The trouble stems from the fact the ex-Newcastle striker has taken great joy scoring against the Mackems in previous seasons, and they think his celebration with Alan Shearer when the Toon won 4-1 at the Stadium of Light was OTT.
Lets not forget the way he celebrated his two goals for Cardiff in the 2-1 victory against Sunderland last season. Yep ... it can be a bit of a bugger.
However, the "Moody One" is intent on playing it down, and Sunderland manager Roy Keane has backed Chopra to make the transition from villain to hero after completing his move to Wearside.
Keane, himself, had a venom against the Geordies in his playing days. He scored for Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in February 1991 at the City Ground and made a bee-line to the travelling Toon Army calling them "Geordie W***ers". And we all remember the day Alan Shearer wound him up and Keane threw a punch, which missed by the preverbial mile.
Chopra, who was born and bred in Newcastle and scored his only Premier League goal for the Magpies in a 4-1 romp at Sunderland.
Mackems Up In Arms Over Chopra
Keane: "I am delighted that Michael has joined us. He is a natural goalscorer who will bring competition with our other quality strikers to the side."I am very confident he will score goals for this football club."
Chopra may have to do that in abundance if he is to win over his critics on
Wearside.
As we reported earlier in the week, 30 players have played for both clubs since the war, Bob Moncur being one. And he has warned Chopra he will have to keep a "wise head" on his shoulders and how he would be silly to walk through the Bigg Market as a Black Cats player.
Moncur: "To be honest it is a little bit different to when I made the move.
"I had just been captain of Newcastle at the FA Cup final and I was going to Sunderland to take the captain's armband from Bobby Kerr after agreeing to do so for Bob Stokoe.
"I left Newcastle because I had been there 14 years and it was time for a change.
"I needed a new challenge and in my two years there we just missed out on promotion in the first season then went up in the second.
"I had a lot of people coming up to me and saying 'how can you go?'"For me it was because I had a young family growing up in the North-East and I did not want to uproot them.
"Michael's move is different and I think the biggest problem he has is his price.
"People will expect results and goals and if they don't come they will react to the fact he was at Newcastle and is a Geordie.
"When I left people would come up to you in pubs and such like and have a bit of light-hearted banter, like how could you sign for Sunderland Bob?
"It was no more than banter back then and you could talk to supporters.
"This is a big chance for Michael under Roy Keane but he must be careful.
"He will be wise enough to keep a low profile in my opinion, but he must remember that this is a different world to the one I lived in and played in.
"Back then, even if we got beat the Newcastle team used to head to the Old George pub and have a pint with the fans.
"Nowadays you cannot do that, there is no light-hearted stick.
"There is no way he can walk through the Bigg Market after scoring goals for Sunderland.
"It is sad the world is like that and sad that because of that the fans cannot get to meet their heroes like they used to."
Is Chopra Move Such A Big Deal?
By Nu Mad Thursday 12th July 2007
Sunderland boss Roy Keane will be hoping to persuade Michael Chopra to join the Mackems today, much to the anger of many fans over at the Stadium of Light. But is it such a big deal?
Personally I'm more upset Freddy Shepherd didn't have the brain cells to add a move-on clause in the contract so the Magpies could get some of the money!
But the fans on Wearside seem to have long memories, and how can they forget Lee Clark and THAT T-shirt? That obviously sticks in the thoat.
And if anyone is visiting Durham City, pop up Crossgate bank to a pub called 'The Angel'. You will be greeted by an autographed shirt as soon as you walk through the door, and that shirt has caused a mountain of controversy in that bar for years.
It is Lee Clark's number 10 ... but actually a Sunderland shirt! The Mags hate it because it is red and white; the Mackems hate it because it is Lee Clark. But that is what happens when players cross the 'Great Divide'.
Chopra, who moved to Ninian Park for £500,000 from Newcastle last summer, could earn the Welsh side 10 times that figure if he agrees personal terms and passes a medical with the Wearsiders.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones: "I am sorry to see him go, everybody in the camp is. But at the end of the day there is a price for every player. The money could go on to make us stronger.
Chopra is expected on Wearside this morning to undergo a medical examination after agreeing to become Roy Keane's third summer signing.
The 23-year-old instructed his representatives to conclude the deal on his behalf having decided that the chance to continue his career in the Premier League was too good to turn down.
The former England Under-21 international remains unproven in top-flight football and has scored just once in the Premier League - ironically, against Sunderland in the last Wear-Tyne derby 15 months ago.
No less than 30 players have signed for both clubs since the war, although not all have played for them both. Lionel Perez never played a first team match for Newcastle although he was on the books, and Alan Brown and Howard Gayle were only on loan.
But big name players have done it without too much fuss. It boils down to ability, and both sets of fans were happy to have the likes of Bob Moncur, Stan Anderson, Paul Bracewell, Alan Foggon, David Kelly, Alan Kennedy, Tommy Gibb, Pop Robson, Len Shackleton, Barry Venison and Chris Waddle.
Some have left making 'parting shots', but it depends how deep they feel about their roots. Bracewell wanted a two-year contract, Sunderland wouldn't give him one (but Newcastle would) so he was quick to pass comments on a "club with no ambition". It had nothing to do with any Geordie/Mackem roots, just a problem over a contract.
But it's when supporters of one club move on that you have problems. Len Shackleton and Chris Waddle were die-hard Sunderland fans. Lee Clark, Robbie Elliott, Michael Bridges and MICHAEL CHOPRA born and bred Geordies.