Episode 3110: Liverpool The Real Deal, Whither Mbappé, City City Bang Bang, God Favours The Humble, A New Don Rises

After another Kylian Mbappé horrorshow at Anfield we turn to the Iberian press to sample more of the finest spice-huffing Spanish football writing. There’s a new Don Diego in town:

”The white coliseum has no patience – which makes it a useless effort to try to implement any style – and its memory is as selective as that of lovers. For Madrid, winning is surviving, that’s why effectiveness must be printed in any quality of the footballer. This is how Valdano describes it in 2004 in the pages of El País with El genio de lo concreto. We are in Dortmund, the day before playing a key Champions League match against Borussia in February 2003. The players wait in the locker room for the moment to go out to the last training. While their teammates finish dressing, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, in a very small space, begin to touch the ball with a technique and grace that produce laughter. Because there is something of chaplinesque in the game that expresses, in all its richness, South American soccer. Somehow, which I couldn’t explain, I’m excited by the beauty of the moment. Raúl wakes me up, who passes by my side and sentences: “To win tomorrow, that’s useless.”

What Ángel del Iriego is saying here boils down to bad news for Kiki, who had the chance to show what he could do out of Vini Jr’s shadow, only to get dominated by Conor Bradley and Caoimhín Kelleher.

Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson join us to talk about a memorable Champions League round. Is Mbappe ever going to come out of this spiral? Which of their three goalkeepers should Liverpool be making their number one for next season? What did they make of Pep Guardiola’s extraordinary display of anguish on Tuesday night?

And does Wilson have the integrity to admit he was wrong about the Champions League format? Eoin has some bones to pick.

Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, The “I’ll Tell You Who Wrote It” Book Club and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’.

“Riveting”
“Indispensable”
“Exceptional”@msmirandasawyer of The Observer has given her verdict on the new ‘Stakeknife’ podcast which is also the @guardian‘s pick of the week.

Episode 1 is out now on all platforms & 1 AND 2 are available on @BBCSounds. Give it a listen now?? pic.twitter.com/oypfxq7BtO

— Second Captains (@SecondCaptains) November 24, 2024