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Haway The Podcast | Roker Rewind | The Nearly Men
Welcome to another edition of Roker Rewind, and Martin, Chris and Andrew are back with another delve into SAFC archives. We’ve got a bit of a different take on things today though – because, as the transfer window is (apparently) well and truly open, we’re looking at transfers. Specifically, four transfers that didn’t ever actually end […]
Talking Points: Brobbey and Diarra Shine as Sunderland End US Tour on a High
Right-Hand Side Play Interestingly, despite being our most targeted area to strengthen in the summer market, the right side of the pitch again yielded the most rewards as we built our attacks. Le Bris once again played Trai Hume in a pseudo-wing role on the right, as waves of attacks developed between Hume himself, Habib […]
Matchday Musings: Mukiele Makes The Difference For Sunderland!
One final ‘Summer Series’ outing, one final pre -season run out in the States before a return to Europe and another encouraging display for Regis Le bris before attention turns to Lens and Stade Rennes in our final pre-season tests. The team news provided the first talking point of the evening, with Robin Roefs replacing […]
2 Up, 2 Down: Sunderland Wrap Up Their USA Tour With A Win
Ciaran McKenna says… Sunderland end their Stateside trip on a positive note Another good test to round up our US tour and finally one where we are on the right side of the result. We controlled the game well and looked sharper both in and out of possession, with some nice passing moves creating chances […]
Success Without Selling Your Soul? Sunderland’s Winning Formula
This week, it is fair to say that I have been slightly obsessed with Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. Without wanting to spoil anything (not that you can really spoil the plot of a story that originates from the 8th or 7th century BC), it focuses on the protagonist, Odysseus – one of the […]
On This Day (3rd August 2002): Sunderland Linked With French International Midfielder
On this day back in 2002, Peter Reid took a quick break from Sunderland’s training camp to scout a French international midfielder, with the hope of bringing him to Wearside. Reid ended up in Amsterdam to take in the four-team tournament involving Ajax, Barcelona, United, and Parma, while keeping a particular eye on Parma’s French […]
Haway The Podcast | WREXHAM REACTION | Sunderland Round Off US Tour With A Win!
Sunderland one, Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham nil – join Gav and Kelvin as they react at full time to a canny performance from the Lads in pink over in Philadelphia! 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. Want to […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland 1-0 Wrexham – USA Tour Ends in Victory
Robin Roefs: 6/10 An easy first game of preseason for Roefs, only really involved when bringing the ball out with his feet, when he was typically assured. Nordi Mukiele: 8/10 Went off shortly after half time with what looked like a knock but was so good while he was on the pitch, marauding up and […]
Fan Focus: What can Sunderland expect from Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham side?
Wrexham has been on one magnificent journey since the takeover of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Does it almost still all feel like a dream? There’s still a bit of surrealism about it all but we’ve almost become accustomed to it now. The man who has spearheaded that journey is ex-Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson. What […]
Haway The Podcast | MATCHDAY PREVIEW | SAFC v Wrexham | The Return of Phil Parkinson
Sunderland round off their tour of the United States later today with a kickaboot with Wrexham in Philly… and speaking of Philly, a certain Mr Parkinson will be in the opposition dugout for the first time since he terrorised us in League One. Join Gav, Michael and Andrew as they look ahead to the game! […]
Oppo Analysis: Can Sunderland Get the Better of Familiar Foe Phil Parkinson?
Wrexham play with a 3-4-3 formation, a high press and quick verticality. The team relies on aggressive movement to win the ball high up the pitch and attack quickly, with active wing-backs providing width. The Red Dragons apply an intense high press to disrupt opponents in their own half and focus on verticality, pushing the […]
On This Day (2 August 1972): Sunderland Aim To Raise A Glass!
A pre-kick off pint on Stadium of Light concourses is a match day ritual for many Sunderland supporters, whilst the possibility of fans being allowed to drink alcohol in the actual stands was recently brought up again by Andy Burnham in the days before he was confirmed as the new Prime Minister of the United […]
What Can Sunderland Learn From Recent Europa League History?
Sunderland did what can only be described as “a Sunderland” last season, surpassing all expectations by delivering a seventh-placed finish, and with it, European football for the first time in over fifty years. We all know the challenges that Europa League football will bring, and having a deeper squad is a necessity. While things have […]
Match Preview: Sunderland v Wrexham — We Face Hollywood In The Final Stop On Our US Tour!
Sunday 2nd August 2026 Sunderland v Wrexham – Friendly Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania Kick-Off: 18:00 (BST) Tickets & Match Coverage TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via safc.com. Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time […]
Haway The Podcast | HAWAY THE Q&A | Mags Imploding, Window Worries & Cheesesteaks!
It’s been a few weeks since we did a Q&A so once we realised we put the call out and you lovely people responded once again with some belting questions! It’s everything from the mags, the window, Europa League rules and what bait you prefer! On today’s show: All this and more! Get subscribed to […]
Talking Points: Sunderland Fall Narrowly to Leeds
Sunderland continued their pre-season preparations with their second of three Premier League Summer Series games, this one resulting in a 1-0 loss to Leeds United. But what are the main points of discussion following this match? Is Melker Ellborg Ready for the Job? Our Swedish goalkeeper has taken a fair bit of flak on social […]
Sunderland AFC: The Club They Want To Stay At!
While others spend their summers firefighting, Sunderland are quietly and calmly building. Stable ownership, a united dressing room and a coaching staff fully invested in the project have turned the club into one players want to join and more importantly, want to remain. In years gone by, the reality was very much the opposite; Sunderland […]
On This Day (1st Aug 1992): Sunderland Continue To Stumble In Pre-Season With A Defeat At Carlisle
In the third of five first-team warm-up friendlies of the 1992/93 season, The Lads suffered what was viewed at the time as an embarrassing defeat at Brunton Park. There are still many fans who view a defeat, or even a draw, against lower-league opposition in pre-season games as a hugely negative outcome (look at the […]
Haway The Podcast | LEEDS REACTION | Sunderland Lose But World Cup Stars Return!
Did you stay up ’til the wee hours to watch Sunderland take on Leeds last night? Well, luckily (or unluckily…) for you we did, so join Gav and Andrew as they run down all the action and chat about a solid performance for the Lads, despite losing 1-0 in the end. On today’s show… All […]
Matchday Musings: Minutes In The Legs For The Lads In New Jersey
It’s a cliché to say the most important thing about pre-season matches is to get minutes in the legs, but clichés exist for a reason. Sunderland fell 1-0 to Leeds United Thursday night (or Friday morning if you were watching in Sunderland) in Harrison, New Jersey, and other than the lone — and very ugly […]
On This Day (31 July 2022): Sunderland Begin The Season With A Draw At The Stadium Of Light!
With FIFA’s 2022 winter World Cup only a few months away, Sunderland found themselves in the unusual position of kicking off their league campaign in July. Promotion from League One had lifted the mood around Wearside immeasurably and for the first time in years, there was a genuine sense that the dark clouds hanging over […]
Sunderland’s World Cup Show Was Worth More Than Any Advertisement
It was fitting that Granit Xhaka, our captain, remained the last of the record-breaking Sunderland contingent at this instalment of the World Cup. With Chemsdine Talbi being the penultimate Sunderland representative to fall against France, Xhaka’s eternal campaign continued before he was eventually struck down by the inevitable Lionel Messi and his assortment of Argentine […]
An Open Letter to Americans Looking for a Premier League Home
Sunderland ‘Til I Die was an interesting experience for a Sunderland fan. I was ramping up towards Christmas at university, working behind my college’s bar when Netflix dropped the first season. At first, it was hard to bring myself to watch it, after all I’d already lived it. Ironically, at Durham University, I was in […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland 0-1 Leeds United – Good runout as World Cup stars return
Melker Ellborg: 5/10 Dallied on the ball quite a bit, due to Leeds not being baited into the press. Made a good second half save with his shoulder but got his feet all wrong for the goal. Nordi Mukiele: 7/10 Never troubled defensively. Got up and down the line really well, put in a couple […]
Opposition Analysis: What Can Sunderland Expect From Leeds United?
Can Sunderland’s recent success against Leeds continue, or will Daniel Farke’s tactical approach prove too much in another chapter of this historic rivalry? Leeds United, under manager Daniel Farke, primarily favour a possession-based setup, shifting fluidly between a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 shape and a back-three structure (such as a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2), depending on the phase of […]
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