Second Captains

In football nothing lasts forever, neither grudges, nor coaching mind-melds. Over the weekend Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho posed for a friendly picture on the sideline at Old Trafford, while Zeljko Buvac, Jurgen Klopp's "Brain", surprisingly left his role at Anfield - at least for now - on the eve of the Champions League semi-final second-leg.Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri is also clinging to the line that nothing lasts forever because it seems that Juventus' domination of Serie A is an exception. After an astonishing, yet also grimly predictable weekend of results, it sounds as though everyone involved in Italian football could do with a break to cool down.Kieran Canning joins us to discuss the state of the Old Firm rivalry. Is it possible to enjoy winning a one-horse race over and over again? Have Rangers fans learned to laugh at themselves? And can Steven Gerrard turn things around at Ibrox? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leinster marched imperiously through to a first European Rugby Cup final since 2012 on Saturday, but Munster failed to complete the Irish double after a massively disappointing semi-final defeat to Racing 92 in Bordeaux yesterday - European Cup winners Shane Horgan and Barry Murphy assess the weekend's action.Are Munster just not good enough, or was Sunday a case of some really poor individual performances? Whatever the reason, it was a desperately disappointing display, and a sixth straight semi-final defeat since their last final appearance in 2008.Leinster on the other hand were exceptional against the Scarlets, and are now firm favourites to win a fourth European Cup. We analyse just how effectively they utilise all the various weapons at their disposal.Plus there's Scott Quinnell, Ken's travelling travails, bums in dressing-rooms, Simon gives James Ryan some gym advice, and fans give themselves a well-deserved pat on the back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a good weekend for Mo Salah, Ander Herrera, Olivier Giroud and Napoli, and a bad one for Shane Long, Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Mauricio Pochettino.We discuss the weekend of glowing tributes to Arsene Wenger, and what they have tended to leave out. What kind of manager should Arsenal go for after Arsene?John Brewin joins us to discuss Wenger's remarks after yesterday's match expressing disappointment with the failure of Arsenal fans to portray an appropriate image of unity to the club's global fanbase. Might this suggest that Wenger is somewhat... out of touch?And we talk to Jack Pitt-Brooke about whether Spurs can be said to have bottled the Cup semi-final against Manchester United. And what are we to make of Mauricio Pochettino's repeated references to "another coaching staff" possibly being at Spurs in the not-too-distant future? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Manchester City have won the league and sponsors Etisalat have saluted the achievement with one of the great football videos.We comb through the many "How City Did It" stories in today's papers and talk to Howard Hockin of the 93:20 podcast. When Pep asks his players a question, is he always expecting an answer? And if setting a points record would not necessarily be enough to establish City as the best Premier League team of all time, then which team deserves that distinction?Jose Mourinho gave Paul Pogba another rocket after Manchester United lost 1-0 to West Brom. Can the two of them afford to take the chance that everything will work itself out in their third season together? Plus there's Pep's refusal to compromise, I am Gigi Buffon, Rafa madness, Salah days, and where should the Player of the Year award end up? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was Eoin McDevitt's birthday last week, and since he's not on Facebook, we all obviously neglected to get him anything. So it is no coincidence that today, our entire pod is dedicated to the life and work of the Eighth Wonder of the World, and li'l Eoin's favourite wrestler. "Andre The Giant" is the subject and the title of a brilliant new HBO documentary, and we speak to the show's producer Matt Maxson about Andre's amazing life, his Olympian drinking, his deep-rooted unhappiness, and the gilded cage that his gigantic frame came to represent. We also discuss the best two weeks of Conor Murray's life, the funniest book of all time, and Eoin's favourite Samuel Beckett story.... Happy Eoin McDevitt Day everyone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Patrick Reed won his first major title last night at the US Masters, seeing off a seriously off-colour Rory McIlroy, and rather more serious challenges from his American compatriots Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth. But why does everyone dislike him so much?Golf writer Lawrence Donegan joins us to explain the complicated backstory, from allegations of cheating during college, to arrests, arrogance and family drama.Michael Duignan said in February that Kilkenny wouldn't win another All-Ireland under Brian Cody - Michael is in studio today wondering if he might live to regret that remark. We look back on their crushing league final win over Tipperary yesterday.Plus there's another year of Masters betting woes, Rory's caddy, and a few bars of Ken's favourite song to swim along to... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As one bald fraud to another, Eoin McDevitt has pity for Pep's pain. Saturday was a good day for the Hairy Man, who heaped indignity upon the Smooth Man. Is there still hope of redemption for City after their nightmare week?As for the matchwinner Paul Pogba, where has this player been until now? And can we expect to see more of him in the future?We analyse the game with Jonathan Wilson: why have Pep's teams developed this unfortunate habit of conceding several goals in several minutes?And Kieran Canning reports on City's mood from their pre-Champions League press conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So it's never happened before, but after this weekend a first Munster-Leinster European Rugby Cup final is looking perhaps more likely than at any previous stage in this competition's history.Matt Williams and Gerry Thornley talk us through Leinster and Munster's thrilling wins over Saracens and Toulon, who between them had shared the last 5 titles. From Andrew Conway's miracle run, to Dan Leavy's almost supernatural performance in the back-row, it was an exceptional weekend of Irish rugby.Oisin McConville is in studio to tell us how Dublin have managed to keep the show running despite blooding another batch of young players, and we all think it's time we started to take Galway seriously as contenders.Plus there's Dele Alli's Renaissance painting, not being able to hit your driver, and Conor Murray in the boardroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**NOTE: Our members have requested that this podcast be made free-to-air and we're happy to do so. This was initially a World Service members-only show broadcasted first on 29th of March 2018. The podcast was re-published for all today, the 30th of March. For independent, member-led journalism like this in the future, please join the Second Captains World Service. Enjoy the show and thanks to all our members as always for their support.**The 'not guilty' verdicts in the Belfast rape trial yesterday sent shockwaves across the country. It was described on national television last night as 'one of the most high profile trials in the history of this island', and today we discuss the fall-out from it, and the lessons sport - and wider society - can learn.Sinead O’Carroll of thejournal.ie and Richie Sadlier are in studio to discuss the privilege of sportsmen, and their attitudes to women. Is the dressing room a breeding ground for toxic masculinity?And we ask what can be done to educate young people, particularly young men, about sex and sexual consent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mayo needed a win or a draw against Donegal in Ballybofey yesterday, and by hook or by crook, a draw is what they got.We talk to Footballer Of The Year Andy Moran about Kevin McLoughlin's wonder point to save their bacon, why their league form has been so patchy, and what we can do to get cynicism in the final moments of a game out of the sport for good.We also speak to Michael Duignan and Malachy Clerkin about the weekend's hurling, which saw Wexford inflict a first defeat in knockout hurling since 2016 on Galway, and Pat Gilroy's Dublin endure another long day of learning at the hands of Tipperary in Croke Park.Plus there's Ken Loach's views on a united Ireland, human fallibility, and Ken (Early) vows to track down the missing Lord of Ana Livia, Diarmuid Connolly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An international football weekend with almost no international football on the actual weekend means that today we are forced to discuss whether rugby really is the heartbeat of the race, as some rugby pundits compulsively insist after every big rugby victory.If the oval ball game has displaced all other sports in the affections of the people, why do Irish viewers prefer Mrs. Brown's Boys?After we speak about some of the international action, Emmet Malone joins us to talk about Declan Rice's impressive international debut and ponder whether he really is locked down for the team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are you waiting for? Go and listen to this interview on the Second Captains World Service. Join us at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For just the third time in our history, Ireland are 6 Nations Grand Slam champions. And this one was in a style that brooked no argument - from the moment Le Drop found it's way over the crossbar in Paris Ireland were the best team in the championship, accomplished front-runners, comfortable wearers of the favourites' tag and worthy champions.Sean Cronin gave us that image of a bruised and beaten Mike Brown sitting on the Twickenham turf with three minutes to go - a fine, last-ditch tackle extinguishing the last faint hope of an English comeback, and Sean joins us on the show to tell us about his worst ever bout of pre-match nerves, post-match joy and meeting Shane Ross.And Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley are on hand again to salute this fine Irish team, smokin’ Joe Schmidt, and talk about why the 2009 Grand Slam was the end of a journey, and this year can be the start of one.Plus there’s Tadhg the magnificent, Jacob and the young un’s, how to Borg the All Blacks, why Le Drop is different to every other moment in Irish sports history, and have Ireland outgrown European rugby… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many managers have spoken about the risks of criticising players in public. The players know when they've messed it up, they say. No need to labour the point, they say. Keep the criticism behind closed doors, they say.As his treatment of Luke Shaw demonstrates, Jose Mourinho takes a different view. But why? Is there a higher purpose to this, beyond making it clear that certain squad members will be available this summer at a discount price?Jonathan Wilson joins us to analyse Mohamed Salah's sensational form. Why should many wide forwards now be scoring more goals than orthodox strikers? What does the ideal false nine look like? And now that Liverpool's attacking set-up is paying off so brilliantly, will other clubs copy the template? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that's a week on the Second Captains World Service. Join us at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our fifth birthday, and it's celebrations all-round as we begin a massive week for the Irish rugby rugby team this Monday afternoon.Ireland are 4 wins from 4 games, scoring 17 tries in the process, and are now just a win in Twickenham away from a third Grand Slam in our history - so why are there still a few lingering questions surrounding our style?We talk to Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley about the room for improvement still in this Irish team, the difference between peace-time rugby and war-time rugby, and why 3 Championships in 5 years might be more satisfying than a one-off Grand Slam.Whatever about the lingering issues in Irish minds, the English team appear to be unravelling in a cycle of negativity, tiredness on the field, and excuses off it - is the Eddie Jones honeymoon well and truly over? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the fifth birthday of Second Captains and we'll be bringing you some special interviews over the next month to mark the occasion - But first Eoin wants to know whether Ken is going to give Jose Mourinho the credit he deserves after a trademark tactical masterclass saw Manchester United crush Liverpool. Some LFC fans were spitting venom afterwards, others spitting mere saliva.Meanwhile things have got extremely shambolic at West Ham United, where the crowd apparently caught in five minds over whether to cheer, boo, invade the pitch, fight or throw coins at the owners, decided to do all five.Alastair Campbell has published a Troubles-themed thriller set in the world of 1970s football. We're joined in studio by Seamas O'Reilly, the world's foremost authority on the novels of Steve Bruce, to see if Campbell's book is any better than Bruce's. We also discuss what Seamas made of Michael O'Neill's comments on the FAI pursuing Irish internationals born north of the border. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Big Snow of 2018 is over, and after a weekend of sport denuded by the weather, we still have plenty to chew on this Monday afternoon.Team Sky, David Brailsford and Bradley Wiggins stand indicted again after the release of a report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select parliamentary committee which outlines how Team Sky gamed the anti-doping rules to help their riders.Jeremy Whittle of The Times joins us to talk about the reputational damage done to everyone involved in Team Sky on the back of this damning report.Jim Hamilton was on the last Scottish team to win in Dublin, in 2010, and he talks to us about Scotland's woeful away form, Ireland's imposing home form, and why that doesn't necessarily mean this Saturday is a foregone conclusion.Plus there's smoking guns, the team GB tide of public opinion, and Mumford and Sons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MY lapel badge is apolitical. YOUR lapel badge is a political statement. The FA chief executive Martin Glenn has already apologised for appearing to bracket the Star of David as an offensive symbol alongside the emblems of ISIS and Nazi Germany, but was some kind of mess inevitable given the FA's confused policy on what is and isn't a political symbol?It feels as though the Premier League is falling out of love with Antonio Conte. The Chelsea manager has been accused of a "crime against football" by Jamie Redknapp for setting up in a 5-5-0 formation at Eastlands. Is there any sense in which Conte deserves this?Once again we turn our attention to the rotting carcass of Arsenal. Is Rio Ferdinand correct that this is the worst Arsenal team of his lifetime, or is it time to give Glenn Murray the credit he deserves?Miguel Delaney joins us to analyse the fallout from City v Chelsea. Is there a pattern to Gary Neville's occasional splenetic outbursts when he disapproves of a team's performance? And what do Pep's employers think of his ribbon stance? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland are three games in, and are still on course for a Grand Slam. And after another hugely enjoyable weekend of Six Nations rugby, certainly the championship appears well within our grasp.Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley talk us through Ireland's roller-coaster 37-27 win over Wales, with plenty of errors as well as sparkling, physical rugby to consider. And with James Ryan, Jacob Stockdale and Chris Farrell all starring, we consider what might be one of Ireland's biggest ever lineups.We talk to Tom English of BBC Scotland about that wonderful win for the home team in Murrayfield that leaves us within touching distance of securing the championship with a weekend to spare, and we also discuss Eoin Doyle's sending off for Kildare... for not wearing a gum shield. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken's absence last week has led some listeners to wonder whether an automated Ken-3000 replacement could be commissioned to cover future time off, remixing and replaying the vast library of past Jose Mourinho commentary. Ken adds some new clips to the algorithm's memory cache with a dramatic U-turn.Chelsea are now struggling to get back into the race for Champions League qualification. Has Antonio Conte forgotten that motivation is about more than simply telling your players what to do?Does Scott McTominay have the potential to be a fixture in the Manchester United team? Is there anything new to say about Arsenal? And how will the yellow ribbon stand-off between Pep Guardiola and the FA play out? Jonathan Wilson and John Brewin join us to analyse.Meanwhile Diego Torres' reports on the goings-on at PSG have assumed the same place in the culture as Dallas occupied in the 80s. We crank his latest despatch through Google Translate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richie Sadlier joins Eoin and Murph in studio to talk about how football management can be an emotional business. When Ipswich took the lead against local rivals Norwich on Saturday, Mick McCarthy couldn't resist having a go at his own fans.Is there ever a right time to shoot back at the same people who have been criticising you for months? On reflection, probably not... but it doesn't mean it doesn't feel really good while you're doing it. We also praise the job Chris Hughton is doing as he leads Brighton to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and analyse his potential to be the next Ireland manager.Plus Sid Lowe joins us to wax lyrical about Andres Iniesta before he returns to Stamford Bridge, the site of his favourite goal-not-scored-in-the-World-Cup-final goal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without the burden of knowledge or insight, and freed from the pressure of expectation of Irish medals, the 2018 Winter Olympics has been a non-stop fun-a-thon in Second Captains HQ.Sinead O'Carroll, news editor with The Journal, told us on the World Service ten days ago why she spurns sleep in order to follow the Games, and she's in studio today to talk over all the hurt, heartbreak and heroics.If your sole focus is winning the All-Ireland, is it okay to throw your hat at the league? That's the question we ask Michael Duignan, as Waterford lost their third game in a row on Sunday. Clare are a study in contrast, and he picks one county out as a team that could win the league, and use it as a springboard for success in the summer.Plus there's Murph's biased local commentary experience, and the spectacle of watching an athlete go through the entire span of human emotional experience on television. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland remain on track for the Grand Slam after their fully-expected 56-19 win over Italy, but what happened that we didn't expect? Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley give us their thoughts on week 2 of this year's Six Nations championship.Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw going down injured certainly wasn't in the play-book, and the expected stern Italian resistance for the first 60 minutes didn't materialise either.We also didn't see the impact of the Irish bench that we expected, but is that to be expected when the game is over after 20 minutes? We also salute Owen Farrell's almost perfect performance for England, rate the threat posed by doughty Wales, and discuss why the relationship between the IRFU and the Irish media appears to be at an all-time low.Plus - Eoin explains why he loves Keith Earls, Simon has an idea for livening up Ireland/Italy games, and we salute our skating-to-work Dutch listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was an amazing weekend for the King of the Golf but a bad one for Chris Smalling who finds himself serving as the Manchester United 'Pinata of the Week'.Jose Mourinho debuted a new magnanimous personality at St. James' Park but there is one person on whom the sunbeams of his warmth do not fall: his superstar midfielder Paul Pogba. Hooked twice in less than two weeks with United losing: is this war?Meanwhile Antonio Conte has explained that he is a victim of his own success at Chelsea: the club don't cooperate on transfers because he is too good at working with the players he already has.Jonathan Wilson joins us to discuss the North London derby, and the increasing hostility between football clubs and the journalists who the clubs have increasingly come to see as competitors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special World Service episode that we feel everyone should hear so we've made it available to all.World Service members will be familiar with our recent coverage of the extraordinary events in a Michigan courtroom, where the victims of ex-USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar finally had the opportunity to stand up to their abuser in court.It’s the sort of justice that’s long been denied to the alleged victims of George Gibney, the ex-Ireland swimming coach.It’s almost 25 years since Gibney was charged with 27 counts of indecent assault and carnal knowledge of young swimmers. Those charges were later quashed, Gibney moved to America, and he’s remained there ever since, but new information has emerged that has resulted in a fresh push for justice.It’s a push being led by Maureen O’Sullivan TD who joined us on the show today, along with the Sunday Times journalist Justine McCarthy, author of Deep Deception: Ireland’s Swimming Scandals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday, after Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Newcastle, Roy Hodgson laid down some truth...With Roy's words in mind, we try to spend as little of today's show as possible discussing the penalty decisions at Anfield, as some other things happened besides. ('As little of today's show as possible' still equals a lot of time discussing those decisions).Rory Smith of the New York Times joins us to talk about touchline misconduct, and whether Liverpool currently have much to offer beyond the sensational goalscoring form of their top man Mohamed Salah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ken give you a rundown on what you missed on the world service this week with some help from US Murph, Shane Horgan, Matt Williams, Millie and Gareth Edwards.Join now at secondcaptains.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The National Leagues are back, and first-day drama came mostly from Killarney, where Kerry pulled out a dramatic last-minute win against Donegal with a team full of fresh-faced young guns. Micheal Quirke and Oisin McConville are back in tandem to talk us through the major issues, including teams that are jaded in January, footballers who have over-dosed on the weights this winter, and the Dubs getting back in the swing. Roger Federer won the Australian Open on Sunday so we talk to the AMAZING Luke Jensen of ESPN about why he still holds the whip hand over tennis' bright young things.Plus there's Michael Lyster, Ken's theory as to why all our best current sportspeople are the best sportspeople there will EVER be, and we debut an exciting and mean-spirited new slot called "Shame The Spongers". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A growing number of Manchester United fans are peeved that Pep is getting a pass from the lamestream media despite his increasingly histrionic touchline behaviour. Does the City boss deserve condemnation for his latest display at Cardiff over the weekend?A terrific game at Anfield was overshadowed by controversy over VAR. We try to unpick the problems with a system that puts all the responsibility for calling in video replays on the referees themselves.Raphael Honigstein joins us to analyse Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's move to Arsenal. Is Dortmund's buy-young sell-young business model compatible with a successful club culture? And what can we learn from the German experience with VAR?Plus there’s FA Cup tropes, Roy’s ticket, Germany’s appeal and being Neil Warnock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Marco Silva, recently the most in-demand coach in the Premier League, finds himself suddenly out of a job. He showed no loyalty. But given that loyalty is not part of Watford's short-termist managerial model, do they have any right to demand it? Meanwhile, the struggle for control of Newcastle United is being played out in the media. How convincing a case is Amanda Staveley making that now is the time for Mike Ashley to hand over the keys to the club?Jonathan Wilson joins us to analyse the Sanchez-Mkhitaryan swap and how this looks like one of those happy deals where everybody comes out of it feeling like a winner.And we talk to Stephane Uersfeld about Arsenal's next potential signing, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His relationship with Dortmund has broken down and some reports in Germany are suggesting he is dressing-room poison - but his performances on the pitch over the last few years suggest he could be the sort of signing who could transform Arsenal's prospects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken remains in the midst of a cigarette crisis. To calm him, we asked someone to rob his bike and invited Eamon Dunphy into studio to debate him. Then, we asked him to jump in a fake shower with Murph to record a promo for the Dunphy v Ken extravaganza. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster might be kicking themselves after losing narrowly in Paris to Racing 92, but going into the last weekend of the European Rugby Champions Cup pool stages our 3 provinces all lead their pools. Gordon D'Arcy and Shane Horgan look back over another positive weekend of results, and talk about what we can learn from the Gerbrandt Grobler controversy, as the South African lock previously banned for 2 years for PED use made his Munster 'A' debut.And as Meath emerge victorious in the GAA's first free-kick shoot-out in the O'Byrne Cup semi-final yesterday, we get the reaction of Longford superstar Michael Quinn to the latest in-game innovation, and we all ask the same question - why not penalties? Ken has his own answer to that, plus we evaluate the free-taking ability of Chris Rock, Dean Rock and Kid Rock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A seven-goal thriller full of fantastic football and moments of sublime skill executed at blistering speed. And no mind-games, insults or bad feeling - just mutual respect and appreciation. Has Liverpool v Manchester City emerged as the Clasico of the Premier League? Jurgen Klopp's team aren't contenders to win the Premier League but they showed the rest of the league that when it comes to playing City, who dares might just win.Meanwhile Paul Lambert has taken over at Stoke City, meaning that Martin O'Neill is set to carry on with Ireland a while longer.We discuss Der Spiegel's latest eye-watering report on Lionel Messi's financial affairs.Dion Fanning joins us to analyse what's happening with O'Neill and look back on that classic at Anfield.And Sid Lowe explains what is going wrong at Real Madrid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jump in with Eoin, Murph and Roy Keane for some of the week's highlights on the Second Captains World Service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philippe Coutinho has joined Barcelona, as expected, but why did the Spanish club make it happen now instead of waiting until the summer? Meanwhile today is a historic day for English football, which is introducing Video Assistant Refereeing for the first time in tonight's FA Cup match, but the way they are doing it looks all wrong to Ken. Gabriele Marcotti joins us to talk about why Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte seem to loathe each other so much.And Dermot Corrigan tells us how excited, or otherwise, Barcelona are to have signed Philippe Coutinho. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Jordan Larmour hype train has officially left the station and is picking up speed, and heading towards the 6 Nations. After his wonder-try against Munster at Thomond Park, Leinster's latest superstar-in-waiting scored twice against Ulster to finish off this round of interpro's in style.Eoin Reddan and Gerry Thornley try and come up with one good reason why Larmour shouldn't feature for Ireland this spring, what sort of Joe Schmidt game plan he would fit into, and why Munster have their toughest test of the season coming up in Paris this weekend.There's also old man Bob Henshaw, how La Rochelle have changed the game, the doomed Simon Hick-Tom Brady partnership, and our scumbag of the week poses an important philosophical question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year everybody! And to ring in 2018, it’s time for one last look at one of the highlights of 2017. Recorded live at Langton’s Ballroom in Kilkenny City for the Kilkenny Cat Laughs comedy festival, here’s our chat with two of Ireland’s greatest comedians Dara Ó Briain and David O’Doherty. Previously only for fully subscribed members, we present it here to the general public, as an indication of the sort of crazy nonsense that goes on behind that beautiful World Service curtain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester City have been making all the other Premier League teams look very ordinary, but how should we feel about the corporate empire that underpins their glorious football? Can we consider the football separately from what lies beneath?We discuss Ferran Soriano’s global vision as detailed to the Guardian’s Giles Tremlett. Is it a vision the rest of us can feel comfortable with?Human rights researcher Nick McGeehan joins us on the line to talk more about the power behind Guardiola’s throne.We also talk about a stunning racial gaffe by Antoine Griezmann, Ederson’s passing ability, and Mark Hughes’ blue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the second time in a week, all 4 Irish provinces were victorious in Europe - Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley give us plenty of reasons to be cheerful heading into the interprovincial games over the Christmas. Munster capitalised on Leicester indiscipline, while Leinster gutted it out to wear down Exeter in a thriller in the Aviva on Saturday evening. Throw in Ulster's try-fest on Friday, and it was a very satisfying couple of days all round. Ronan Sweeney scored the goal that kick-started an unbelievable comeback for Moorefield in the Leinster club football final yesterday, and he joins us too. Plus there's the Dubs getting shafted, disgruntled club players exacting revenge on innocent inter-county selectors, and the BBC's Mo Farah / Chris Froome problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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It was billed as a classic battle across the Irish Sea, but when three Irish provinces took on the best from the Premiership, the result was 3-0 Ireland. Leinster took care of Premiership champions Exeter on the south-west coast of England, Ulster beat Harlequins in London, and Munster hammered Leicester in Limerick. Gordon Darcy and Shane Horgan are on hand to pick apart a wildly successful weekend for the Irish teams, including what Matt O'Connor the Leicester coach might have learned from Jose Mourinho, why Ulster blow so hot and cold, and why this doesn't necessarily rank among Leinster's best ever European performances. Plus there's the enduring allure of snow games in the NFL, the importance of the vibes man in dressing room lore, Peter O'Mahony pulling rank, and 'curse o'clock'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester City ended Jose Mourinho's hopes of establishing a new unbeaten home record for Manchester United by establishing their own new Premier League record for 14 consecutive league wins in the same season.Was this, as Mourinho suggested, all the fault of referee Michael Oliver, or have City proved beyond doubt that poets do win titles? Are we looking at a second half of the season in which the main interest is derived from waiting to see which one of the Premier League supermanagers trailing in City's wake is first to go into full-on meltdown?Rory Smith of the New York Times joins us to discuss the Manchester derby.And Kieran Canning speaks to us from Madrid to talk about the reaction in Spain to the Champions League draw. Plus there's Klopp's fuse, ace time wasters, the tunnel incident, and Morbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's European Champions Cup week, and after a barnstorming debut from Leinster's new signing James Lowe and the return from injury of Garry Ringrose, the options ahead of their big match against Exeter ‘Moneyball' Chiefs look impressive. Meanwhile, the dark clouds around Peter O'Mahony's future at Thomond Park are casting a shadow down south - we ask Gerry Thornley how the IRFU factor charisma into their balance sheet. Tiger Woods is back, and he looks happy, he looks relaxed... and he looks like a pretty good golfer. After a solid mid-table finish in a high-class field in the Bahamas on Sunday, Lawrence Donegan tells us where the ceiling is for this latest, re-modelled version of Tiger, and how it might have been the best swing he's seen from him since 2007. There's a welcome, much-sought-after return for David Attenborough analogies, the chipping yips, and playing GAA in the gloom of a December afternoon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Cup draw went ahead without Ireland and FIFA President Gianni Infantino left nobody in any doubt that he finds Vladimir Putin very, very funny.Meanwhile, a busy Premier League weekend featured managers learning on the job, Big Sam and Marco Silva already going toe to toe, and an extraordinary admission from former giant of the refereeing scene, Mark Clattenburg.We are joined by Jonathan Wilson and John Brewin to assess the games involving the Manchester clubs ahead of next weekend's derby. Is Mesut Özil, who ran the show at the Emirates, potentially the final piece of Jose's jigsaw?Plus there’s Emre Can the Greman man, Klopp’s updated outdated ideas, the battle of Stamford Bridge and Christmas present “inspo”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin and Ciaran realise that Ken, who has until now concealed a violent past, is not the man they thought he was. Meanwhile World Service listeners take Ken to task for spreading fake news about Lionel Messi. We discuss the best-paid teams in world sport and how Mohamed Salah is a new species in football: the fox outside the box. Simon Hughes joins us to discuss Everton's increasingly desperate manager hunt. Is Big Sam the big man the good burghers of Goodison are crying out for? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The November series ended on Saturday with 3 Irish wins from 3 games, as Ireland saw off Argentina 28-19 to complement the wins over South Africa and Fiji. But in the absence of a truly hard-fought win over top-level opposition, we're left to wonder just how much we learnt from the month. Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie run the rule over Jacob Stockdale, another explosive Irish winger with possibly a big career ahead of him, as well as the rest of the players who took a step forward, including Rob Kearney who stormed back into form against the Argentinians. Paul Kerrigan has had a tough couple of years with Cork, but he had a great day yesterday as his club Nemo Rangers won their 16th Munster title, beating All-Ireland champions Dr. Crokes of Killarney. He talks to us about being underdogs, using your history, and support from other Cork clubs. Plus there's Murph swearing like a sailor, headbutts, and being afraid of the Scots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.