Roker Report Score Predictions 2022-23: Game 6 - Sunderland v Norwich City

Last time around - Stoke City Away

The lads came back from The Potteries with all three points last weekend, but the aftermath of that is probably triggering more conversation right now than anything else.

The poor first half was closed out with a good counter-attacking goal created by Jack Clarke and scored by Ross Stewart in injury time, which the keeper probably should have done better with.

The second half display was a great show of how we must look to close out games to get maximum return. We probably should have added more in the second half.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

The fact we got the Stoke coach sacked and then they look to have managed to convince our gaffer to replace him, however, means we now go into this week's game against recently relegated Norwich likely with no head coach in the dugout.

We all remember how that went post-Lee Johnson, don’t we!

Returning to Predictions matters, our Malc had a perfect weekend, calling both a 1-0 away win and Rossco to notch first, scoring 4 points.

Jack, Will and Martin all get a point each for the result, and Jack and Martin also get an extra point for also forecasting our very own Loch Ness Drogba scoring first. Bomber gets a single point for the right SAFC first scorer too.

Matthew would have had a nil point, but Malc missed out on giving him three points for the correct score in the previous match (awarding one instead), hence he gets a couple of points too as a correction by the page lead.

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Predictions League Table

The top of the table is now a three-way tie, and Malc’s perfect prediction lifts him up to fourth, or sort of second.

How we do with a coach-less fixture against recent Premier League opponent like Norwich is about as predictable as the Euro Lottery, but the job has to be done, and we will back the lads in great numbers as we always do, so here we go!

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How the points are awarded...

Just a quick reminder on how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:

• Correct score = 3 points
• Correct outcome (but not correct score) = 1 point
• Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = 1 point (no goal scorer is a valid call)
• Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = TBC at Malc’s discretion…

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Malc Dugdale predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 1-0 Norwich City

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Ellis Simms

Norwich do let goals in, so despite them looking to take their recent streak of two wins to three at the Stadium of Light, I think we can notch and then do at home what we did away at Stoke City.

Ellis Simms didn’t get a goal last time out and he was pretty prolific before that, so I am backing him to get us off the mark.

So, I say “sod Alex Neil” and his distractions - this team and this club is bigger than any one man, and we can continue to do well in this league with the squad, players and team spirit we have shown.

Hopefully a new gaffer is in place for the next one though.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

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Matty Foster predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 1-0 Norwich City

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Elliot Embleton

Ever the pessimistic Sunderland fan, I’d fully expect me to root for the side who consistently yo-yo between the Premier League and Championship. So I’ve even surprised myself this week with my decision, but hear me out.

Norwich have lost both their away games so far, and also struggled against one of our fellow promoted sides Wigan.

I just have this feeling that this will be a smash-and-grab late on. Perhaps not quite as glamorous as New Year's Day against Man City with the “JI, HE’S ROUND THE GOALKEEPER, HE’S DONE IT!” but a smash and grab nonetheless.

1-0 to the Red and White Wizards and Embleton with a screamer late on.

Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images

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Bomber Davies predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Norwich City

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Jack Clarke

Every week I seem to tell myself “this match will be our biggest test yet” and “we’ll see how we are going to stack up in the Championship after this one”.

HOWEVER… a match against a team coming down from the Premier League last season having dominated the Championship the season before is about as tough a test as it gets.

Norwich, still able to boast having Teemu Pukki, Todd Cantwell and Max Aarons at the club, might have had a slow start, but taking Bournemouth to penalties and a 2-0 win over Millwall seems to have got the train back on track.

That said, Norwich make the long trip up to the Stadium of Light to take on Alex Neil’s former wizards, and are 0 for 2 on the road having lost to Hull and Cardiff.

40,000 Mackems will be urging to boys on and will once again make the difference in the game, and will be shouting the lads on to overcome yet more challenges in the life of being a modern day Mackem.

The Black Cat juggernaut rolls on!

Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images

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Martin Wanless predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Norwich City

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Ross Stewart

My in depth reasoning… Another big test, although the Alex Neil and Stoke chatter will do little to help our cause here. But sod it, 2-1 to the lads. LND to get the first.

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Will Jones predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Norwich City

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Ellis Simms

After finally achieving our first clean sheet and grabbing a great win (whilst having their manager sacked in the meantime, triggering the loss of ours) will have boosted the lads confidence even more going into our first home game in 2 weeks.

I believe we will show ourselves in a good light as with the game against Sheffield United and this time (hopefully with 11 men all game) get something from it.

Norwich have had a mixed start, but with back to back victories last week it is going to be a tough ask to get anything at all this weekend. However, I think we have shown ourselves to be more than a match for every single team in this division and so I am predicting a draw against a team everyone sees as achieving playoffs at least.

Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

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Jack Howe-Gingell predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Norwich City

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Ross Stewart

Our first encounter with one of the sides relegated from the Premier League and it could make for a tough encounter.

Norwich have started slow this season, despite maintaining their side who last got them promoted from The Championship. They have shown signs of revering their form of late, and will be looking to continue in the same vein.

It’s another game in front of the Sky cameras and I’m sure it will draw a good crowd who will roar the lads on. This team will fear no one and teams have already show that Norwich can be taken advantage of.

I’m hoping we give it another good go, and add another win. I think it will be a difficult game but fancy us to pinch it by a goal.

Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images