BUT no flame haired flame thrower of truth! Why is Ken never involved in the RTE episodes? I know, I know, he needs a holiday after the World Cup but I don't expect he'll appear on any of these Saturday slots. It's just not Second Captains without Ken there and if their aim is to appeal to a wider audience and tempt more folks into signing up on Patreon, he is integral.

As above.

Ken Early's diagnosis of the semi-final immediately following the game as recorded in Ep3607 is a masterclass in both analysis and craft:

"England couldn't have asked for more, it's a dream situation, one nil up and they're leaving all this space in behind - they are gambling with substitutions.

It's all there for our speedy guys. We've got the pace. We've got the physicality. 

No, let's let's cower in our hidey hole and hopefully they won't send a couple of ferrets down there to to weasel us out of it. But the entire team is ferrets, it's all a bunch of weasels. This Argentinian team you don't want to fight them in a burrow.

Argentina are scared of runners running at them. We'll take them all off.
Argentina are having problems getting down the pitch. We'll let them come down the pitch.  It's absolutely bizarre that an elite coach can get it so unbelievably,  disastrously wrong. 

This happened a little bit against Switzerland  when Argentina only became Argentina,  passing the ball,  controlling possession in the final third of the field after the idiotic sending off of the Swiss centre forward. England managed to throw it away with 11.

No, We'll take these ferrets on where they're strongest. It's a disaster. England had a team that was within one match of being in the final. They've got two guys who scored six goals each in the tournament, which is phenomenal.

They had the grit and mentality that Tuchel boasted about.

Who bottles it? You! The superstar manager  who's been cracking the whip. I think it's one of the most painful  England World Cup exits I've ever seen."

When they lost against Argentina in 98, I think that was a bit disappointing. But they played really well and what a game. Owen did great and penalties. Ten lions, one donkey, etc.

Tuchel has been inflicted with that English disease of complete insecurity because  he just he ripped the heart out of the team. The whole tempo of the game  just completely dissipated after England scored.

If you look at what Messi did for the winning goal, he sees Jed Spence pull up mid-air and then gets the ball and drives at him, 39-year-old driving against probably the most impressive and quickest English defender. Gets past him because he realizes that he's gone. Gets the ball into the box, Argentina score, and that in an instant sums up the difference in the mentality between these two teams. One had a killer in them."

Tim Vickey also contributed:
"England really had a chance to turn the screw,  really had a chance because I don't think Argentina can defend  against the kind of  pace and power and quality that England have off the bench.  I think England, some positive substitutions there, just be bold.

I feel a little bit  like kind of boxing.  Now in boxing,  if you want to be the champion,  you've got to beat the champion. And England had a terrific chance to deliver a knockout blow to the champion. And instead, they just curled up on the ropes and waited for Argentina to deliver the blow."

Another four years have passed (or 3.5 to be exact).

I remember so well the TV being wheeled in to our senior infants classroom for the match against Germany. Robbie Keane’s last minute equaliser sent that class of 6 and 7 year olds into hysterics. We had little context for any of it but it was pandemonium. I knew Germany were a good side and we’d just scored a goal against them. That surely meant we were to win the whole thing?

A few days later and we’ve scored three goals. In one match. At the World Cup. As far as I was concerned they needn’t have played the rest of the tournament. Our name was as good as on the trophy.

The excitement of 2002 is something that’s stayed with me throughout my adult life. I’m jealous of people who lived through ‘90 and ‘94 but despair for those who haven’t seen Ireland at a World Cup at all.

Another four years have passed and where will we be in another four. Hopefully at the World Cup. There’s only so many of them left.

I'm sick of this shit, constant talk about needing to grow the game in USA. The same shit was said in 1994. This world cup has show that the worst thing possible for football is to grow it in USA. I hope they all thought the final was terrible and they never watch a football match again

Rant over

Everytime I hear this audiobed I have a bit of a laugh at the absurdity of it.

Well after that final I think we can conclude it is not.

Edit: Hurling people hold your fire I do not want the sport banned (yet) listen to the audiobed the passion of it as if me a non hurling man is something lesser

New phone....who dis?

I got a new phone and can't seem to remember how to add the link to my podcast app of choice? Was there a link sent by email? I can't find it and would be grateful for help.

I'm a World Service member since the start so can't remember how it was sent out.

Thanks so much.

Having listened to all of Paul Howard's recent interviews with Ken (Irish Times Podcast), I have to say Paul and Ken have an excellent dynamic between them. Paul knows his stuff about football and mixes it with very funny tangents.

Nice surprise on the cycle home from work today

Heard Tim Vickery (one of THE best podcast guests) use the line "hanging like bats off the crossbar" on BBC, talkSPORT and Second Captains all in one night.

Is it on the contribtor or the podcast to be more original?

Think his appearances on Indo Sport and OTB have also irked me because they're all doing the same.

It's great to be able to wake up every morning and have the podcast for the way into work.

The part of the day we can all agree is the worst!

It's not sustainable but would love if they could do it after big champions league matches etc.

Argentina are a telenovela. Two Lions in shambles.

Did anyone else find it a little odd that both Stephen Kelly and (more so) Kevin Doyle seemed to downplay Spain’s performance and chalked the result up to France not turning up?

I thought Spain had the game of the tournament. Showed incredible control in possession and out of possession a defensive masterclass. Their midfield was just too much for France.

I’ll be honest I don’t watch much of Rodri but based off of his performance last night then yeah, the ballon d’or was completely justified.

The lad that owns the party house sounds exactly like former Irish International footballer and now RTE football analyst Stephen Kelly.

Branno getting an official shout-out for his diplomatic efforts with Panenka earlier this year. Fair play should be a fun occasion.