The Roker Report Cup Semi-Final Jukebox

So big, in fact, that we felt it necessary to get all musical 'n' that. Without further rambling then, to get you firmly in the mood for tonight's trip to Old Trafford, here's your Roker Report semi-final jukebox!

And what better place to start than a song that pretty much personifies anticipation on Wearside?

It's been many a year now since Republica greeted the players at the Stadium of Light, but there's nothing like a bit of nostalgia to get us in the groove for a big game...

From the old to the new. The Futureheads are Sunderland born and bred, and the current owners of the voiceboxes that greet the Lads onto the pitch. Cracking little tune when you listen the whole way through, too.

Time to start amending lyrics. This one first took hold as Martin O'Neill's signature tune, but it's lifetime seemed short-lived when the Irishman's stint here turned so devastatingly sour. Not to worry, though, as we signed Vito Mannone, and his name fits into the song canny well.

Okay, so this isn't a song per se, but sod it, HE'S BIG, HE'S BAD, HE'S WESLEY BROWN (and let's hope Manchester United fans hate him this time tomorrow).

Errr, slightly left-field now. Including at the request of our newest addition Gareth Barker, here's Daft Punk feat. Wise Men Say with 'We're up all Night for Seb Larsson'...

We're up all night for blue eyes, we're up all night for blonde hair, we're up all night for the Swede, we're up all night for Seb Larsson

We need a song for the gaffer, though, don't we? Not to worry, there's one that's been frequented in the South Stand already this season. For the uninitiated, the amended lyrics go a little something like this...

Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine, Got Gus Poyet on my mind, he plays football the way, the way we should...I've got a feelin' we're into something good!

This one's surely the song of the season so far. Sang with delicious irony, things really can only get better at Sunderland - and maybe now they're about to. To my knowledge, this one first took hold at Everton on Boxing Day (feel free to correct me on that though) and it's now a staple of every away game. Can you imagine 9,000 of us belting the Sunderland AFC version of this out tonight?

Of course, there was only one song we could finish on. It's the hope we can't stand. All sanity tells us to turn the other way, do something better with our weekends, spend our money on things that bring us a greater chance of happiness.

But we can't kick the habit. Sunderland, we know we shouldn't rush in, but we just can't help falling in love with you...