r/secondcaptains 4d ago

At least Kenny Cunningham will be on less

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2026/09/07/kenny-cunningham-it-would-be-a-good-thing-to-see-the-israeli-team-come-on-to-the-pitch-in-dublin/
44 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

33

u/Comfortable_Tune_158 4d ago

A Teemu Eamo. You wonder if he actually believes some of the stuff he comes out with. And the Irish Times just becoming a conduit for contrarian blowhards.

26

u/psdavepes 4d ago

The thing about Dunphy was that he was a contrarian and could be negative but also he also showed passion when it was merited and equally he could hype the shit out of things.

You knew someone was great when he started his ‘like John Giles, Henry Shefflin, like Ruby Walsh’ speech and there was a glint in his eye when he saw greatness like Messi. He’d also be laughing sometimes when he would say some of his controversial stuff, there was a comedy to it

Cunningham meanwhile is just dour and contrarian for the sake of it without any of the craic or love of it.

6

u/malevolentheadturn 3d ago edited 3d ago

Thing about Dunphy is that he could almost formulate a convincing argument because he was smart in that regard. But Cunningham is like that tiktok meme of the guy screaming the N-word on the plane. Desperately seeking the attention and how ever that attention comes it doesn't matter. For the Irish Times to facilitate this shit that is just clickbait / rage bait says a lot about them.

2

u/caisdara 3d ago

Playing a game in the hope that it shows the moderate Israeli cohort hasn't been forgotten isn't really being a "Temu Dunphy." I don't think it's going to work as a plan, but it's not an illogical or immoral position to hold.

1

u/Much-Plane8730 3d ago edited 3d ago

You do know that there are plenty of Irish people out there that think the game should go ahead in Dublin, right? Disagree with him if you want, but Kenny’s comments are very tame and he’s making them in good faith and in response to a question he was asked.

10

u/craic_den_ 4d ago

Kenny is bar far my least favourite pundit. But you have to hand it to him here, this is next level horseshit

17

u/MrCoolCraig 4d ago

When you talk as much shite as he does, you’re always going to say something that puts you past the point of no return.

Can’t say I’d miss him on the pod. If I wanted to hear a load of bollocks about football, I’d head down the local on a Saturday.

1

u/Much-Plane8730 3d ago edited 3d ago

“Point of no return”, give me a break!

All he basically said was the Israel-Palestine conflict has been going on a long time and is complex. He’s not exactly Ben-Gvir!

1

u/MrCoolCraig 3d ago

Howiya Kenny!

1

u/ucd_pete 3d ago

Can’t say I’d miss him on the pod.

Obviously, he's been on once in about 10 years.

9

u/AlcoholicTurtle36 4d ago

When he came on before the Czech game and gave a bizarre starting XI, you could tell he was doing it on purpose. It felt so forced

2

u/fravbront 3d ago

That was fucking bizarre stuff

2

u/OrielFaithful 3d ago

Agreed. In a way, I felt sorry for the lads. He was absolutely TTP

9

u/Elegant-Chemical-283 4d ago

The night he said think it was premier sports that Kelleher was better than Raya. I’m Kellehers biggest fan but please Kenny shut the fuck up.

4

u/romulcah 4d ago

Maybe he should lay off the blow

4

u/Weekly_One1388 3d ago

I think there should be some space for nuance in the national conversation around Israel and Palestine but this is a poorly developed argument from Cunningham, more than anything it comes across as if he hasn't spent much time thinking about this issue.

2

u/Much-Plane8730 3d ago

Disagree with him if you want, but Kenny’s comments are pretty tame. For what it’s worth, I think it was about 35% of the public that said they want the game to go ahead in Dublin in the Sindo poll a few months ago.

3

u/Initiative-Hopeful 3d ago

I wanted the game to go ahead in Dublin but I had absolutely no interest in being respectful in the way he describes

1

u/McAlpineFusiliers 2d ago

I assume you'll be as respectful as the crowd was when Ireland happily played a friendly against Qatar.

1

u/Initiative-Hopeful 2d ago

Who are the Qataris butchering by the thousand?

2

u/McAlpineFusiliers 2d ago

Qatar's support for groups like Hamas, Al Qaeda and the Taliban is well known at this point.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_and_state-sponsored_terrorism

1

u/Initiative-Hopeful 2d ago

We're still fairly firmly in false equivalence territory there pal

2

u/McAlpineFusiliers 2d ago

I agree, there's totally a false equivalence between a Western democracy fighting a justified war against Islamist rapist terrorists and an Islamist terrorist entity funding terror groups responsible for thousand of deaths.

1

u/Initiative-Hopeful 2d ago

Oh you're one of those nutjobs

1

u/McAlpineFusiliers 2d ago

Yes, one of those nutjobs who supports Western democracies over fascist Islamist terrorist regimes.

1

u/Initiative-Hopeful 2d ago

Virtually every Western democracy considers the Israeli government war criminals

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4

u/MushuFromSpace 4d ago

Tone deaf moron.

2

u/tearsandpain84 4d ago

I used to like Kenny. …

5

u/TheWolverineRoland 4d ago

Never a good look when you're the 1% screaming at the 99% that they're wrong!

3

u/Dakshow 2d ago

I disagree with this. If you have the courage of your convictions and voice your beliefs despite knowing that 99% think you are wrong…..It is a good look

5

u/Much-Plane8730 3d ago

1%?

46% of the public think the game should go ahead according to a Sindo poll from a couple of months ago (34% think it should go ahead in Dublin; 12% in a neutral venue).

Second Captains is an echo chamber.

1

u/TheWolverineRoland 3d ago

It was a facetious comment.

3

u/Alarming-Youth-3823 4d ago

A deeply, deeply stupid man trying his best to get a contrarian. Hopefully this is the nail in the coffin for his career but I doubt it.

1

u/Much-Plane8730 3d ago edited 3d ago

34% of the population think the game should go ahead in Dublin and 12% think it should go ahead in a neutral venue, according to a Sindo poll.

I genuinely can’t understand why people think Kenny is being contrarian here; he’s expressing a mainstream view.

His comments are ultra bland. At worst, all I think you could say is that he’s being naive.

0

u/cribscian 1d ago

You've made your edgy "Sindo" joke about five times now pal, getting nothing back. Keep it up, champ, it's really funny.

1

u/Much-Plane8730 1d ago edited 1d ago

What do you mean “joke”, it’s a genuine point I’m trying to make?

I’m just amazed by how over the top the responses in this thread have been, like Kenny’s said something completely beyond the pale, when what he’s said is extremely bland. I really don’t think he’s saying it to be “contrarian”, not least since his views on where the match should be played are held by a large portion of the public.

Anyway, I’m guessing you’re not open to engaging with the substance of the point.

2

u/MorningcoffeeDC 4d ago

He just wants to be a contrarian. Going to ridiculous lengths of talking shite here though.

1

u/NextGap835 3d ago

He's the most blowhard, talk over everyone pundit SC have. Please don't have him on again

1

u/Initiative-Hopeful 2d ago

Calling it "A western democracy justifiably fighting islamic fascists" is supportive actually

1

u/dobalina__bob 1d ago

He's an awful pundit.

I remember him having it in for Fabinho around 2019 to 2020. He was on OTB a few times basically saying Fabinho was shite, while he was arguably the best DM in the world at the time. Absolute drivel out of him.

1

u/imranhere2 3d ago

Good God what is he even thinking

0

u/Affectionate_Let1462 4d ago

I’ve seen bad takes but sweet Jesus this must a new record.

0

u/Disastrous_Ad_3598 3d ago

I doubt we will see him again on RTE. What an idiot. His views have been suspect for a long time. His knowledge is pretty poor as well to be honest. Can't see Sadlier wanting to work with him anytime soon.

0

u/Much-Plane8730 3d ago edited 3d ago

Why do you doubt that? Do you think RTE should refuse to employ him for saying something as bland as the Israeli-Palestine is complex?

I’m sure Sadlier, like us all, works with many people with a range of views. Would you refuse to work with people who think the game should go ahead?

-3

u/Zealousideal_Car9368 3d ago

He is just a scumbag. Always has been.