Second Captains @ The Irish Times

It takes a big person to admit that they were wrong. This week on The Second Captains World Service, Ken Early was prepared to do just that as he trawled through his own back catalogue to a piece written in advance of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Also, we were joined last night in Windmill Lane by Olympic Champion Kellie Harrington in what was a fascinating chat to launch her excellent new autobiography with Roddy Doyle. Join us for ad-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster may have lost on Saturday evening in the Aviva, but were there enough reasons to be cheerful about the manner of their defeat to Leinster - and was it a positive portent for Irish rugby to see two young Irish outhalves playing so well at full-back? We also discuss the Jean Kleyn yellow card and if some moments are impossible to referee.Kilmacud Crokes are the Dublin Senior Football, Hurling and Women's Football champions for 2022, and Eoin McDevitt for one is in the mood for a celebration. Plus there's news from Ken's inbox, and a chance for 10 listeners to join us for the launch of Kellie Harrington's brilliant new book in Windmill Lane this Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the games pile up the flames of crisis are blazing brightly at Leeds, Spurs, Wolves, Brighton and Liverpool, but for one happy club the only light on the horizon is the golden glow of a new dawn. Today is all about Aston Villa's world record new manager bounce. We also identify the qualities Casemiro has brought to Manchester United, and why Roy Keane was so eager to defend Ronaldo on Saturday night.The Ronaldo debate leads into our chat with the Wall Street Journal's Josh Robinson, who has written a new book with Jonathan Clegg: Messi v Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATS, And The Era That Remade The World's Game - which is published here on November 10th. The book traces the evolution of Ronaldo and Messi's parallel superstardom, and shows how their influence transformed the sport and defined an era.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a sparkling week on the World Service as Roddy Collins and Paul Howard joined 30 of our members for what was a highly enjoyable debut live show in our new city centre studios. We also spoke to Dion Fanning & John Brewin about Ronaldo's failure to read the room & Darwin "Shredder" Nunez.Join us for ad-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster finally got their season up and running on Saturday with a convincing win over The Bulls. They still butchered a lot of chances but a confident looking Joey Carbery got MOTM, new coach Mike Prendergast got a tune out of his attack and a number of fringe players - Edwin Edogbo, Shane Daly, Tom Ahern and Jack Crowley - all made an impact.We chat to Shane Horgan about rays of hope down south, improved standards in the URC and with Wasps and Worcester going into administration, why the English Premiership may have more bleak days ahead.And as we prepare for tonight's live show with Roddy Collins and Paul Howard we have a reading from the Rodfather. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liverpool beat Manchester City in a match that had more than the usual share of morbo. We pay tribute to the men who did more than anyone else to make this occasion so memorable: Anthony Taylor and Darwin Nunez.We also discuss some of the weekend's other action, including Xavi's mediocre record at Barcelona, Jordan Pickford's actually rather exceptional record at saving shots this season, and a scandalous suggestion that Arsenal may have benefited from the L-word in their narrow win at Leeds.Jonathan Wilson joins us to analyse the match at Anfield. Did Jurgen Klopp's comments about City's funding have a direct influence on what happened on the pitch? What to make of the mess that is 'let it flow'? And will City's loss of control in the second half give Guardiola cause to brood on the best way to approach the big tests to come? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken met up with the Irish WNT this week and had an interesting chat with Vera Pauw about the achievement of making it to the World Cup, her self belief, tactics, bringing on Amber Barrett and the team singing a Wolfe Tones song in the dressing room afterwards. Join us for ad-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join – it’s finger lickin’ good, special. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot of South African people appear to have discovered for the first time that Johnny Sexton likes a word with the referee - we talk about Sexton's commanding seasonal debut on Saturday as Leinster and the Sharks shared 13 tries.Mark O'Connor was celebrating a Grand Final victory with his Geelong team-mates in Melbourne a few weeks ago, and in Tralee on Saturday night, he was able to celebrate with a gang of them again as a dozen of them pitched up to Dingle's Kerry county championship quarter-final win over Dr Crokes. Between that and David Clifford facing off against Sean O'Shea on Sunday afternoon, it was a fairly exciting weekend of football in the home of the All-Ireland champions.Plus we announce the latest book to get the "I'll Tell You Who Wrote It" Second Captains Book Club treatment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-2 in extremely entertaining fashion yesterday, and they remain top of the league. High time, then, for some flowers to be laid at their feet.Ken lines up to give them their dues, and he's joined by Miguel Delaney and Andrew Mangan of the Arseblog podcast. There's also Ireland's horror draw for Euro 2024 qualification, with France, The Netherlands, Greece and Gibraltar... but where others see obstacles, Eoin only sees opportunities. Plus there's Iker Casillas, Carlos Puyol, and when is a handball not a handball.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the world service this week we discussed Conte's troubles at Spurs, Trent trolls, the Norwegian Sun God, Pep's glasshouse, and what football can learn from F1 - all while MC Devitt ran the show for 90's hip hop week.Join us for ad-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join - it's finger lickin' good, special. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seems there is no safe harbour in the world of sport from the scourge of cheating, not chess, and not even professional fishing - Eoin brings us the latest.We discuss the legacy of Brian Mullins, the man who best epitomised the youth and exuberance of Dublin in the 1970s.Sibling rivalry turns sour in European GAA for 2 world service members, and we launch 90s Hip-Hop week, with Eoin outlining the parameters in stark detail. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eight weeks into the Premier League season and rampant Norwegian goal yeti Erling Haaland has already burned through the existing stockpile of superlatives. We trawl the archives in search of fresh supplies.Meanwhile, Florentino Perez is back on the Super League war trail with a new battle cry: "Think of the Children." But is he right to see football as competing with entertainment products? John Brewin and Mark Critchley join us to talk through some of the weekend's action. Has Haaland proved Pep has spent the last ten years exploring a cul de sac? And how crushing is the impact of this result on the delicate flower of confidence at Man United Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the world service this week we had Nations League mayhem, the similarities between sports stars and actors, loss of Kencentration, chess cheats and Stephen A gets put in the shade. Join us for ad-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, Eliud Kipchoge knocked 30 seconds off his own marathon world record but.. he still didn't break through the 2-hour barrier. We have some simple advice that should do the trick.Federer charmed and sobbed his way through his farewell event, the Laver Cup, winning fans' hearts one last time - but has he got what it takes to become a great coach?A listener argues the GAA should embrace its amateur status and eradicate under-the-table payments to managers and set the players free from the training "arms race". And Murph puts into context how good Zach Tuohy is at a game he didn't grow up playing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland have done it again, starting well and taking the lead against a higher-ranked side away from home and then going down to defeat in the second half. We analyse the game and some of the criticism that has followed.We also discuss some recent interviews with Mark Lawrenson and Eric Cantona.Dion Fanning and Kieran Canning join us to talk about the match at Hampden. As we fight to stay positive, can we take heart from Scotland's development over the last few years? and to look ahead to Nations League B new boys England's dead rubber against Germany tonight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack McCaffrey hasn’t played for Dublin since a cameo off the bench which ended in injury against Tyrone in Omagh in February 2020. Paul Mannion’s last game was the 2020 All-Ireland final.  They were both off the Dublin panel, presumed retired - until yesterday evening. We get the Fair View of their surprise return to inter-county football, what it means for Dublin… and what it means for everyone else, with 4-time Kerry All-Ireland winner Sean O’Sullivan. We also pay homage to David Beckham’s queueing stamina, Ken casts his eye over proceedings in London this morning, and we salute Eddie Butler’s love of Wales.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's more than one way to make your name in the Premier League. Until now Nathan Collins has been trying the quiet excellence way, but on Saturday against Man City he hopped on the fast track to building his profile internationally.We also discuss a disgraceful episode in Spain, and the sad scenes at Munich's Oktoberfest, where Bayern's top brass tried and failed to look like they're having a good time despite dropping nine of the last 12 points.James Horncastle joins us to talk about how Juventus lost their stranglehold on Italian football. What and who is to blame for their fall? And who will win the culture war between the traditional values of Italian football and an ambitious new generation of internationally-influenced coaches? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are English football people so down on Todd the mouthy American interloper? What is a long snapper? And would it surprise you to hear the New England Patriots were involved in one of the oldest cheating scandals in NFL history? That means US Murph, Champions League and fun times on the World Service this week. Join us for ad-free, member-led broadcasting for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a series of terrible VAR decisions in the Premier League last week we heard many VAR advocates claim "it's only in England they don't know how to use it, VAR is working perfectly everywhere else." Right on cue, Juventus-Salernitana generates the Exxon Valdez of VAR decisions.We also talk about whether Pep Lijnders' recent book is as dangerous a signal for Liverpool as Didi Hamann fears, and relay the views of our favourite Argentine football writer on the signing of Darwin Nuñez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shane Lowry is back in the winner's circle for the first time since his Open victory at Royal Portrush in 2019, courtesy of a faultless Sunday performance at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth yesterday.  He was pushed all the way by Rory McIlroy, who fell literally an inch short of forcing a playoff - we talk to Malachy Clerkin about Shane's lovely habit of winning big tournaments, why Shane described this as one for "the good guys", and why human rights have disappeared from the PGA/LIV war of words.  We try and find out, as Malachy wrote a few weeks ago, if Rory is the most underrated person in Irish sport. There's also Terry Kennedy, Georgie Best, and why is Garth so big in Monaghan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.