The Second Captains Podcast

The Premier League is once again on the march, with Arsene Wenger initially saying ten teams could win it this season, before scaling that back to six. Ken and Eoin discuss the most popular fantasy football footballers, bonus points for insouciance, ABBA, heaving Aviva, Barcelona’s big buys, and the growth of fan culture and prize-money in women’s football.Jonathan Wilson and John Brewin look at the likely winners of the league this year. Chelsea should be feeling serene but all is not well with Antonio Conte while Arsenal have yet to secure the secure the future of Alexis Sanchez. Will it be down to the two Manchester sides who have brilliant squads, but unproven managers!!Plus there’s the semiotics of tracksuits and waving, Pedro’s horror tackle, Klopp’s central defenders, and the greatest signing in Premier League history, as voted by David Luiz’s number one fan, Ken Early. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was billed as the day Connacht would storm the citadel, but after yesterday's All-Ireland quarter-final double-bill, all 3 of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon have reason for regrets today. Oisin McConville and Mike Quirke are on hand to talk to us about Kerry's facile victory, Galway's no-show, Mayo's constant struggles, and Roscommon's high-energy, high-error-count display. It's not you, it's me - Rory McIlroy has taken the plunge and sacked his long-time caddy JP Fitzgerald. Malachy Clerkin tells us why Rory might not be the easiest man to caddy for. Ken for one doesn't want the job, and the attendant rather large crumbs from Rory's table, but Murph is weighing up his options, particularly after Ken Hurley's explosive GAA analysis debut last week - is there a place for an old dinosaur like Murph in today's media world? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darron Gibson has made headlines with harsh comments about some of his Sunderland team-mates, which obviously somebody recorded and posted online. Fans: this is why footballers don't want to talk to you. Footballers: this is why you shouldn't go drinking with fans after losing 5-0.Guardiola reckons Premier League favourites Manchester City are at last looking like the team he's had in mind since he joined, while Nemanja Matic has joined Jose's Giants from Chelsea. His new manager has fired a shot across the bows of Antonio Cont'. Dermot Corrigan joins us from Madrid to report on Cristiano Ronaldo's tax case. The World Player of the Year is charged with tax evasion and Dermot tells us there is lot at stake in the courtroom.And in the wake of the news that James Richardson is leaving the Guardian's Football Weekly, Ken confirms that he is happy, for now, at Second Captains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Joe Brolly told the Sunday Business Post yesterday that capitalism would kill the GAA. Football shows us a sport where the process is already far advanced. July gives you little actual football to distract from the business of money making, which the big clubs are doing on their summer tours. So today it's Neymar buying sneakers, and Jurgen Klopp talking about the price of butter. Sid Lowe joins us to talk about how the Neymar transfer talk is being received in Spain, and explains why the FA President, Angel Maria Villar, was arrested last week as part of a corruption investigation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rules of golf state that if you start a meltdown on the Sunday of a major, you continue that meltdown and lose the tournament. Jordan Spieth arrested an alarming decline yesterday with the gutsiest golf seen since the Tiger era. He has three majors but the question remains - is he Ice-Man or Maverick?Michael 'controversy follows me everywhere' Duignan has become a walking headline these last few weeks. He comes into studio to address criticism thrown at him by Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald. Plus Eoin Kelly joins us to assess Waterford's chances against Cork, and tries to understand the form-line of this confusing 2017 Tipp side.We demand answers from Oisin McConville, who tipped Donegal at the start of the season, and who keeps saying Mayo have to move on from points machine Andy Moran.Plus there's Euro 88 Mexican wave controversy, Ken on the mighty Dubs (if other counties just listened they might learn something), Shefflin's managerial career, and Cillian O'Connor's ideal transfer move. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken are talking about fake news. Ken confesses to a missed opportunity.Premier League teams are on pre-season tours, making money and trying to spend it. Liverpool can't get anyone to take their stinking money. Jose Mourinho has been impressed with Marcus Rashford's phenomenal upwards growth. News may be fake, but inches are real. We're joined by Rory Smith of the New York Times to talk about how football transfer stories were the original fake news.What is it about football that makes it the ideal environment for fake news to arise and spread? Does it tell us anything new about how the media really works? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winning comes easy to some people - and this weekend Roger Federer, and the footballers of Dublin and Tyrone, all burnished their credentials with crushing victories. Oisin McConville and Mike Quirke reflect on the Dubs' 7th consecutive Leinster championship win, as each new game brings another scoring master-class from a different member of their forward unit. They are somewhat less impressed by Tyrone who they feel still have a bit to go to challenge the reigning All-Ireland champions, but they had plenty in hand to take care of Down in yesterday's Ulster final. Post-prime Roger Federer might end up being one of the best players of all time, even if we leave aside his achievements in his ACTUAL prime - Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker joins us to talk about his 8th Wimbledon title, and Venus falling short at the last hurdle. Plus Murph alienates 75% of the country, Ken reflects on Jimmy Connors' late career, and we play some foul-mouthed Al Pacino. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wayne Rooney knows how to tug on Evertonian heartstrings. Romelu Lukaku perhaps a little less so. At least one of his new team-mates at Manchester United has a thing or two to teach him about farewell tribute messages.We consider the phenomenon of the viral signing confirmation announcement. Aston Villa have pushed the boat out for John Terry: having raised the bar, what can they do to welcome Glenn Whelan?James Corbett joins us to talk about the impressive business Everton have done so far this season. Are we seeing the emergence of a new Everton, or is their rich owner simply looking like a big spender by releasing the money generated by player sales?Plus there's football pranks and rugby japes, the Chelsea shop, the Everton song, things that make life worse and signing Stomrzy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cork are the Munster champions, and powered by a cohort of brilliant young players, the dip we've all been expecting as they adjusted to their new reality just hasn't arrived. We analyse the influence of Gary Keegan, former Irish boxing supremo, on Cork. We said a few weeks ago that there are 7 teams capable of winning the All-Ireland senior hurling championship this year - and with 6 teams left after this week, who was dumped out? Brian Cody's Kilkenny. Michael Duignan and Eoin Kelly talk us through it all. After 4 years of build-up, 8 weeks of frantic touring, and 3 brilliant tests, the Lions and the All Blacks shared the spoils on Saturday morning. Shane Horgan suggests the success of the Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton axis could be a lesson for how rugby is played. Plus there's the Peter Pan of Rossie pitch invasions, kissing your sister, and the future of brainy rugby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.