The Second Captains Podcast

Just one week after wondering if the run-in pressure might get to Arsenal we are - once again - handing them the Premier League trophy after they extended their lead at the top in a chaotic and unpredictable weekend. Lars Sivertsen and Gavin Cooney join us to talk through the action. A lot of people probably gave up on Tottenham-City with Guardiola's team 2-0 up at half-time. They missed an unexpected and glorious Spurs fightback which laid bare the identity crisis plaguing Guardiola's team. The new City is packed with powerful finishers, but lacks the masterfield midfield tempo-setters who made sure the game was played the way Guardiola wanted it. Has Pep stuck around just long enough to see his life's work slipping into ruin? We also discuss Manchester United's rediscovered sense of destiny, Cole Palmer's future, Liverpool's future-focused transfer policy, and who really deserves to win Manager of the Year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we discussed an epic end to the Champions League league phase, Arsenal's Premier League wobble, Arteta's body language, Heated Rivalry, Jose's appeal, Madrid rot, the NFL playoffs, and on Friday it's a Winter Olympics preview. To become a member and hear our shows all week it costs 5 euro a month and there’s no ads, no sign up fee, no minimum stay, no contract, and we’re independent and member led – go to secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Gaelic football season is back, and after a winter spent poring over stats sheets and risk-reward scenarios, it looks like the coaching class of 2026 decided to throw the shackles off and have some fun.Paul Flynn is in studio to talk to us about the Andy Moran impact in Mayo, the most impressive of the young guns we saw taking over games this weekend, why the hooter is an agent of confusion, and the extent to which protests over Allianz’s sponsorship materialised.Plus there’s snow-day in the NFL (the American version), and another very busy weekend in Dingle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last night at the Emirates we saw the Premier League game of the season - but will it prove a pivotal moment? That's up to Arsenal and how they react. The one thing we can likely count on with Mikel Arteta is that he will keep doing things his own way until the end.Meanwhile, a new psychological study has revealed the typical personality profile and cognitive skills package of the elite footballer. Today we determine if the brains of either Murph or Eoin have got what it takes. Mark Critchley and Jacob Hawley join us to talk about Arsenal v Man United. Arsenal are top of the league and Champions League and advancing towards a quadruple, so why did the Emirates boo at the end? Do refs need to legislate against Arsenal's set-piece edge? And is there any reason NOT to give Carrick the permanent job?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we discussed Davos, Greenland, World Cup boycotts, the Beckhams, LIV V PGA, Arne Slot's low block mental block, Steve G's hair, Man City's slump in form and players reimbursing fans.Plus there's Arsenal muscling up, Allianz and the GAA, US Murph on the NFL playoffs and the great injury mystery of San Francisco.To become a member and hear our shows all week it costs 5 euro a month and there’s no ads, no sign up fee, no minimum stay, no contract, and we’re independent and member led – go to secondcaptains.com/join  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People were calling this AFCON predictable but in the end, it showed us something we've never seen before in a major final - a walk-off that initially looked like a turning point in humanity's war against VAR, and only got weirder from there. After another weekend of ... rugged ... PL games, we discuss why so many fanbases seem angry and whether it has to do with the way the game is being played. Do we blame the Pep style, do we blame the anti-Pep style, or is the truth.... somewhere in between?As Michael Carrick leads Manchester United to a crushing win over Manchester City, we also discuss whether it's time to fish the Great Man Theory out of the bin. With so many smoking ruins to choose from it was hard to pick a stricken club to focus on today but we've gone with Spurs, where the Thomas Frank era looks to be entering its final few days. Jack Pitt-Brooke was there on Saturday to watch all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out. Where did it all go wrong for Frank? Which previous managerial reign is Jack reminded of? What about the burgeoning cult of the Lost Leader Ange? And who is next in line to drink deep from the poisoned chalice?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dingle are the undisputed kings of heroic comebacks with late wins in the Munster final, the All-Ireland semi and now the final. We chat about a classic club final, Geaney's clutch kick, and codebreaker Mark O'Connor.Leinster are also good at comebacks this season, and their win in Bayonne on Saturday means they have Edinburgh at home in the last 16 of the Champions Cup, and they're on the opposite side of the draw from Toulouse, Bordeaux, Bath and Northampton. Andrew Trimble and Shane Horgan look at Leinster's ability to find a way to win, their all-or-nothing defence and tell us who they would pick at 10 for Ireland's opener against France on Feb 5th.Munster were 23 point favourites against Castres but lost at home again and are out of the Champions Cup at the group stage. Shane and Andrew look at how big a project Clayton McMillan has on his hands, if this was an acceptable result given the players he has available, and where Jack Crowley has progressed and regressed this season. Plus there's Lowry's "disaster in Dubai", guttural GAA, Geelong goodness and non-stop baby talk.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show which covers LinkedIn's football takeover, Rosenior-speak, the white sneaker manager era, Madrid sacking Alonso, why there are so few good managers for the top clubs to employ, the NFL playoffs and Steven Flowe.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’ ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four tries, two comebacks, a last second kick to win it against their fiercest rivals and elation in the stands - and yet Leinster were cut open and exposed for most of this thrilling game against La Rochelle. Shane and Gerry weigh up the positives and negatives, we ask how on earth did Leinster win it and is a clutch kick and a late La Rochelle collapse papering over the many defensive cracks? Munster were leading after 72 mins in fortress Felix Mayol but lost it late on thanks to a very harsh penalty call. We look at that end game, their discipline errors, their much improved attack and if they have any hope of a home last 16 tie.The All-Ireland junior and intermediate club finals were on this weekend - the sight of Second Captains super-friend Jamie Wall and his brother Philip embracing on the sidelines in Croke Park after Kilbrittain's win on Saturday evening left an indelible image.And An Gaeltacht knocked out a few floor filler tunes in victory yesterday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FA Cup third round weekend brings the usual desperate scrabbling around for stuff to talk about. Can we really call Macclesfield-Palace the greatest upset of all time when the holders picked a B team? Are Chelsea fans singing against Keir Starmer because of something to do with Roman Abramovich, or do they just hate him anyway? And is the era of kissing Fergie's ring drawing to a close at Old Trafford?Oluwashina Okeleji joins us from Morocco to talk about AFCON ahead of a semi-final line-up featuring four of the leading African football powers. How have Nigeria managed to get it together after failing to qualify for the World Cup? Did the Algerians really insult the memory of Patrice Lumumba? And is Salah finally going to get the better of Mane in international competition?We also hear from a Dutch listener who has taken issue with Ken's seeming vendetta against his home country.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The reigning champions V the champions-in-waiting... Slot's defence of the PL title, and maybe his job, could end tonight and we will, of course, dedicate tomorrow’s World Service pod to this clash.Plus there's Keith's feats with Brentford, Kelleher's form in goal, the managerial situation at Man Utd, Arsenal-cup-drinking Thomas Frank, the NFL playoffs with US Murph, and the European Champions Cup with Shane Horgan and Andrew Trimble,An Ghaeltacht are through to the All-Ireland intermediate football final in Croke Park this Sunday after an incredible win in extra-time in their semi-final last Saturday. Dara Ó Cinnéide is a selector on the team, is one of their greatest ever players, and is a broadcaster with Raídio Na Gaeltachta and TG4, and he tells us about what lies behind An Ghaeltacht’s club motto of “Sprid. Croí. Caid. Teanga.”… and why he’s celebrating Dingle’s march to the All-Ireland senior club final too.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At 18 years of age two time world darts champ Luke Littler has no more worlds to conquer, so now gets his kicks from turning heel. Eoin goes through his wrestling archives while Ken frets about the future of the sport.Leinster won three from three in the Christmas interpros but Ulster are the story this week after a stylish 28-3 win over Munster at a packed out Ravenhill, a result which sent them third in the URC table and got their captain Iain Henderson talking up the good vibes in camp. Andrew Trimble joins us to discuss the Ward brothers, Werner Kok, Richie Murphy's coaching, and why so many Irish rugby players and coaches are complaining about the kick escort law allegedly ruining the game.Plus there's Frawley's move to Connacht, Leo V Zebo and how to react to a wasp.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goodbye Ruben. We are sorry to see you go. You were good to us. We wish you well.We discuss why so many fanbases currently seem to hate their manager/coach - with happy exceptions like Arsenal, and Brentford, whose four goals against Everton amounted to a symphony of the head coach's craft. Mark Critchley and Lars Sivertsen join us to talk about how United reached this point, why they decided to sack him now just as things were arguably getting better, the increasing difficulty of being a head coach when so many people still think of you as a manager, and whether Darren Fletcher has got what it takes to do an Ole.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie O’Leary, a former Republic Of Ireland kit-man under big Jack and all round Irish football legend, was our Second Captains Hero of 2025; he was even in the Gaiety to take a victory lap in front of 1300 people in October. But before then, Ken, Eoin and Branno were in his house on Dublin’s northside to talk to him about his incredible 101 years (and counting), a life nearly as old as the state itself. It was one of the most uplifting chats we’ve ever had, back in Feb of this year, and we release it for everyone today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An annual Second Captains tradition continues today under new branding (RIP Scrooge Cast), as Jonathan Wilson joins Ken to discuss the post-Christmas football. Also touched on today: energy flows, Wilson's inability to take a day off work, the possible impact of AI on the game, Protestantism, whether 'reading' might in fact have been the problem all along, and whether Aston Villa, now led by someone Ken only recently realised is one of the best-looking men in the world, are going to go all the way.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside us all are two wolves. Unfortunately for Wolves the football team (despite Matt Doherty's reverse Churchill) it's the wolf that is currently the worst at football in all of Europe. Meanwhile, the Romulus and Remus of Serie A get their teeth into Evan.To talk about Ruben's back four, Villa's rise, Rogers V Bellingham and happy Pep we chat to Mark Critchley.Ken also breaks-down the cash grab in Miami as the guy from YouTube gets chinned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was “Super-Friends Of The Show” week this week, between Killian Sundermann coming in for the Second Captains FAT quiz of the year, a chat with US Murph, our first ever festive edition of KENCALL and Oluwashina Okeleji on Salah's AFCON 2025 and Nigeria's legal route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup .We’ve had an amazing year on the podcast this year, so we’d love to have you aboard. You can also gift a subscription to the Second Captains on our patreon page,We’ll be back on Monday with a live football show.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster and Leinster both won their Champions Cup games over the weekend, both came through sticky situations against English opposition, but overall satisfaction levels are low.We chat to Shane Horgan and Andrew Trimble about Clayton McMillan's realistic outlook on the Munster project, Leinster's pre-Chistmas form, and they react to former Leinster and Ireland out half Ross Byrne's suggestion that, given the volume of box kicks and spiral bombs being launched these days, coaches should start picking second rows on the wings.Charlie Smyth, formerly a Gaelic footballer from Co Down, nailed a 47-yard field goal for the New Orleans Saints to beat the Carolina Panthers this weekend. Plus there's frontier football gibberish, dead-ball Beggan, the Dublin based media and the huge medal haul for Irish athletics in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It looks like Celtic arrived at a good time for Evan Ferguson, while Robbie Keane seems to be having so much fun in Europe the question is how he will ever be tempted back to the league where he made his name.Morgan Rogers' Stan Collymore-like winner for Villa at West Ham reminds us that it's been a while since Ken read out some npG minus xG stats, so let's get into a bit of that.Jonathan Wilson and Dion Fanning join us to talk about the weekend's football. Why does Jonathan refuse to accept that Sunderland might actually be good now - and why is Granit Xhaka the best player he's ever seen play for the club? How many teams are involved in this title race? And how should we interpret the apparent cessation of hostilities at Anfield? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’d another barn-storming week this week, with the main story being Mo Salah’s rapidly-deteriorating relationship with Liverpool Football Club, which we covered in depth.We had a brilliant chat with Danny Rensch, the co-founder of chess.com, which went from being a successful start-up to a billion dollar company during the pandemic, thanks largely to people being stuck at home. As a kid, Danny was a prodigy, a national champion in the US, who ultimately became disillusioned with the sport. But his story is far more complicated than that, given he grew up in a cult called the Church of Immortal Consciousness.We also spoke to Armagh All Ireland winner Rory Grugan about the new rules and his time in France spreading the GAA gospel and Beñat Gutiérrez joined us from Spain to look at the factors deciding Xabi Alonso’s future.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.