play at the club as we look ahead to a difficult few matches against the league's strongest sides. Joining our Gav Henderson for this was Chris Wynn, Phil West and the notorious - but often elusive - Craig "angryman" Chapman. What's the crack? What the utter f*** was that like? 43,000+ fans turned up to watch our complete capitulation, we think they deserved better.Is that the worst performance we've ever seen at the Stadium of Light?What is Tony Mowbray on? The lads try to work out just what the f*** he was thinking yesterday.We all saw this coming with that team selection and setup, so why couldn't Tony see it coming?Going over the recent performances of some players the lads (and listeners) ask questions like: why are poor performers still starting games? Where is the smart rotation? If it isn't working, why not fix it? Why not start Luke O'Nien in midfield?Where does everyone stand currently as we look to games against Norwich, Sheffield Utd and league leaders Burnley?There's a lot of discussion here, so hopefully you find it as cathartic as the lads did. Or maybe you won't...Thanks for listening!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Chris Wynn was joined by Phil West late last night to have a look at the upcoming showdown between Tony Mowbray's Sunderland and Alex Neil's Stoke City on Saturday! What's the crack? Well we know a few things about the opposition manager at least.How are we feeling ahead of this battle of red and white post industrial… er… titans; is it all about Alex Neil for us? Should it be? Do we think Mogga and the Lads will be feeling the pressure for this fixture? A few points to prove (and win) at home after a pointless couple results on the road; what can we do to address our lack of control in recent matches? Could Luke O'Nien help make the difference when dealing with a pretty direct and physical Stoke side? Do we dare predict the outcome on Saturday? "Does the team talk write itself?" and all that jazz... All this and much more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is our solemn duty to report that - as fun as the last couple days have been drinking the quite delicious tears of random Newcastle fans - our mag neighbours sadly weren't the only team to lose at the weekend. In light of this, our Gav and Chris sat down as the weekend drew to a close to dissect another in a long line of losses to the spawn of Jimmy Hill. What's the crack? Why can't we beat Coventry at their home ground… even when they don't own their home ground? Tony's team selection; let's just say we weren't fans of it. Tony's team management; you guessed it, not fans of it. That referee; again, not big fans.Are the Lads actually tired or are they hearing Tony tell them they're tired so merely playing along? That Gyökeres is some player isn't he? Why is Mowbray not considering the likes of O'Nien in midfield in games like this where he'd arguably be far better suited than Dan Neil and Michut? How do Gav and Chris feel heading into our lovely reunion with the bald lad who left midway through the start of our season for more money? All this and more! It'll be reet man.Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav and Chris sat down to react to the absolute sh*tshow at Rotherham, query our team selection on the night, look ahead to our next match away to Coventry and answer a few of your questions! What's the crack? That was just… aye… what was that? The lads think one man is to blame for that result, and he wasn't on the pitch. Don't Panic; The lads try to take some positives from the game, try being the operative word. Why didn't we start Patrick Roberts? Why were Michut and Neil picked for a physical battle? Why did we drop Hume? Why can't we just win all the time? Etc Should Neil and Amad be rested soon? How do the lads feel looking ahead to our fixture against Coventry at the weekend? If tiredness is an issue, why are we not rotating as much? Is Mogga not yet confident in lads like Ekwah, Ba, Lihadji and Bennette? The lads answer your questions, including why it is the refs are all so sh*te this season..All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! Start Patrick Roberts! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionshipWe definitely didn't win 2-1 aye. More tired than Dan Neil here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav and Chris got together as usual to look over all the action from the game at the weekend, just they weren't quite over that late equaliser that denied us all three points against a pretty decent Bristol City side...What's the crack? Bit of a kick to the bollocks that wasn't it? We may have come away slightly disappointed, but was that a fair result? HE SCORES WHEN HE WANTS; Despite not having the best of games Jack 'Maverick' Clarke scored another absolute beauty, and for that reason alone he's become quite impossible to drop. What did we make of the performance overall? More positives to take away from that result than negatives? Some fair (but not overly harsh) criticism of young Trai Hume's decision making that resulted in the last minute penalty; You just don't give the ref that decision to make lad.Managing the minutes; Mowbray seems to be doing a decent job of it so far, but are we actually resting anyone really? Should the likes of O'Nien start against Rotherham tomorrow? Is Mogga expecting a more physical battle from a side that seem to have dropped away significantly since last year? All this and much more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav Henderson and Martin Wanless sat down this morning to drool over the Sunlun performance against QPR last night, and generally get all worked up over just how f***ing mint we are! What's the crack? Poor Will Ferrell. Heard he's gone the way of the ancient samurai, who when dishonoured, would hang themselves from a fluorescent light. How class are we man? So are the lads still buzzing from last night? Yes they are… Seriously how good are we? LUKE 'MR SUNDERLAND' O'NIEN - You know what lads and lasses, he might just be a midfielder after all. We are f***ing mint man. JACK THE LAD - You can write him off, you can dismiss him, and you can take him on loan and do f*** all with him (like our opponents) but he showed his class yet again with a glorious brace against his former side. Ah man we're just too good. Tony Mowbray is a tactical genius - Aye we're serious he is. ON OUR WAYYYY ON OUR WAY PATTO LAD - What a penalty save that was, the lads heap praise on our young England International keeper! We're really quite decent in fairness aye. All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Chris and Phil sat down to react to taking yet another three points off Reading this season, after Paddy Roberts and the Lads finally broke through against what many have described as one of the worst footballing sides to have visited the Stadium of Light in years, as well as quickly looking ahead to our visit to QPR on Tuesday night! What's the crack? Well that was certainly something from our opponents wasn't it...Can Ince be blamed for setting them up like that? Was it more on us to break them down?The best form of defence is a tash; the rise (and rise) of Trai Hume! Some good old Patrick Roberts magic; what did the lads make of that goal and his performance overall? Just how good is Dan Ballard? Are the Reading forwards a great example of why getting someone in for the sake of it isn't always a great idea? Uncle Tony's Supersubs; following that slog of a first half the lads needed a bit more bite and so the gaffer once again deployed his 'hoy the kitchen sink at them' tactic. Seemed to do the trick.QPR on Tuesday; they're not having a great time of it these past several months, so how do the lads see this panning out (on the Sky red button for those not able to make the trip) and what changes do we expect (if any) from Mogga?All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav and Chris got together far, far too late yesterday to react to our exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Fulham, forget what they're saying (much to one another's amusement) and look ahead to Sunderland's return to league action against Reading at the Stadium of Light tomorrow! What's the crack? What did the lads make of our performance on Wednesday night? How much can we learn from this game? Do we think the younger Lads benefit more from this sort of experience? Could we have done better for their goals - and more importantly - can the lads actually remember them? A less complicated Clarke; a wonderful goal from Jack the lad, but can we see more of that from him from now on? VAMOS JEWI; Our Costa Rican wonderkid struck against our PL opponents for another goal he should remember fondly, so can he kick on from here or will we remain patient and use him sparingly? Luke O'Nien will find a way back on the pitch at all costs, so where do the lads think he'll be slotted in now? At the back? In the middle? Up front for a giggle? We briefly look at tomorrow's opponent's League form and that isn't good at all, so can we take all three points or will they suddenly decide they can play after all upon arrival at the Stadium of Light? All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #EmiratesFACup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Though it isn't mentioned on the podcast, we are aware of the shocking news regarding Chris Collier over the weekend. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends, and our thoughts go out especially to those who loved him most. Rest easy lad. - Our Gav and Phil got together earlier today to react to Sunderland's draw with Millwall on Saturday, give their thoughts on Speakman's recent appearance on the club podcast about the January transfer business, and look ahead to the Lads facing Fulham midweek in the FA Cup fourth round replay at the Stadium of Light! What's the crack? What did Gav and Phil make of the performance against Millwall? Do the younger lads learn more against physical and aggressive sides like Millwall than some others? Is our January business overall a show of faith in the process and the players themselves? Are we too light up top to compete or do the lads see us still in with a shot of the top six this season? Is it really possible to replace Ross Stewart at all? How are we feeling about our FA Cup replay against Fulham on Wednesday? Should Mowbray be looking to get lads like Abdoullah Ba and Pierre Ekwah starting, if only to get some minutes in their legs? Microcosm/macrocosm are the words of the day…All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #EmiratesFACup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav sat down with our old friend Tom White - just before he started his Soccer Sunday presenting duties yesterday - to react to Sunderland's draw against Fulham in the FA Cup and look over SAFC's transfer business this window ahead of deadline day! What's the crack? So what did the lads make of Saturday's performance - and the praise heaped upon the club, its manager and players following the game? The Ross Stewart situation - Looks like he's out for the season but no confirmation as yet, so should we be looking to immediately replace him? Getting Riggy with it - That was something else wasn't it? What a player he looks to be…What does Tom make of the work the Sunlun recruitment team have done so far? What areas does he think need strengthening more than others? What do we make of the signings of Gelhardt, Lihadji, and the possibility of Joe Anderson from Everton? Are we looking at a busy transfer deadline day? Just how impressive and talented is this squad of players? Could Simms be on his way back to the Stadium of Light? All this and much more! A few repairs needed, so apologies for any odd noises you may hear (that aren't Gav comparing our youngsters to various Champions League winners) and enjoy! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL #TomWhite #SSN #DeadlineDay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav and Chris sat down to attempt to preview our upcoming FA Cup fixture with Fulham at Craven Cottage, but halfway through they went off on a bit of a tangent about how much they love the club, the arrival of Pierre Ekwah, the highly likely (may be confirmed by the time you listen) SAFC signing of Leeds youngster Joe Gelhardt, our links with Isaac Lihadji, a new link with Nottingham Forest youngster Ateef Konaté and then spend a good half hour answering/debating listener questions! What's the crack?Gav is looking forward to Fulham, Chris is not looking forward to Fulham. Aye.Do we think this is a free hit for both sides or is it actually far more important to both than they would perhaps admit?What sort of side is Tony Mowbray likely to put out, and will its strength be a sign of how seriously he's taking the competition?Is this one of the most exciting transfer windows in recent Sunderland memory? Is Kyril shipping French lads in by the dozen? Do we care if we know who any of these lads are?Welcome Pierre Ekwah! Would the lads throw him straight in this Saturday?Is losing Corry Evans a serious issue with some of the options we have available already?Should Kristjaan Speakman be praised slightly more for the revolution he's overseen at the club since his arrival?All this and much, much more!Been plenty more SAFC news since this was recorded; Corry Evans is out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Leon Dajaku is off on loan to Swiss side FC St. Gallen, and Sky News are reporting the imminent arrival of Joe Gelhardt! So we'll be recording another reaction to all this news soon aye... Updates: Isaac Lihadji has signed for Sunderland! Announced by SAFC at 8pm 26/01/23 Joe "Joffy" Gelhardt has signed for Sunderland! Announced by SAFC at 2pm 27/01/23Ha'way the Lads! Vive la révolution! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #EPL #EmiratesFACup Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil, Gav and Chris sat down late Sunday night to look back over a lovely ‘not a derby' day as we took all three points from Boro at the Stadium of Light! What's the crack? Did Boro bother turning up? Did we notice them at all? Is this the best style of football the lads have witnessed at Sunderland in their lifetime? THE ROSSCO REBOUND - The Loch Ness Drogba is making a habit of that… AMAD LAD STRIKES AGAIN - We know we can't keep him but we really would love to keep him, so can we keep him a little bit longer? The curious case of Trai Hume's moustache; why does it exist? If he shaves it off will he lose his footballing ability? Should we just all continue to politely ignore it? Dan Neil has been absolutely brilliant for us lately, is he getting enough credit for the job he's doing? Michut la magie - though he's divided opinion a bit with his performance the young lad is looking better each time he steps onto the pitch; so what did the lads make of him stepping in for Evans and his partnership with Neil in the middle? Phil reads out your three word reviews, we study the phenomenon that is people hoying chocolate at Tony Mowbray, and look ahead to our trip to London in the FA Cup! All this and more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship #Notaderby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gav and Chris recorded just now (19/01/23) talking about everything SAFC related; almost reviewing the Swansea defeat, attempting to preview the almost a derby fixture against Boro this coming Sunday, and almost declaring transfer rumours and news recently emerged as legitimate and/or probable! Just not exclusive. What's the crack? The Swansea game was a bit shite after the red card wasn't it; how do the lads feel about it all now, and what did they make of the Luke O'Nien apology posted on his social media following the match? ARGH TRANSFERS; No not yet, there's a referee to insult...It's not a derby is it? The debate people definitely don't care about resurfaces as Sunderland prepares to face that other side in the North East that isn't Newcastle to decide once and for all who cares more about it being a derby or not in the first place.The lads discuss “just another game” and how former Boro lad Mogga will approach it all, despite it being just another game.TRANSFER TALK? Aye there's been murmurs and quickly translated French articles linking us with Isaac Lihadji from Lille and Pierre Ekwah from West Ham - what do the lads make of these possible arrivals and who are we upsetting if we get them? The mags are apparently circling our young Michut... but are they really? All this and much more! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sorry about the delay lads and lasses, bit of a situation developed, but Pod was kept intact for the mag craic and more!Gav and Chris got together shortly after the match to get all hot and sweaty lusting over replays of Luke O'Nien's late winner over Shrewsbury in the cup, as well as Sunderland finally scoring from a corner! What's the crack? Gav and Chris spend a good while debating the finer details of that performance; who stood out, what went wrong in the first half, was that Roberts penalty shout a penalty or not? Young Master Rigg; Breaking the record for the youngest ever outfield player to play for Sunderland isn't for everyone… Trai Hume gets yet more love; he's just class isn't he? Rossco comes on to save our blushes; The comeback; If you want to come from a goal down away at Shrewsbury who of all people do you want to drive the winner home? LUKE O'NIEN WE LOVE YOU - The lads go on (and on and on) about how much Mr Sunderland means to both them and the side. Enjoy. Do we think the Jay Matete move to Plymouth was a good idea? This was recorded during the mag game where they were turned over by League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday - and the lads didn't know the result - but Chris made a bold and pretty accurate prediction aye..All this and more Luke O'Nien love!Ha'way the Lads!#SAFC #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav was joined by our Chris Wynn last night after Sunderland's draw with Blackpool on New Years Day 2023; chatting about our performance, the Ross Stewart saga, the departure of Ellis Simms - the wonders of Abdoullah Ba, Amad Diallo and Trai Hume - and the task facing Kristjaan Speakman, Stuart Harvey and Tony Mowbray as the January transfer window opens! What's the crack?Welcome to 2023 lads and lasses; what did our Gav and Chris make of Sunderland's draw away to Blackpool, and taking seven point out of a possible nine this festive period? After a sluggish first half performance - and the introduction of a certain Abdoullah Ba in the second half - the Lads really started to turn it on. How close were we to taking maximum points from the game? How fuming is Chris about their goal?Ross Stewart; another goal from the big yin to get us the draw - after a quite brilliant bit of play from Trai Hume - which takes him to 9 goals in just 11 appearances this season... what are the lad's thoughts on the ongoing contract saga as we enter the January transfer window? Just how good does Trai Hume look lately; should Gooch be worried about getting back into the side? He looked good, he looked fine, he looked good he looked fine and he was Sunlun's number nine: What did the lads make of the sudden recall of Ellis Simms to Frank Lampard's struggling Everton side? Does it say more about our situation or theirs?A little bit of a break coming up after the quite frantic last week; are Gav and Chris confident the club has everything under control heading into the second half of the season? Injury lists and illness; the squad has taken quite a battering of late, how much faith do the lads have in the recruitment team to help alleviate some of these struggles? All your three word reviews, Chris sets Ross Stewart a challenge to get those Premier League wages by getting us to the Premier League, Gav breaks up a vicious fight and much more! Thanks for listening lads and lasses! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gavin Henderson and Martin Wanless sat down last night to react to an emphatic Sunderland win over an extremely shite Wigan side - as well as to touch on our win over Blackburn on Boxing Day - and to try work out if we can somehow convince Man Utd that young Amad isn't all that great anyway…What's the crack? Why are the lads ignoring the fact their producer has a banging headache? Let's all laugh at Wigan and our wonderful old friend James McClean; Is Amad better than Peter Beagrie? That's a reference for your parents if you're under a certain age..How did the lads rate our performance overall? How good is this side? Some brilliant displays from lads like Michut, Ba and Trai Hume to give Mogga something to consider; How do we get Paddy Roberts and Amad on the pitch together more often? Was that Dan Neil's best game for us this season? Your three word reviews, an update on the SCSK fundraiser which ends tomorrow night as the clock strikes 12 (but don't let that stop you donating) and Gav does that thing where he predicts a promotion run; All this and much more! We'd like to wish every single one of you a very Happy New Year - enjoy it wherever you are - and we'll be back after our trip to Blackpool!Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not too many sleeps until Blackburn at home/Christmas so our Gavin Henderson and Craig Chapman got together to chat all things Sunderland AFC - from our 1-1 draw away at Hull on Saturday to the Ross Stewart contract situation, as well as looking at where we are and where we might want to go in the Championship this season! What's the crack? It's really nice to have the Loch Ness Drogba back in time for Christmas isn't it? Only took a few minutes for him to remind us what we've been missing without him. How did the lads rate the performances against Hull on Saturday? Could Mowbray do with being a little more ruthless with his team selections and a touch more timely with his subs? Two in, two out - The lads discuss the impact of losing a Danny Batth for a Dan Ballard and the loss of Embleton to what seems to be a very bad injury that could sideline him for some time; Where do we stand as a club heading into the few fixtures before the January window opens - do we expect/want a couple smart signings from Speakman to plug a few gaps, and what areas do we think need strengthening? Craig makes a heartfelt Christmas wish/plea to Ross Stewart to sign a contract extension and stay another day/couple of years…Updates on the SCSK and Roker Report Christmas Fundraiser - as the club very kindly has pledged £1 from every ticket sold for our boxing day fixture against Blackburn!All this and so much more!Everyone at RR - aye even Gav though you wouldn't think it to hear him say it - would like to wish a very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #SoupKitchen22 #EFLChampionship #EFLWhile you're here, we are again calling on #SAFC fans and our friends to help raise money for Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen, who are in need of our help so they can help the most vulnerable people on Wearside. If you can donate to or even share the appeal, it would mean a great deal to many people. For more information visit the fundraiser page here and thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may have seen Martin around of late chatting to people about his brilliant new book - On Days Like These - so our Chris Wynn managed to wrangle an interview with a man who has had his heart both broken and buoyed in pretty equal measure by Sunderland AFC; talking about his love of the club, his time as a player under Cloughie, his many achievements in the game - and his failures as he sees them - as well as a fair few thoughts on his time in charge of his boyhood club! What's the crack?Where do we begin? A ridiculous number of trophies and cups across decades in the game as a player and a manager - how did Martin come to support the Lads, and how much did Charlie Hurley have to do with it all? What are his earliest and fondest memories of following the Lads, and when Sunderland were knocked out of the Cup in '64, who was in more pain? A young Martin O'Neill or a gutted Sunlun captain?His first memories of visiting Roker Park as a player for Nottingham Forest; Martin's relationship with the legendary Brian Clough; did they ever talk about their shared fondness for Sunderland? What was he like to play for when things weren't going so well? When writing his book, Martin tried to approach each era by examining how he thought at the time - so naturally has it resulted in changing his thoughts on any particular part of his life and career? Breaking into management; Martin talks about his belief that trying to prove yourself at a side lower down the pyramid - say in the National League for example - isn't always the best idea; His successes at Leicester, facing Peter Reid's Sunderland in the cup and getting closer to the job he'd always wanted; It's your time; The call for help from Niall Quinn, the discussions with the club and making the decision to sign - was that the right decision looking back? Did he make it with his head or his heart? His struggles with the Sunderland ownership over players, trying to earn enough brownie points to be able to sign lads who hadn't already retired and looking at the way the club was running behind the scenes and on the pitch; The moments of magic he experienced; though by his own admission things didn't work out the way he imagined they would, how did it feel to finally walk out as Sunderland manager, and what are his favourite memories of his time at the club? The next chapter; what does the future hold for Martin O'Neill now? All this and so much more! An absolute privilege and an absolute gent, enjoy! While you're here, we are again calling on #SAFC fans and our friends to help raise money for Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen, who are in need of our help so they can help the most vulnerable people on Wearside. If you can donate to or even share the appeal, it would mean a great deal to many people. For more information visit the fundraiser page here and thank you!#SAFC #EFLChampionship #MON #MartinONeill #Interview #SoupKitchen22 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Phil West and Craig Chapman sat down - following the England win over Senegal of course aye - late Sunday night to quickly go over the events of Saturday afternoon, and to celebrate a pretty decent weekend overall! What's the crack? So Josh Kelly won the British light-middleweight belt - the Lads put three past Millwall at the Stadium of Light - our bairns battered Liverpool's bairns - the Lasses battered Coventry - Hendo and Pickers helped England to another World Cup victory… Aye it's not been a bad weekend for Sunlun overall.What did Phil and Craig make of the vital victory over the Lions on Saturday - a fairly ineffective first half performance was overshadowed by a thoroughly dominant second half from the Lads; AMAD LAD WE LOVE YOU - Ah man he's too good isn't he. Pritch got to stick the boot in for his beloved West Ham and made it absolutely clear that he does indeed hate Millwall, just lucky they don't care...Simms strikes again - a few people seem to be questioning his commitment but he's not paying them much attention and scoring anyway;Danny Batth was immense yet again - is he the best CB we've had since the PL? We're looking pretty good this season all things considered - has Craig started to look up rather than just settling for safety? It's tempting.All this and more somehow packed into a pod half the usual length, as we've got a lot more to bring you this week! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL #SoupKitchen22 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back - and it's all getting very busy at podcast HQ - as our Chris Wynn chats to the BBC's Karl Bates about Millwall's trip north to face the Lads in what will be a temporary reprieve from the World Cup for a few hours this Saturday! What's the crack? How long has Karl been covering Millwall for the BBC, and where do his football allegiances lie?In a Roker Rapport first we have a countdown champion on the pod - does Karl still have the teapot to prove it? How has Gary Rowett been getting on down at the Den, and did he welcome the World Cup break as much as Tony Mowbray did? RR are of course pleased to hear George Honeyman is rated 7/10 by Millwall journalists and fans…Who are the Lions best performers this season and are the fans slightly nervous about keeping hold of players like Zian Flemming? How should Mowbray expect Rowett to set up against us this Saturday - Karl gives us his likely lineup for the match; Are Millwall expecting to come away with three points, and are they happy flirting with the playoff spots in the Championship this season? All this and more. Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #Millwall #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thought we'd have a bit of a look at how we got to this point in the season - so our Chris Wynn, Martin Wanless and Phil West jumped on at some insane hour over the weekend to give their thoughts on that Amad assist, that Amad goal, the return of Simms to full active duties, some more talk about Ross Stewart's contract and looking beyond the World Cup break. What's the crack?As the lads decided to record this immediately after the game to take full advantage of all that adrenaline - How does everyone feel after that result - especially the chest clutching finish that nearly killed half the fanbase? AMAD LAD STRIKES AGAIN - Some talent isn't he - with an assist for Ellis Simms first goal since returning from injury, to his magnificent strike in the second half… well it was his pitch on the night.PATTO - 22 years old and getting better all the time.A couple lads returned from injury and we're all very pleased to see it; A nice long break; with the World Cup coming up and the Lads off for a nice trip to Dubai to warm up a little, how are we feeling knowing we'll be returning to league action with the likes of Ross Stewart back in the starting eleven? What did Martin and Phil make of the KLD/Speakman/Jones talk? Martin has a few things to say about the Rossco contract situation and how buying low and selling high is something we should maybe be thinking about; Looking back at the season and how far we've come; are we going into the World Cup break in a pretty decent position all things considered?Are we confident we'll be far more comfortable come the January transfer window? Phil predicts the downfall of Gareth Southgate; something when England win the World Cup we can refer to as #WestSouthGate or #SouthWestGate or whatever works…All this and more! Listen in!#SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL #WorldCup2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We went a bit quiet after the weekend and you would've had a match review but *a lot has happened since off the field* so our Chris Wynn and Craig 'The Artist formerly known as the Angryman' Chapman reconvened very late last night to have a chat about everything from the loss to Cardiff, some crowd trouble, the talk given by KLD to fans alongside Speakman and Jones, and looking ahead to Birmingham away! Aye.What's the crack? EVERYTHING MAN - The lads had no real instruction beyond 'cover everything' and that's exactly what they've done. That performance against Cardiff City at the weekend; wasn't great was it…The crowd performance against Cardiff City at the weekend; wasn't great was it…The talk at Pop Recs as Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Kristjaan Speakman, Dave Jones and the rest had a chat with fans about their plans for the future, and the state of play as things stand; The Rossco Panic - Could the club avoid mayhem by maybe broadcasting these fan meetings to the wider base? Also… are we all ready to let go of the big man? The idea behind sustainability in the EFL pyramid and looking at our progress in the Championship so far this season; What predictions surrounding our visit to Birmingham this Friday night do the lads have? Patience is key this season isn't it? Or are people genuinely concerned we won't be able to survive come May next year?All this and much more! Thanks for listening! #SAFC #KLD #EFL #EFLChampionship Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Gav and Chris got together for the second time this week late last night to react to a vital SAFC away win against the Terriers down at a wet and windy John Smith's Stadium and to look ahead to our return home against Cardiff City this Saturday! What's the crack? We won and we're all pretty happy about it, but conditions weren't great throughout the first half; what did the lads make of the first 45? ALEX F***ING PRITCHARD; A great goal against his former side and an even better celebration

Our dynamic duo of Gav Henderson and Chris Wynn got together to discuss the amazing last minute 'hand of cod' equaliser from Alex Bass against the scu… nah only joking - this was recorded prior to that hilarious moment - instead we're covering the Lads trip to Luton at the weekend in the Championship, Embo's equaliser, and looking ahead to Huddersfield on Wednesday night! What's the crack? Luton is a terrible place, congratulations to the travelling support for making it back home. So what did the lads make of Sunderland's performance against the might of Luton Town? Was that a deserved equaliser after falling behind late in the first half? BREAKING; The ref was a bit shite again… EMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO etcWith quite a few decent individual performances, the lads discuss the talent of the side and try work out who stood out above the rest; We have strikers again! Well.. we have one striker back at least - so what did we make of the return of Ellis Simms? How did the lads rate Tony Mowbray's 800th career match as a manager - could his game management be further improved or are people being slightly harsh with their criticism? Looking ahead to Huddersfield on Wednesday night - How do the lads think we'll be shaping up on our trip to the John Smith's Stadium? All this and more! Thanks for listening! Ha'way the Lads! #SAFC #EFLChampionship #EFL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.