Second Captains

You had the Bodcast now you have Second Traptains. Eoin, Ken and Dion Fanning pick over the bones of the Trapattoni era... the highs, the lows, where it all went wrong, and what kind of manager the FAI should seek to hire now. Martin O'Neill has already emerged as the strong favourite to succeed Trap. Colin Young is the Daily Mail's correspondent in the north-east of England, and has covered the Republic of Ireland since 1999. He joins us for a closer look at O'Neill's time at Sunderland.

Trap is gone and Martin O'Neill is hot favourite to be his successor, but Ken and Eoin wonder would an older Roy Keane, in small (international window) doses, be the perfect man to lead the country once again. We talk about the demise of the NFL enforcer, the softening of America, and why European crowd noise is better than American crowd noise, with Brian Murphy. All this plus why success could change Mayo people, the catholic curse, why money is not the main issue in international management, an RTE TV PBESO, and how lighthouses were the cause of the downfall of the west of Ireland. Follow the show on twitter @secondcaptains, on Facebook.com/secondcaptains and send your emails to secondcaptains@irishtimes.com.

Eoin and Ken reflect on Ireland's defeat to Sweden in the winter of the Trapattoni regime. Robbie Keane says Ireland have never had a plan B, but does the current team even have a plan A? Emmet Malone gives us the latest from Vienna, while Jonathan Wilson looks ahead to Ukraine v England in Kiev, where Roy Hodgson is a win away from likely qualification, and a defeat away from likely elimination. And we talk to Michael Calvin about his book "The Nowhere Men" - a detailed look into the world of football scouting. Follow us on twitter @secondcaptains, on facebook.com/secondcaptains and email the show secondcaptains@irishtimes.com.

The Ireland Sweden game brought us all to our knees, but Sunday's final was the ultimate energiser. Dublin hurler Peter Kelly and author, journalist and Clare man Christy O'Connor try to put some sense on a frenetic game of hurling, and wonder what changes the managers will make ahead of the replay. It's a fresh start for Irish rugby this season with Joe Schmidt now in charge of the national side, and two new provincial coaches in place. We ask Eddie O'Sullivan and Trevor Hogan if this is Irish rugby's big chance to think big. All this plus tepid Murph, why Davy fitz needs Robbie Keane, wrestlemania, and Trap's dignified nonsense. Follow us on twitter @secondcaptains, on facebook.com/secondcaptains and email the show second captains@irishtimes.com.

Ireland v Sweden is the main event this week and Eoin and Ken have got the battle fever on. Emmet Malone and Brian Kerr join us for analysis of Trapattoni's selection. Meanwhile, Michel Platini is to the forefront of an attempt by some of football's leaders to change the world footballing calendar so Qatar can host the 2022 World Cup in winter. Philippe Auclair joins us to talk about whether the 2022 tournament is likely to go ahead in Qatar. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

Cork may be one of Hurling's 'Big 3' but when it comes to winning Munster and All-Ireland titles at underage recently, it's Clare that have all the pedigree. We talk to a man who has won it as a player and coach, Nicky English, along with six time winner Derek Lyng, and author, journalist and former Clare goalkeeper Christy O'Connor. Kieran McGeeney has been voted out of the Kildare job, to the disenchantment of his players - we ask his former selector Niall Carew if McGeeney needed to play the political game in order to achieve his aims with the county. The NFL season starts tonight - we ask US Murph if the concussion story has been tidily squared away or will fans now look at the sport, and the collisions, in a new light. All this plus kung-fu Zlatan, Murph's All-Ireland final livestock update, the rhythm of an international football week, and Ken reveals the truth behind Flipper's evil smile. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

After Arsene Wenger made fools of us all with the signing of a genuine galactico, Eoin and Ken consider the winners and losers on transfer deadline day. Ozil's arrival is great news for Arsenal but does his departure sour the atmosphere for Madrid's new record signing, Gareth Bale? Richie Sadlier on some of the dirty tricks a chairman can play at the last minute. Miguel Delaney analyses three months of frustrating fumbling in the market by Manchester United and Emmet Malone joins us from the Ireland camp to talk about the Irish involvement in deadline day and the integration into the national squad of Anthony Pilkington. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

When you’ve got a killer right hook, and no chin, you don’t really have much of an option but to come out swinging – so was that why we were treated to a game for the ages on Sunday in Croke Park? Anthony Moyles and Oisin McConville sift through the gold and look ahead to Mayo-Dublin and another potential classic in the final. Ireland’s top two cyclists have had contrasting experiences in the Vuelta Espana – Nicolas Roche won a stage, had the leader’s jersey and lies in third, whereas Daniel Martin suffered a race-ending crash in controversial circumstances. We talk to both of them. All this plus Leinster’s new coach Matt O’Connor on the challenges of taking over from Joe Schmidt, a gigantic Australian PBESO, deadline day horse-play and the fastest All Ireland pairing of all time. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

Eoin and Ken talk about the Champions League draw, the highlight of which was Gianni Infantino's jokes about sacking UEFA underlings. Graham Hunter joins us to talk about the agitated mood of Lionel Messi, and the temptations that lie in wait for Neymar. And Raphael Honigstein fills us in on how Guardiola's Bayern are shaping up ahead of Friday's Super Cup match against Chelsea Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

Dublin and Kerry meet in the second All-Ireland semi-final this weekend, and the marquee rivalry in the GAA has managed to survive 70 years of almost uninterrupted Kerry dominance. We discuss with Kerry legend Darragh O Se and the Irish Times’ Malachy Clerkin. US Murph tells us about the NFL’s control over the media, and why America's most popular sport isn't too big to fail, while acclaimed author and journalist David Epstein explains why Darragh O Se was always going to be a good footballer, and Daithi O Se was never going to cut it. His book “The Sports Gene” investigates why sports stars are as good as they are. All this plus Cluxton's kick-outs, cankles, an Andy Townsend Tactics Truck Pierce Brosnan Emigrant Shout Out (ATTT PBESO) and will Ireland ever win the Olympic marathon. Follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

In the latest Second Captains Football, Eoin and Ken talk Manchester United and Chelsea, 0-0 draws and club power with Richie Sadlier. Sid Lowe gives the latest from the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid's little Gareth Bale stage is not getting much action. Tim Vickery reveals the kind of insults fans chant in South America's rich man-poor man derbies. And Philip O'Connor reports from the Sweden squad announcement earlier today in Stockholm. Thankfully, there is not much talk about ants in this episode. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

Andy Moran was a sub in 2004 and 2006, and was on crutches watching on for last year's final against Donegal - this week he starts preparation for his fourth All-Ireland football final, this time hoping to play a full part as Mayo captain. He speaks to us today, while the best GAA analysts in the business, Anthony Moyles and Oisin McConville discuss how last Sunday could have been the perfect way to win a semi-final, and who Mayo can expect to play on September 22nd. And we talk about one of the greatest swindles of all time, involving the most-watched tennis game in history - the Battle of the Sexes, between business-man and gambler Bobby Riggs, and former great Billie Jean King. We've also got Kerry DNA, the Dublin virus, Arnie and Hercules, Jose's sacrifice and the 40 year secret. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains and on facebook.com/secondcaptains. Email the show at secondcaptains@irishtimes.com

Neymar's transfer to Barcelona was looking a bit risky, until Real Madrid's €110m pursuit of Gareth Bale. Are Real about to sign half the player for twice the price? Grant Wahl's Sports Illustrated cover story with Mario Balotelli makes Balotelli only the second foreign footballer, after David Beckham, to feature on the cover of America's sports weekly since 1994. Even Lionel Messi never made the SI cover, and Grant tells us why. James Horncastle previews the Serie A season, which kicks off this weekend with Juventus odds-on favourites to win their third title in a row. And Dermot Corrigan joins us from Madrid to talk about Messi's awkward relationship with David Villa and why Real Madrid want Gareth Bale so much. All on today's Second Captains Football. Download it here, follow the lads on twitter @SecondCaptains, facebook.com/secondcaptains and email the show at SecondCaptains@irishtimes.com

In 2012 it looked like Jim McGuinness was a once in a generation genius, but this year James Horan is on track to achieve something just as outrageous. Oisin McConville and Anthony Moyles tell Mayo fans that this time round history doesn't matter. According to Brian Murphy the only things Americans hate more than a cheat, is a cheating rat - step up Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. We've also got Maria Sharapova's sugar rush, bench clearing brawls, Bale lunacy, a special corporate America PBESO and Eoin McDevitt's secret formula for All Ireland success. Follow us on twitter @SecondCaptains, on facebook.com/secondcaptains and email the show SecondCaptains@irishtimes.com.

Rio Ferdinand hit back at the critics after Manchester United's thrashing of Swansea - will Richie Sadlier be forced to eat his words? Tor-Kristian Karlsen and Jonathan Wilson analyse Arsenal's transfer paralysis, while nominating some examples of clubs they think DO understand how to play the market, and James Corbett tries to figure out why Manchester United keep coming back to Everton with identical bids for Leighton Baines. All on this week's Second Captains Football. Contact us on twitter @SecondCaptains, email the show SecondCaptains@Irishtimes.com and follow us on facebook.com/secondcaptains.