The 42FM

Why is the purported biggest club in British football in such a perpetual state of chaos? Gavin and Sinead delve into the reasons United have failed to adapt to a post Alex Ferguson world, and come to the conclusion that the club needs a powerful figure to oversee the empire, even if that figure is not always reasonable.We are living in a time of corporate committees running football clubs, with managers and head coaches relegated to the status of a replaceable cog in a wheel.Yet Gavin argues that this approach is unsuitable to the world of football, where the most successful Premier League clubs in recent seasons still have one dominant, talented figure in charge: Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and now Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.United, he argues, are afraid of talent, and need to stop investing huge responsibility in head coaches, while not giving them the requisite authority to do their job - which is to lead and do what it takes for the club to thrive at the elite and of the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these uncertain times, getting even less certain by the hour, Sinead and Gavin take a look ahead to the summer’s World Cup in America and discuss how it will play out.Most fundamentally, will it take place against a backdrop of military activity? US co-hosts Mexico and Canada have already felt the chill of Donald Trump’s threatening rhetoric, which can, as recent events show, turn to action.Even if we are in times of peace by June, the World Cup could be beset by several issues. We discuss travel bans to fans of four competing nations and how these undermine the spirit of the competition.Will Trump follow through on his threat to move games out of certain cities? Will ICE agents arrest fans gathering to watch games? And how will Trump seek to make the most of the global attention that will be available to him during the World Cup? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midway through the World Cup cycle, Sinead and Gav assess the health of the Ireland rugby team with an eye on the perennial question: Can we win a World Cup quarter final?Optimism levels in rugby country are more subdued than usual following a lacklustre Autumn series, while the provinces, especially Leinster, are not inspiring confidence.The pair discuss what needs to happen between now and October 2027 for Ireland to break through their glass ceiling.Can Ireland blood enough exciting players to freshen up the team? Can Andy Farrell settle on his best 10? Are the lineout and scrum fixable? Is the unwritten rule that Ireland’s internationals have to play club rugby here a help or a hindrance in the modern game? Is Irish rugby suffering a Lions hangover, or is this World Cup cycle one too many for some key players? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mo Salah’s outburst after being left on the bench during Liverpool’s draw with Leeds on Saturday means the legendary forward has probably kicked his last ball for the Reds.But is Salah right to suggest he has been thrown under the bus by the club he has served so well for eight years? Is it natural that he feels singled out when his drop in form has been replicated across Arne Slot’s expensively assembled squad?Or has the Egyptian gone too far in his comments, and failed to grasp the coldly transactional nature of professional football?Gav and Sinead get to grips with the biggest Premier League football story of the season, and in the process grapple with themes of loyalty, status, ego, envy and the challenge of succession planning in a game fraught with unforeseen and crazy events - some of which led to April’s free-scoring title-winning king of Anfield being deemed past it by September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fans across the world are eagerly anticipating the finale of the Formula 1 season this weekend, but how much of that is down to the sport, and how much is due to the dramatisation of everything that is F1 on the Netflix series Drive to Survive?This week Sinead and Gav marvel at how F1 has cracked America with the help of Netflix, and wonder what Irish sports and teams could benefit from a more open attitude towards documentary series makers.They discuss which behind-the-scenes shows have been a success, and which have left the viewers feeling short-changed as subjects, such as David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, control their own narrative.And, in the spirit of open access, Sinead and Gav consider how much they’d like it if a camera crew were given full access to The Journal and The 42 tomorrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.