It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley discuss a topic that continues to divide fans across world football - whether Arsenal's leading man Kai Havertz is now an elite striker worthy of being included in the pantheon of the planet's best.Havertz exploded onto the scene for Bayer Leverkusen in 2016, and by 2018 he was making waves at his boyhood club, becoming the youngest player to make 50 Bundesliga appearances and establishing himself as a force in Peter Bosz's attack. By the time he moved to Chelsea in 2020, Havertz was one of the most in-demand young players in the world, but at Stamford Bridge things never felt quite right. Despite scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, Havertz's positional versatility meant he felt like a square peg in a round hole in many ways. So when Arsenal splashed out £65m for Havertz in the summer of 2023, eyebrows were raised, and after a difficult start to life in North London, many wrote Havertz off as a player who couldn't cut it at the top level. A year later, and with the German firmly established as Arsenal's first choice No. 9, the difference is astounding. Breaking records and brimming with confidence, it feels like a good time to ask whether Havertz is a stopgap to an out-and-out striker, or now in the right place to finally rise to the very top of the beautiful game. The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your midnight feast of Champions League content after the main meal was served up on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights by the third round of our new 36-team competition.We start with Tuesday's games, opening with Barcelona's 4-1 dismantling of Bayern Munich that saw them lay recent demons to rest against their most regular scourge, the naivety of some of what Bayern did both offensively and defensively, and how Raphinha's promotion to the captain's armband in Catalunya has him cooking on Ballon d'Or contender form. Then it's on to Leipzig, where Liverpool made it 11 wins from 12 with a 1-0 victory against one of the teams from Jurgen Klopp's new fiefdom, and a quick look at City's 5-0 win over Sparta Prague which saw Erling Haaland score one of the most acrobatic goals you'll ever see in your life. We round up the rest of Wednesday's action too, peeking at Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with high-flying Brest, Celtic's imperious defensive performance against previously free-scoring Atalanta, Feyenoord ending Benfica's year-long unbeaten run at the Estadio da Luz, Lille stunning a Madrid side for the second time in two matchdays - this time Atleti at the Wanda, Inter's impact substitutes getting the job done for them against Young Boys, and hapless Salzburg's 2-0 loss to a very punchy Dinamo Zagreb side. Then in Part Two, we're onto Tuesday's action, which begins with the other side of La Liga's Clasico - Real Madrid's 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund which centred around the identity of these two clubs, and how this script could have been written by almost anyone who knows them. We touch on Vinicius Jr's incredible hat-trick, and the decisions that BVB manager Nuri Sahin made which took the game away from what could have been a famous night of revenge for his side. We head over to Birmingham next to discuss just what to make of Unai Emery's Aston Villa and their 2-0 win over Bologna that installed them at the top of the Champions League table, and down to North London to discuss a 1-0 win for the Arsenal that was a little bit uncomfortable at times, but dearly needed by Mikel Arteta's side to just quieten the noise and get themselves back on the right track. We finish with a roundup of the rest of the Tuesday games - Milan's 3-1 win over Club Brugge that included an Olympic Goal from the irrepressible Christian Pulisic, Stuttgart's well-deserved 1-0 win over Juventus which saw the Bianconeri's unbeaten start under Thiago Motta derailed, PSG's profligacy in a 1-1 draw against PSV, Monaco's 5-1 thumping of Crvena Zvezda which reaffirmed their credentials as a team to be reckoned with, Girona's first ever Champions League win as they beat Slovan Bratislava 2-0, and Sporting's 2-0 win over Sturm Graz which saw another goal and an assist for Viktor Gyokeres. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! We're just over two months from the January Transfer Window opening, and whilst that seems like some time, it'll roll round fast - so the backroom staff across a number of teams are hard at work in working out what they're going to do when the curtain rises. Today, we're taking a look at the big questions facing a number of Premier League teams in the mid-season shuffle, from doubling down on squad depth to capitalise on a hot start, to replacing a key member of the squad who will be out for the entire season, to offloading some of the deadwood in the squad to make space for new blood. We touch on Liverpool's contract dilemmas, Manchester City's potential Rodri replacements and rotators, Newcastle United's stick-or-twist question on a new forward and the future of Alexander Isak, Tottenham's Richarlison quandary, and Chelsea's long-term interest in a goalkeeper and a Number 9. Before that, there's time for Things We Love, which this week consists of Dean's excitement for the genesis of San Diego FC and how a brilliant Decision Day and a beautifully poised MLS Cup Playoff setup has fuelled that; whilst Jack talks about his visit to Deportivo La Coruña last weekend to see a former giant of the Spanish game, and some of the exciting young players he caught a glimpse of whilst at Riazor. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley deep dive into Barcelona's famed academy, La Masia, which produced a golden generation during the early 2000's that spawned Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and a whole lot more who contributed to Barca conquering the world. A fallow period for academy graduates followed, leading many to wonder if that golden era truly was a one off, and if modern football could never truly see something similar happen in the modern game, with all its financial pressures and the desire to stay at the apex of the sport. But of late, La Masia's talent fountain has sprung anew, with a host of young homegrown talent in Hansi Flick's squad as Barcelona have started this season hot - Alex Balde, Hector Fort, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, Marc Casado, and of course, Lamine Yamal. Is this a sign that the pathway is open again for the Catalan talent factory, or is this simply a consequence of Barcelona's reckless spending leaving them with no other choice?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! October has crept up on us quietly, and there's less than a fortnight now until we find out who will claim the coveted Ballon d'Or Trophy - the little golden ball that signifies the best player in the world over the previous season. So, with that in mind, we've put together our own thoughts on who deserves football's most prestigious individual honour. Jack is joined by Dougie Critchley to talk through each of our Top Fives for this season's trophy. Will Rodri's European glory take him to top spot? Is this the moment that Vinicius Jr achieves what countryman and idol Neymar Jr never could? Or could an outside bet sweep in to take the throne?Before that, there's time for Things We Love, which includes a discussion on Trent Alexander-Arnold's rumoured links to Real Madrid, a wonderful story from New Mexico about a USL club doing their bit for the community, and some notes from Bolivia on their national team's resurgence and famous upset against Colombia in this international break. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley take a look into the career of Paul Pogba, the reasons he ended up in a four-year-ban from the game, and what the future holds for him now that the ban has been reduced to 18 months - meaning he can return to football in March 2025.We look at the traits that made Pogba such a joyful experience to watch on the pitch, as well as those which frustrated fans; what his best role has been and could be in the future; and determine exactly what would constitute a success upon his return to the beautiful game, as well as mooting some options where his future might lie in terms of club football.Is this the story of a wasted wonderkid, whose actual career didn't leave up to the remarkable talent that he no doubt possessed, or is Pogba's maverick style about to return with flair and panache as he gets a reprieve and a second chance to write the end of his legacy whilst he's still relatively young?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's tough out there as a manager. You can be winning trophies and be the designated Chosen One one minute, and then on the verge of losing your job the next. It's brutal, but it's the way football works, so we wanted to revisit an old staple and take a look at some of the managers under the cosh this season, and what the future holds for them.We start with the big discussion point in the Premier League - the future of Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, but more under the microscope of who United could legitimately bring in right now as an instant improvement, before getting into things properly. Dean picks three in the Premier League - Julen Lopetegui at West Ham United, Gary O'Neil at Wolves and Russell Martin at Southampton - as we assess their situations and give our verdicts. Then we head Continental, as Jack takes a look at who's under it in Europe - visiting Paulo Fonseca at AC Milan, Gerardo Seoane at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Ivan Juric (!) at AS Roma, and Ruben Baraja at Valencia CF, to see what their situations look like in this international break. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley dive into a topic that opens up some uncomfortable questions about the way that the English league system operates - is it becoming impossible in the modern game for newly-promoted sides to survive in the Premier League?In 2022/23, Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town were promoted from the Championship, and in 2023/24, all three were relegated back there. After six games of the new season, all three of the promoted sides - Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton - find themselves without a Premier League win, and remain the bookies' favourites to return back to the second tier at the end of this campaign. So is this a foregone conclusion? Does the monetary imbalance between the PL cash cow and the drip-downs that don't drip down mean that it's becoming more and more difficult to make the jump? And is there a blueprint to survival that more teams need to follow to avoid following the same fate? Was last year's three-up-three-down just a blip in the Matrix? Or is this just an overreaction to a singular event that is the exception that proves the rule?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your midnight feast of Champions League content after the main meal was served up on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights by the new 36-team competition. We start with Tueday's games, opening on Aston Villa's already-famous win over Bayern Munich, where Unai Emery hurt Bayern again, and we saw a repeat scoreline of the 1982 European Cup final, only this time with Jhon Duran the man of the moment. Then we discuss losses for both of the Madrid sides - Real Madrid to Lille for their first loss in 36 games, and Atleti's dismemberment at the hands of a newly-resurgent Benfica. Next, it's to Anfield to look at Liverpool's 8th win in 9 games under Arne Slot - this time a 2-0 win over a stubborn Bologna, and then on to Germany, where 10-man Juventus proved their mettle with a 3-2 comeback win in Leipzig. We round up the rest of Tuesday's action by peeking at Dinamo Zagreb's 2-2 draw with Monaco, Christos Tzolis' stunner leading Club Brugge to a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz, an absolutely ludicrous encounter between Girona and Feyenoord that ended 3-2 to the visitors, and Atalanta's comfortable win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Then in Part Two, we're onto Tuesday's action, which begins with a look at Arsenal's weirdly comfortable 2-0 win over a very pedestrian PSG at the Emirates, then onto Dortmund's 7-1 dismantling of Celtic and their early optimism in the competition, Leverkusen's hard-nosed 1-0 win over AC Milan at the BayArena, and Barcelona's almost picture-perfect night as they beat Young Boys 5-0 in Catalunya. We finish with a roundup of the rest of the Tuesday games - Manchester City going to Slovakia and strolling to a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava that saw their academy players come to the fore, a brilliant game between the Dutch and Portuguese Champions as PSV and Sporting played out a 1-1 draw, Brest's brilliant start continuing with a 4-0 thrashing of Salzburg away from home, Inter's rout of Crvena Zvezda in Milan, and a hard-fought draw between Stuttgart and Sparta Prague. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!In the wake of the injury to Rodri that looks set to keep him out for the majority of the season, it got us thinking about a topic that's been a bit of a Ranks staple down the years - who is the most important player for a variety of teams across Europe?We start in the Premier League, examining options for Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, before turning our attention to the continent to discuss the contenders for that crown for PSG, Milan, Inter, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. There's plenty of debate across almost every club, which is natural for a topic as subjective as this one, but we dive deep into the options as we try and work out not who is the best player at each of these European giants, but who is the one that they simply could not live without. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley take a look back through the annals of history to analyse the career of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and ask the question - was he a world class striker in the pantheons of the all-time greats, or just an excellent player in his day?Zlatan has long divided opinion, even in a world before the hyper-sensationalisation of social media that we see today. From dancing through players on his debut, scoring some of the best goals that the game has ever seen, referring to himself exclusively in the third person, needing to be the lightning rod for whichever team he played for, and constant references to lions and gods, there is no denying the man was pure entertainment. But entertaining and being one of the greats are two different things. So is Zlatan right up there with the greatest ever to play the game? Or was his own perception of himself bigger than his legacy on the pitch?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! We're going on a bit of a trip down memory lane in today's episode, but one grounded in a very recent occasion - the game between Manchester City and Arsenal at the weekend, which had many of the hallmarks of the beginning of a new rivalry reaching its simmering point at the top of the division. With that in mind, we take a look at the game and the narratives surrounding it, before walking back through the rest of the Premier League's most memorable battles for supremacy: Pep's Manchester City vs Klopp's Liverpool; the noisy neighbours affair as City and United wrested for bragging rights in both Manchester and the League at the end of Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure; Jose Mourinho's scraps as Chelsea boss against Sir Alex's United and Benitez's Liverpool; the legendary Wenger vs Ferguson era of Arsenal and Manchester United; and even to the formative days of the new Premier League where Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United tried to challenge United's early dominance.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley sit down to discuss a topic that's been circulating across social media, broadcast radio and YouTube for quite some time - the idea that Pep Guardiola has somehow ruined the game that we love, in the process of changing it amidst his dominance of Europe. We explore the ideas that are often used to berate Pep - that he is responsible for the death of long-distance strikes and flair players; that physicality and ball retention have become so commonplace; the sheer number of copycat managers who have attempted to transplant Guardiola's style onto teams with less technical ability; and the concept that he has made football boring by the pure dominance of his Manchester City team. Is there credence to these suggestions? Or are people just angry about the fact that Pep's City just feel inevitable in their quest to stack up trophies?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!You heard the music, and we're back in Champions League mode as the newest era of the competition gets underway with the new Swiss League stage replacing the old group stages. This is Part Two of your Takeaways from this week, looking back at the action from Wednesday and Thursday night. We start with Arsenal's trip to Bergamo, where David Raya's heroics meant that Arsenal came away with a hard-earned point against Europa League Champions Atalanta; before looking back at 10-man Barcelona's 2-1 loss to Monaco, Atleti's late winner as they beat Leipzig 2-1, and Leverkusen's return to thumping form as they dismantled Feyenoord 4-0 in Rotterdam. Our first part ends with a few thoughts on Benfica's nervy win in Belgrade over Crvena Zvezda, and Brest's wonderful 2-1 win over Sturm Graz which was sadly not in their own stadium. Then in Part Two, we're onto Wednesday's action, which begins with a look at the 0-0 stalemate between two of Europe's best sides in Manchester City and Inter Milan - a game for the coaches, not the players, in many ways. Popping over to Paris, we examine PSG's (somewhat) lucky win over Girona, head to Belgium to discuss Jamie Gittens' game-changing cameo as Borussia Dortmund beat Club Brugge 3-0, and give some love to a rampant Celtic who dismantled Slovan Bratislava 5-1 at Paradise. Rounding things off, we briefly talk about Bologna returning to the competition after 60 years away with a 0-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, and Sparta Prague's hard-nosed 3-0 win against a very youthful RB Salzburg. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!You heard the music, and we're back in Champions League mode as the newest era of the competition gets underway with the new Swiss League stage replacing the old group stages. The first day brought us plenty of goals, and plenty of talking points, and Jack and Dean are here to discuss all of them with you after the first six games of this matchweek. We start with Liverpool's trip to Milan, where Arne Slot's Reds were able to put the ghosts of Nottingham Forest behind them on the way to what was a comprehensive and important win at San Siro; before moving onwards to discuss the 9-2 hammering that Bayern Munich handed out to Dinamo Zagreb,  and the game between Sporting CP and Lille OSC in Lisbon. In Part Two, we start with Real Madrid's 3-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart, which was very much not as easy on the Bernabeu pitch as it looked on paper, before discussing Aston Villa's successful trip to Bern, where they beat Young Boys 3-0 despite an artificial surface, and Juventus' crucial 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven, which might have been the best performance of the season yet from Thiago Motta's new-look Bianconeri! We'll be back on Thursday to wrap up the action from the next two days of UCL action, so we'll see you very soon. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley sit down to discuss one of the burning questions of the international break - whether Erik ten Hag is the man who can guide Manchester United back to where they want to be, challenging for league titles and competing consistently in the Champions League. United's summer was a chaotic one, starting with the new INEOS-backed ownership fluttering their eyes at a number of different managers across Europe, before finally coming to the conclusion that the best one (or the best that they could get) was already at the club in the shape of Ten Hag. Three games into the season, and the knives are out for Ten Hag again, with United's last game before the international break - a 3-0 home loss to Liverpool - driving home the point to many that the Dutchman was perhaps not the best man to be in the dugout as United attempt to get back to the top of the pile. So is he a help or a hindrance to the club's plans to return to the top table, and are his tactics limited or simply making the most of what he has at his disposal?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!The window is shut, there's been a few games to see how teams look, and it's time to finalise our long-term predictions for this season, which can only mean one thing here on Ranks - it's time for 5x5! And, as has become tradition for this episode, the Rank God Sam Tighe is back in the building to share the microphone with Dean and Jack.The concept is simple - we each pick how we think the top five in England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain are going to look when the curtain falls in May.First, we take a look at what happened last time out, before working through our selections, our thoughts on how a shedload of sides have started their campaigns, and some more questionable bold calls from Jack, hot off his successful Leverkusen shout last year.It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

It's time for The Truth!Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley sit down to discuss the hottest topic in the world of football right now - whether Chelsea's transfer strategy is a 4D Chess plan that will leave others in the dust, or a chaotic playground of excess that's destined to struggle for some time. Chelsea's additions of João Felix, Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, amid others - caused some consternation on social media; whilst their outgoings of Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, Thiago Silva and Lewis Hall depleted the squad further of homegrown talent and valuable experience. It led to a bit of an online firestorm regarding what Chelsea were up to under Todd Boehly and Clearlake, and whether the soul of the club was being traded in to allow for a blitzkrieg transfer policy to remain in operation. Is the whole thing a disaster, or could it be that Chelsea are just a few steps ahead of the rest?The Truth is somewhere in the middle... Hosts: Sam Tighe & Dougie CritchleyProduction & Editing: Jack Collins Studio Recording: Footwork Media And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!There's a new show starting on the Channel from this Friday, and it heralds the return of Rank God Sam Tighe to Ranks FC. Sam's new podcast, which he's co-hosting with the brilliant Dougie Critchley, who you might know from Sky Sports and Football Daily - as well as being on Ranks a few times in the past! The podcast is called The Truth, and Sam's here to explain the concept, introduce you to Dougie, and prep you for the first episode which will be dropping tomorrow (Friday) for your listening pleasure ahead of the weekend. The Truth is somewhere in the middle.  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for us to take our previewing over to Italy, where we've seen an intriguing first couple of weeks in Serie A - where 14 of the 20 clubs changed managers this summer. We start by analysing those we think will be challenging for the title - starting with reigning Scudetto Champions Inter, moving on to Juventus and their new manager Thiago Motta, taking a look at Napoli under the guidance of the legendary Antonio Conte, and examine new-look AC Milan, even after their difficult start. In Part Two, we examine the European contenders, and the teams who'll almost certainly be fighting it out for that final Champions League spot (probably with Milan), as well as the Europa and Conference League places behind - last season's surprise package Bologna, Gasperini's Europa League winning Atalanta, a completely fresh-faced Roma, Ciro Immobile-less Lazio,  and the eternal wildcard that is Fiorentina. Then it's onwards to the newly-promoted sides and the teams we think might struggle, and Jack has some thoughts on Venezia, Parma, Como, Genoa, Cagliari, Lecce, Monza and Empoli. Finally, we make a few early predictions for Player of the Season, Signing of the Season, and Golden Boot (Capocannoniere) winner to round things off. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!We're back (and icing our league previews series for a week) to take a look at the big storylines dominating the Premier League transfer landscape ahead of the transfer window closing on Friday. Dean walks us through the headlines for each of the Premier League's top eight from last year - Arsenal's search for a forward, Manchester City's desire for an Alvarez replacement, Manchester United's central midfield hole, Chelsea's mass exodus and striker hunt, Liverpool's market management strategy, Newcastle's remaining budget, Spurs' defensive reinforcement plan, and Aston Villa's early business meaning a potentially quiet end. There's a return for Things We Love, where Dean discusses Endrick getting off the mark for Real Madrid before star signing Kylian Mbappé and why the early clunkiness makes La Liga more exciting, whilst Jack is getting very enamoured with the new-look PSG, mostly because of the burgeoning relationship between Bradley Barcola and João Neves, who have exploded into the new season. And finally, Dean's Guru Wisdom has him sharing his opening experiences in the world of American Youth Soccer, where Dylan has taken some tentative first steps into becoming MLS' next shining light at the tender age of 6. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for us to take our previewing over to Spain, where La Liga kicked off again this weekend just gone, with some fascinating results and performances. We start by analysing the Big Three, examining where Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are ahead of what is shaping up to be a three way title race. In Part Two, we examine the European contenders, and the teams who'll almost certainly be fighting it out for that final Champions League spot (and the Europa and Conference League places behind) - last season's surprise package Girona, newly-minted Villarreal, our friends at Athletic Club, Imanol Alguacil's excellent Real Sociedad, youthful Valencia, and the eternal wildcard Real Betis. Then it's onwards to the newly-promoted sides and the teams we think might struggle, and Jack has some thoughts on Sevilla, Leganes, Real Valladolid, Deportivo Alaves, Las Palmas, and Rayo Vallecano - as well as a team to watch in RCD Mallorca. Finally, we make a few early predictions for Player of the Season, Signing of the Season, and Golden Boot (Pichichi) winner to round things off. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! It's Showtime once again in the Premier League, and so we're back to preview the season ahead of time in an episode that's become something of an annual tradition on Ranks FC.Jack and Dean get stuck into a preview of where we are ahead of the curtain raiser on Friday night, first examining those teams in contention for the title and discussing whether this could finally be the time that Arsenal get the better of Manchester City in that race for the trophy. Then it's on to the European contenders, opening with Arne Slot's new-look, same-players Liverpool, and working our way through Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United - the teams who made up last season's top eight. After that we flip to the bottom to look at if we'll be having a repeat of the promoted teams being the ones to slip back into the Championship at the end of the campaign - can any of Leicester City, Ipswich Town or Southampton avoid succumbing to the yo-yo fate we saw last year?We discuss the middle order too, before launching into a series of predictions for Golden Boot winner, most assists, Player of the Season, best new signings, surprise packages - for good and bad - and first managers to face the dreaded axe. It's Ranks!   And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!After looking at Premier League pre-seasons last week, we wanted to take things Continental this week, and take a dive into how things are looking ahead of the season for some of Europe's biggest clubs. We start in Spain, where we examine a busy week for Atletico Madrid, talk through Real Madrid's big name summer and try to decipher just what's going on at Barcelona, before heading for Italy - to discuss a big summer for Juventus, and slightly more manageable ones for Inter and Milan. Then it's off for a quick pitstop in France, to check in on the latest goings on in PSG's post-Mbappé era, before finishing in Germany with a look at Bayern Munich's big spending, and Borussia Dortmund's future. As ever, we round things off with the latest episode of Dean's American Life, where DJ shares his experiences of his first live soccer game since moving to San Diego. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! Pre-season is firmly underway and we've seen a mixed bag from some of the clubs on everybody's lips right now. We've taken five Premier League teams and ranked them on how we think they're getting on - stacking up their expectations ahead of the season against the performances that we've seen so far. We share our thoughts on Enzo Maresca's Chelsea, Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton & Hove Albion, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United, Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal - examining the squads, the games, and what we can ascertain from their on-pitch product in the warm-up act for the new season. Before that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses the strange nature of West Ham United's transfer approach this summer, and Jack waxes lyrical about the brilliance of Emma Hayes' USWNT at the Olympics so far. And of course, the latest update of Dean's American Life finishes things off, where we learn about the 'incredible' season ticket he has purchased for...a car wash. It's Ranks!   And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for a return to one of our favourite staples on Ranks - those Players Who Need a Summer Move, and the clubs that we think should be absolutely desperate to get them in, because they'd fit so well. It's a bit of a bumper cast today - we have 12 different players to discuss, so we get straight into things! Our discussion starts with Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips, before we talk Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher, Aaron Ramsdale and Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal, still-officially-at-Chelsea Romelu Lukaku, Atletico Madrid's João Félix, Brentford's Ivan Toney, Barcelona's Raphinha, Juventus' Weston McKennie, also-still-officially-at-Chelsea Kepa Arrizabalaga, finishing with the Leverkusen duo of Sardar Azmoun and Adam Hlozek. Then, to wrap things up, Dean gives us the latest instalment from his New American Life segment, where he tells us about a successful attempt to finally get himself a cell phone. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! With the international tournaments done and dusted (for now, we see you Olympics), it's time to take a look at some of the transfer stories that you might have missed over the last couple of weeks - in the shape of a ranking. We've put together a list of the teams who have come storming out of the blocks in this window - either to rectify the issues of the last campaign or consolidate ahead of the new one. There's different ways of doing it - we discuss the youthful brilliance of Brighton's recruitment, Aston Villa's drive for depth, the brand-new midfield Juventus are hoping can inspire them back to glory, Bayern's Munich's big money overhaul, and of course the Galactico pull of Real Madrid - as well as looking at Benfica's business and Lyon's list. Things We Love sees a discussion of Gareth Southgate stepping down and who Dean thinks are reasonable candidates to replace the man who's been in charge of England for the last eight years; and Jack's major problems with the UEFA Team of the Tournament from Euro 2024. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!We're back with a second episode this week to take a look at the finals of both the Euros and the Copa America, which both take place on Sunday! We start with the Euros, where England will take on Spain after both emerged as 2-1 victors from their semi-finals, after both going behind to early strikes. We discuss the semi-final performances, the key battle between Marc Cucurella and Bukayo Saka, the possibility of penalties, and why this one feels more on a knife-edge than a lot of people are suggesting. Then it's across the Atlantic to preview the Copa final in Miami between Colombia and Argentina. The Albiceleste are reigning Copa and World Champions, but it's the challengers who have a sense of invulnerability going into this final - Colombia are 28 games unbeaten under Nestor Lorenzo and have been the standout team at the tournament. Could they upset the applecart for Messi in his new hometown, or will Argentina make it an unprecedented 3 trophies in a row for a CONMEBOL side?It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! With this episode releasing bang between the two semi-finals of both the European Championships and the Copa America, we've had to switch things up a bit this week, so we wanted to talk about some of the transfers that might come off the back of these Euros. Dean selects five players to discuss - Riccardo Calafiori, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Ivan Toney & Matthijs de Ligt - and we talk about their potential destinations, where they might fit best, and any concerns we have with the profiles of players going into the right clubs. Before that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses the current US obsession with getting Jurgen Klopp in as the next USMNT manager, and Jack pays homage to Thiago Alcantara - the midfield maestro who announced his retirement from the game this week. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! It's been a funny Euros so far - some big guns with underwhelming performances, some strange results and group standings, but also a Final 8 that looks weirdly familiar - and that Jack thinks all have a chance of lifting that trophy (although admittedly some more than others). We take a look at each of the eight quarter finalists - France, Portugal, England, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany and Spain - and assess their chances of winning the competition, as well as the strengths and flaws that we've seen in each of them so far. And finally, there's a nonsense ranking for you all of the best acts that Jack saw at Glastonbury, whilst Dean tells us what he would have seen if he was in Somerset, rather than San Diego.It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!We're now comfortably into the period of double international competitions, so it felt only right to do an episode that spent some time looking at what's happening on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean - picking out three big questions so far on both the Euros in Germany and the Copa America in the USA. We start with the Euros, where we're discussing whether we think Spain are the real deal after their perfect group stage, if Portugal have solved the Cristiano Ronaldo conundrum up front and where that puts them in the contenders ranking, and if the Golden Generations of Belgium and Croatia have finally run their course!Then it's over the pond for the Copa, and we start by questioning whether Brazil really have the firepower to go deep into this competition, discuss just how good we think Uruguay and Colombia really are after their hot starts, and think about whether the USMNT should be adjusting their expectations of this competition based on the quality (or lack of) that we've seen elsewhere.Finally, Dean has some Guru Wisdom on the ticket pricing and stadium filling in the US for the Copa, and a plea to people to hold out for more reasonable prices ahead of the 2026 World Cup. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! By the time you're listening to this, every single team in Euro 2024 would have played, and we asked our ever-brilliant Patrons for the questions to help shape an episode around what we've learned so far in the tournament. We kick things off by discussing Kylian Mbappé's broken nose in the France-Austria game, how many games he will miss, and if it opens up an opportunity for young Bradley Barcola off the left wing, who replaced Mbappé for long periods in the PSG season just gone by. Then it's on to England, where some of our Patreons (and Dean) are pretty happy with what they saw from the Three Lions in the opening win against Serbia, whilst others want more from this England team - and from Gareth Southgate, who is in charge. We chat through the brilliant narrative of Christian Eriksen scoring on his return to the Euros with Denmark, before turning our attention to Germany, who won 5-1 against Scotland on the opening night.  Nagelsmann's fluid attack is a talking point, as well as whether Germany's use of Niclas Füllkrug could be crucial to breaking open certain games in this competition. Hungary are up next, and we talk whether being tipped to do well perhaps piled pressure onto them, and how they can move forward, as well as giving some love to Switzerland's majestic midfield pair of Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler. Onwards to Italy, who Jack was impressed by in their comeback win over Albania, and there's some more praise on the podcast for the ever-brilliant Nicola Barella, before we discuss if Albania can feel confident coming into their game against Croatia, and give some love to Spain - especially the performances of Lamine Yamal, Dani Carvajal and Fabian Ruiz. And we wrap things up by talking about the Netherlands and whether Ronald Koeman's stubbornness is a blessing or a curse, big up what was an incredible performance from Romania, and look at whether they can continue that form against a Belgium side now under huge pressure after their shock loss against Slovakia.It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!After last week's European Championship preview shows, we've taken a plane across the Atlantic Ocean to take you on a whistlestop guide to the teams at this summer's Copa America, which will be taking place across the United States. We examine each of the 16 teams in the competition, their chances of getting out of the groups (and going all the way), and how we think everyone is set as we enter a period of two simultaneous continental championships at once! Dean takes favourites Argentina in Group A, whilst Jack discusses Canada, Chile and Peru. In Group B, Dean's on Mexico duty, whilst Jack talks Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica. Group C sees Dean discuss his new home team, the USMNT, whilst Jack covers Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia. And finally it's off to Brazil for Dean in Group D, whilst Jack looks at Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time to get stuck into this summer's international football, so here's the last in our series of Euro 2024 Preview Shows! We begin today with Group E, which includes Belgium's first tournament under a new head coach, Ukraine's Girona-powered attack, Slovakia's impressive left-hand side, and Romania's youth-injected underdogs. Then it's onwards in Part Two to discuss the last four teams - Group F, which comprises a very strong Portugal side, a very fun Turkey side, a very confused Czechia side, and a quietly hopeful Georgia team making their major international tournament debut. We talk each team's chances of progression and outright victory, as well as the players upon which their dreams will rise and fall, and the managers trying to guide their nations to glory. If you haven't already, why not go and have a listen to our other two preview shows - discussing the other four groups and some of the major players in this tournament? And for the link to our Euros Fantasy Football League - click here or use the code LmqWjA on the Official UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Game!It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time to get stuck into this summer's international football, so here's the second of our series of Euro 2024 Preview Shows! We start with Group C, which include England's Three Lions who got to the final of the last tournament, a pessimistic Serbia looking for a bright end to a talented core, an ageing Denmark side who have opted for experience over change, and underdogs Slovenia, boasting talent at both ends. Then it's onwards in Part Two to discuss tournament favourites France, a Netherlands side that should probably be better than they are right now, dark horses Austria under Ralf Rangnick's distinct style, and a Poland team who squeaked through to the tournament in the playoffs. We talk each team's chances of progression and outright victory, as well as the players upon which their dreams will rise and fall, and the managers trying to guide their nations to glory. If you haven't already, go back and listen to yesterday's episode discussing Groups A & B; and tomorrow we'll round off this series with the lowdown on Groups E and F. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time to get stuck into this summer's international football, so we're kicking things off ahead of the Euros with less than 10 days to go until the first game gets underway. We start with Group A, which include hosts Germany, the Tartan Army of Scotland,  wily old Switzerland, and dark horses Hungary. Then it's onwards in Part Two to discuss holders Italy, perennial challengers Spain, tournament specialists Croatia, and underdogs Albania. We talk each team's chances of progression and outright victory, as well as the players upon which their dreams will rise and fall, and the managers trying to guide their nations to glory. The second episode of the series, discussing Groups C and D, will drop on Thursday morning; and then on Friday we'll have the lowdown on Groups E and F. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's that time of the year again - the club football finale in Europe, as the Champions League Final is upon us. This year's showpiece event is at Wembley, between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, and we're here to break it all down for you. We start by picking out three reasons why each should be optimistic about winning this final - Dean (as usual) goes in to bat for Real Madrid, whilst Jack takes a look at Borussia Dortmund's chances; before moving on the conversations to the key battles and players who could define the way that this game plays out. Finally, we give our predictions, as well as taking a few from the Rank Squad; before discussing if we think Jude Bellingham would celebrate if he scores. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! We thought it was a good time to put together our End of Season Awards Show, so here we are. We take some time to reflect on an incredible campaign, and discuss which players are in the running for our Player of the Season, Rising Star, Most Improved Player, Resurgence of the Year, Goal of the Season, Team of the Season, and Melon Team of the Season for good measure - looking across Europe's major leagues to give credit to the best (and the worst) of the campaign we've just witnessed. Then, in Part Two, Jack dives into a few of the stories that might have slipped under your radar. Whilst we've all rightly heard about the exploits of Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Bologna and the like, there's a couple that perhaps have not quite hit the headlines they deserve. We talk about the remarkable seasons of Stade Brestois, Olympique Lyonnais, FC Heidenheim & Valencia CF. And finally, in Part Three, Dean has some Guru Wisdom about the things he's most concerned about, ahead of the move to America - so if anyone has any tips on driving, tipping culture, and relocated patriotism, please let him know! It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!The domestic club season is drawing to a close. The continental league titles have mostly already been lifted, the Premier League title will be decided this weekend, and whilst there are still some important bits to figure out - the European continental competitions, the domestic cup finals, the fights for survival and the locking in of next season's European places - the season feels like mostly it's all over bar the shouting. So we've turned our attention to the upcoming transfer window, which is going to be punctuated by international competitions in both Europe and South America, delving into which narratives are going to dominate and drive the discourse and write the headlines over the summer. Dean puts his Transfer Guru hat on and explores five topics - Manchester United's centre-back search, the future of Victor Osimhen, the race for wingers with the X-Factor that top teams will be after, the domino effect on goalkeepers that might be set off by the departure of Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal, and whether or not Newcastle United can keep hold of their two star players - Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes. Before that, we take a look at the appointment of Jesse Marsch as the new head coach of the Canada Men's National Team, and the interesting rivalry it sets up with both the USMNT and Gregg Berhalter himself, as well as why this feels like a big moment in the American's coaching career; and in Part Three Dean gives some recent personal Guru Wisdom on why you should always fight to the end, and never give up. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! Champions League Takeaway is back to take a look at the second legs of the UCL semi-finals, where we saw Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 and Borussia Dortmund win 1-0 in Paris to set up a clash of Yellow and White in London next month! We start with Wednesday’s action, with Real Madrid's late, late show yet again to beat out Bayern and send the Bernabeu wild. Dean waxes lyrical about the never-say-die spirit of both the fanbase and this team, whilst Jack pours out some love for Joselu and questions some weird substitutions from Thomas Tuchel that seemed to put his team on the back foot in the closing stages. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – where Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the final with a backs-to-the-wall 1-0 win over PSG in Paris. Dean questions whether PSG will ever win this competition, given the roster of stars that have rotated through the French capital and failed, and Jack is impressed with the way that Borussia Dortmund earned their luck, and also a little bit disappointed with how Luis Enrique managed the game from a PSG perspective in the closing stages. We finish with a little discussion about Kylian Mbappé and how his impending departure might have affected the club as a whole this season, as well as what the future might look like without him in Paris. It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! It's time to go Continental for this week's episode, building a European Team of the Season from the big six leagues on the European mainland. There were a few more teams, players and contenders to analyse compared to last week's Premier League edition, so it's a dig into the depths for Jack to try and build something special from this season's standout stars. We take a look across the Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, La Liga, Eredivisie & Primeira Liga to bring you the best 11 we can build based on the performances across the season, trying not to lean too heavily on any one particular team - and there's plenty of discussion and debate as we go. Before that there's an ode to The Bag™️ which has survived its fourth season intact after correctly calling the winners of seven leagues again, and an interesting anecdote on why the Club Brugge-Fiorentina game in the Europa Conference League has been moved to Wednesday; and at the end, Dean asks Jack to help him stop feeling old and explain the basics behind the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef which has dominated the discourse over the weekend. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway is back to take a look at the first legs of the UCL semi-finals, where we saw Borussia Dortmund 1-0 PSG & Bayern Munich 2-2 Real Madrid. We start with Wednesday’s action, with Dortmund's win. Dean showers some love on Jadon Sancho, who dazzled down the right hand side for Borussia Dortmund - this is the man we loved the last time he was in the Bundesliga; whilst Jack lavishes some praise on Marcel Sabitzer, and discusses the dissection of PSG's midfield, who weren't able to gain any control over proceedings in Germany - as well as giving our thoughts on who progresses next week. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – where Real Madrid didn't play brilliantly, and yet came away from Munich with a credible 2-2 draw. Dean puts some more respect on the name of Vinicius Jr., and we discuss whether next season it could be him, rather than Kylian Mbappé, playing in the No. 9 role for Los Blancos. Jack has some nice things to say about Bayern's maestro Jamal Musiala, as well as some thoughts on a good night for Thomas Tuchel and his tactical tinkering - before we discuss who comes out on top in the second leg at the Bernabeu. It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!You've seen the debates raging on Twitter, so we thought it was worth putting our two pennies worth into the mix. Here is our attempt at creating our Premier League Team of the Season, examining the best players across the course of this campaign and working them into a formation (and a unit) that would actually function. We start between the sticks and work our way through to our Number 9 - with Dean and Jack each picking a team and working together to come up with the Official Ranks FC selection together. Before that, Jack waxes lyrical about his trip to Naples to see Napoli, and the overwhelming awe that he found himself in at the city's insatiable appetite for football and it's team, and in Guru Wisdom, we share a new song that was sent in by one of our Patrons for our Friday show - and the plans for Ranks FC over the summer with the European competitions coming up. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! Just four teams remain in each of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, and so we thought we'd get our competition ranking caps on to discuss which teams are favourites to lift those trophies in their respective competitions at the end of May and the start of June. We start with the Champions League, with Dean examining Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund as contenders to lift the most coveted prize of all amongst the European elite. Are Real Madrid unstoppable? Could Tuchel go out with a bang at Bayern? Will Lucho inspire PSG to overcome their nearly-men tag? Or could BVB spring the ultimate surprise in this pack?Then it's over to the Europa Twins, and Jack takes the reigns, discussing Atalanta BC, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and Olympique Marseille as candidates to lift the Europa League this season; before turning attentions to the wild baby brother - the Conference League, Europe's newest competition, and looking at Aston Villa, AC Fiorentina, Club Brugge and Olympiacos' chances of winning the prize this year. And finally, Dean take Guru Wisdom control to bring you his latest fitness tips ahead of his move to San Diego this summer, which is a bit of a mind-boggler. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway is back to take a look at the second legs of the UCL Quarter Finals, which took place across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Real Madrid's defeat of Manchester City on penalties - discussing how City fans shouldn't be too disheartened with what was a dominant performance, how Jude Bellingham has a perfect understanding of Real Madrid's off-the-cuff nature already, and why Los Blancos are now favourites to win this whole things again; as well as Bayern's 1-0 win over Arsenal - talking how the Champions League allows Bayern to play in a style that arguably suits them more, why Arsenal weren't able to force the issue enough to overcome their opponents, and how Thomas Tuchel defied the critics with an impressive display tactically. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – looking at Borussia Dortmund's impressive 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid through the lens of Marcel Sabitzer's impact on this game as a whole, why Angel Correa needs more praise for the effect he had on the game off the bench, and why Borussia Dortmund have helped themselves out in more ways than one; before finishing with a discussion of PSG's 4-1 win in Barcelona - via talk of PSG's individual talent starting to shine through in a more cohesive whole, how Barcelona let the emotion and the occasion get to them, and why the brilliance of Luis Enrique could be the key to PSG breaking their Champions League curse.  It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! After Cole Palmer's star turn on Monday night against Everton, we got thinking about the players who have used this season as a platform to thrust themselves into the spotlight, and become some of the star names in their respective leagues. We start in the Premier League, where Dean has a ranking of his three breakout stars - a flying fullback at Liverpool, Manchester United's midfield metronome, and the aforementioned Chelsea sensation now joint-top of the scoring charts. Then it's off to Europe for Part Two, where Jack guides us on a quickstop tour of La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Primeira Liga - picking one player from each who has made this season their own. Then finally, Dean discusses some of the football related purchases for the boys this week - including some exciting bits ahead of his move to San Diego in time for the Copa America this summer. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway is back to take a look at the first legs of the UCL Quarter Finals, which took place across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Barcelona's topsy-turvy win over PSG - discussing how both managers were able to influence the game with their substitutions, the strange nature of PSG's struggle at defending set pieces, and Barça's excellent mix of youth and experience starting to shine; as well as Atletico Madrid's 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund - talking Atleti's early intensity and how they rattled their visitors, the defensive mistakes that allowed the hosts to launch themselves into the lead, and how both Antoine Griezmann and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens impacted the game. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – looking at Arsenal and Bayern's 2-2 draw at the Emirates through the lens of the two penalty shouts, Leroy Sane's impact in a counter-attacking team, and the experience of this Bayern unit allowing them to play in different ways at this stage of the competition; before finishing with a discussion of Real Madrid and Manchester's City's latest bout - a 3-3 classic at the Santiago Bernabeu - via talk of Rodrygo shining on the left hand side of this Real Madrid attack, Rodri's ridiculous run of games unbeaten in a City shirt, and why games like this are just how it should be.  It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! The talk of the football world right now seems to be the fact that Liverpool are reportedly closing in on their next manager - Rúben Amorim of Sporting CP, who became the leading candidate once Xabi Alonso made it clear that he planned on remaining at Bayer Leverkusen for at least one more season. Amorim is a young coach with a high pedigree, and someone we talked about a little bit on our recent episode ranking young up-and-coming managers, but we wanted to go into a little bit more depth this time round. In Part One, Dean discusses the situation as it stands right now, and a little bit on which journalists you should be following for the on-the-minute exclusive news surrounding Liverpool's pursuit of the Portuguese. In Part Two, Jack dissects three questions Amorim would need to answer should he start next season in the Anfield dugout, and three strengths of his that should mesh nicely with the Liverpool squad as it stands, as well as the ethos of the club. And in Part Three, Dean's Guru Wisdom is tested as he tries to give Reds fans a helping hand on their way to find an appropriate chant for their potential next boss. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Something a little bit different today, and we hope you'll find it as fun a listen as we found it to record. Dean put together a list of seven potential rule changes that he thought could improve the game of football immediately - we discussed everything from stopped clocks to goalkeeping handballs over the course of a manic main ranking. We also took some suggestions from our brilliant Patreon community in part three, chatting through some of the best (and worst) suggestions that came in via our brilliant community! Before that though, there was some love for both the Manchester City documentary and how it was shedding light on the title race in the Premier League, and the wild race for promotion in the Championship, which took centre stage over the Easter weekend. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for us once again to turn to a positional ranking - having covered the best centre-backs and centre-midfielders in the game, we're switching our attention to wingers, wide forwards and those stars who shine the brightest on the flanks. Again, we'll be splitting it into categories - this time shearing the ranking down the lines of those who play on the right and the left, and examining both with a top five and some honourable mentions. There's one particular player at the end too, who doesn't quite fit naturally into either space - so he gets his own little chat! In Things We Love, we spend a bit of time talking about Endrick, who scored his first senior goal for Brazil against England at the weekend, and also produced a beautiful interview with The Player's Tribune following that in which he described his road to the top of the game; and also Vinicius Jr, who gave an incredibly powerful interview of his own ahead of the game between Spain and Brazil, set up to try and combat the racial abuse he's received in stadiums around the country. We finish as ever with a bit of Guru Wisdom, and the final part of a run of helping find new teams to support for people, before we start to mix things up again in the final segment. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for the weekly excerpt from our Monday Postbox episode on Patreon, where we take questions from our community to look back across all the action from the weekend just gone. This is the segment on the USMNT's 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League, marking three times in a row that Gregg Berhalter's side have won the competition - with a performance that was a night and day contrast from the US' struggles against Jamaica in midweek. We discussed what that means for this team going forward, the issues with chanting from fans that saw the game paused whilst the offenders were removed, Tyler Adams' brilliant goal and impact as a whole, what the midfield will look like going into the Copa America, Antonee Robinson, the future of Santi Gimenez, and a whole lot more. The full episode is here!It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!And...breathe. After the drama of the last few weeks across so many different competitions, men's club football has come screeching to a halt for the last international break of this season, which gives us a chance to take stock and examine all the drama to come. Let's be real - there's so much drama to come. We've picked out five different elements that we think could provide the most heart-racing finishes to the season - starting at the top of the Premier League table, and then racing through the Champions League fights in Italy, Spain and Germany, the Serie A relegation scrap, the title race in Portugal, and the fight for promotion (and survival) in the Championship.There's also time for a new Guru Wisdom, in which we reveal what Ellis did with our suggestions for a new club to follow last week, before helping out a new Rank Squad member this week as he searches for teams to follow in England and France. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for the weekly excerpt from our Monday Postbox episode on Patreon, where we take questions from our community to look back across all the action from the weekend just gone. This is the segment on Manchester United's win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday, with Erik ten Hag's side coming from behind in extra time to end Jurgen Klopp's farewell quadruple dream - there will be no more stops at Wembley on the Goodbye Tour. We discussed how important that is for Ten Hag's chances of remaining as Manchester United manager next year as INEOS take full sporting control of the club, the influence of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, whether Klopp made some mistakes in his midweek rotations and substitutions, and a whole lot more. The full episode is here!It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway is back with a bang, as we take a look at the last four games of the Round of 16 stage, which took place across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Atletico Madrid's defeat of Inter on penalties - discussing how much braver Atléti were in possession today, why it's a shame that one of these two sides had to exit the competition so early, and how Inter's game plan was well considered, but badly executed; as well as Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win over PSV - talking Jadon Sancho's return to flying form, the influence of the eternal Marco Reus off the bench, and questioning how PSV didn't put the ball in the back of the net. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – looking at Arsena's dramatic penalty win over Porto through the lens of Mikel Arteta trusting his process, how David Raya came of age on a big night at the Emirates, and how the visitors were smart and streetwise, and why it's important for Arsenal to have come away with the win; before finishing with a discussion of Barcelona's 3-1 triumph over Napoli via talk of Barcelona's new-found intensity and why the crowd were so important, how Napoli might have missed a golden chance to taste European glory in the last two years, and why Barça's future is bright with Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal all having huge games. It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's a Champions League week, so we thought it could be fun to throw up something a bit more evergreen whilst still linking into the action, so we're here to rank our favourites of a very exclusive list. We walk through the top 20 goal scorers in European Cup & Champions League History - which Erling Haaland has just catapulted himself into - and each pick out our three favourites from the list, based on our own  personal criteria. Before that, we have a quick look at the evolving situation at Liverpool where the post-Klopp era is starting to get some structure, and what that means for the managerial merry-go-round in the summer. And of course, there's a Guru Wisdom, where this week we're helping Ellis to find himself a Premier League club. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway returns, as we take a look at the games that saw the first four teams book their spots in the quarter finals of the UCL. We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Leipzig - discussing why Leipzig will see this is a massive opportunity missed, how Real Madrid got away with one without anyone in the box, and a look at the big name midfield struggling with dynamism with Fede Valverde out wide; as well as City's 3-1 win over Copenhagen - talking the depth of City's bench being absolutely outrageous, why Copenhagen should look back at this campaign with immense pride, and how this was in many ways the perfect game for City between two massive Premier League clashes. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – looking at Bayern's 3-0 win over Lazio at the Allianz which included a whole heap of relief for Thomas Tuchel, a stark reminder of the lasting brilliance of Thomas Muller and Harry Kane, and why performances like this could end up leaving Bayern as dark horses; before finishing with a discussion of PSG's 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in San Sebastian - the tactical nous of Luis Enrique, why Anoeta more than deserved its goal at the end, and how Kylian Mbappé took the keys and went into fifth gear. It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Today we're taking a look at some of the most important and influential players who could be departing the Premier League this summer, for a variety of reasons. We walk through a couple of bona fide Premier League legends, some big names who might be a little bit past their peak right now, and some crucial cogs who could be tempted away by the lure of trophies or bigger names. From veteran legends at Manchester United and Liverpool, to big parts of Eddie Howe's Newcastle United project, to regular  forwards at Tottenham and Chelsea - there's some stories and insight here that you will not want to miss. Before that, we get stuck into the bones of the Premier League title race and the new format for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League next season, and then in Part Three we're on the hunt for teams for another listener - this time Mitch in North Carolina. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for the weekly excerpt from our Monday Postbox episode on Patreon, where we take questions from our community to look back across all the action from the weekend just gone. This is the segment on the Manchester Derby, where Phil Foden took centre stage once again to light things up as Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-1 - City's Stockport sensation trumping United's Wythenshawe wizard on a day where two academy products scored brilliant goals for their respective sides. We discussed Foden's importance to this City side, his place right now in the POTY and Ballon d'Or debates, how United's tactics dissolved into a lack of cohesive plan in the second half, where Foden and Rashford sit in Gareth Southgate's England set up, and much more. The full episode is here!It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!You've been asking for more specific rankings, so we took it upon ourselves to deliver - this week's episode takes a look at the players across Europe who play in the centre of the park, and tries to rank them as to who's the best in the business - across three categories: Defensive Midfield, Attacking Midfield, and good old Central Midfield. It ignites a few strong debates - both as to who fits into what category, and which players should make our respective podiums, but we discuss pretty much all of the big names across Europe's Five Major Leagues and beyond. There's also another Club-finding episode of Guru Wisdom. After the success of last week's hunt for Chris' new clubs, Aidan got in touch to ask if we could find him a club to support in Serie A - based on his criteria. We did our best to help! It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!We wanted to share with you an excerpt from our Monday Postbox episode on Patreon, on which we take questions from our community to look back across all the action from the weekend just gone. This is the segment on the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, where Virgil van Dijk's late header got Jurgen Klopp's farewell trophy tour off to the perfect start. We discuss the difference between the two sides, the importance of club culture and buy-in, where Pochettino got his in-game management wrong, the performances of VVD, Kelleher and Wataru Endo, and much more. The full episode is here!It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway is back with a bang, as we take a look at the second set of First Leg Round of 16 fixtures across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Porto - discussing the significance of Porto's gameplan halting Arsenal's goal rampage, the remaining question marks over Arsenal's comparative infancy back in the competition, and Wenderson Galeno making up for a horror miss with a wondergoal; as well as Napoli's 1-1 draw with Barcelona - talking two teams that are both lacking confidence and spark, the impact of the big-name Number 9s who both got on the scoresheet, and the size of the job that new manager Francesco Calzona has on his hands in Naples. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – looking at PSV's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund through the lens of a slightly fortunate penalty call for the hosts, the impact of Donyell Malen against his former club, and PSV's chances and fluidity in attack; before finishing with a discussion of Inter's 1-0 win over Atleti via the relentless nature of this Inter side, why Atleti need to be braver in midfield if they want to turn this around, and how Inter are probably the form team in the competition right now and should be classed as one of the favourites. It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! This week, we've decided enough time has passed for us to examine the deals that took place in the summer, and see which clubs made the best value signings before this season started. We kick things off in England, where Dean discusses a midfielder who ended up at West Ham United, Tottenham's goalkeeping sensation, and the man who makes it all tick for Aston Villa, as well as some other honourable mentions. Then it's off on a roadtrip around Europe - a brisk journey through Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands to dive into the deals that maybe have slipped under your radar - but very much the ones where the player's value is far greater (or has the potential to be) than what their new clubs paid for their services. And finally, in Part Three, it's a bit of a different twist on Guru Wisdom. We've received a distress call from Chris in New Jersey, who is a football fan, but hasn't settled on what teams he wants to attach himself (and his partner) to. With a strict list of requirements, we do our best to help Chris in his quest for a club. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!MLS is back this week, and we wanted to pay homage to that fact by dropping a special preview show as a bonus episode. Ranks FC MLS Correspondent Owen Murray joins Jack live from the West Coast to give you a brief lowdown on what you need to know ahead of the season beginning on Thursday. We discuss the teams who have made the smartest moves in this off-season, as well as those who might stagnate this year after a lack of movement, before giving a snapshot of the outlook from the beginning of the campaign, our favourite signings across the league in the transfer window, and finish with a little chat about some of the best kits that will grace pitches across the States in 2024. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! Champions League Takeaway is back with a bang, as we take a look at the first Knockout games of the season - across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights!We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Bayern's loss to Lazio - talking Lazio's defensive doggedness giving them a real chance, Bayern's lack of ability to get their most crucial players into the game, and why regardless of league form, a loss here could be the end of Thomas Tuchel's tenure; before discussing PSG's win over Real Sociedad through the lens of PSG's incredible strength in depth, La Real's toothlessness in front of goal of late, and how PSG's midfield is exceptional when they can dominate games.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – talking Real Madrid's win over Leipzig - touching on why Leipzig can count themselves unlucky, how Aurelien Tchouameni is in danger of being permanently relocated to centre-back, and the magic that Brahim Diaz possesses when he's given the creative keys to the team; as well as City's win over Copenhagen - looking at how the winter break affected the Danish side, why Bernardo Silva somehow still remains criminally underrated, and why City aren't perfect yet, but edging closer.It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! There's a few big managerial vacancies opening up this summer - Barcelona and Liverpool in particular - and there's also signs that there could be openings at Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Juventus and more. So we decided to take a look at five managers who have had impressive campaigns, and who might be on the wishlists of a few of Europe's giants - Sebastian Hoeneß at VfB Stuttgart, Thiago Motta at Bologna, Michel at Girona, Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP, and Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverksen - to see how they've become so in-demand, and which potential destinations are suitable for what they're trying to do. Before that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses this weekend's game between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, whilst Jack waxes lyrical about the joy of AFCON 2023 and the narrative arc of Côte D'Ivoire's Zombie Elephants campaign, where they came back from the brink to be crowned Champions of Africa. And in Guru Wisdom, Dean ruminates on a tweet he saw recently which has been stuck in his brain, examining the potential for a TV series that puts an internet theory to the test. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! The January window has been and gone, and it's time to turn our attention to the return of continental European football - with the Champions League returning next week. We break down our rankings of every team in the competition and their chances of lifting that famous trophy in May, starting with outsiders Copenhagen and working our way through to the big hitters - holders Manchester City, record winners Real Madrid, beaten 2023 finalists Inter, and German powerhouses Bayern Munich, as well as discussing the best of the rest - PSG, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Barcelona, Dortmund, Napoli, Porto, Real Sociedad, RB Leipzig, Porto and Lazio. Jack also gives you a little nudge in the direction as to which games are the ones you shouldn't be missing, whilst before we dig into the UCL, we have a discussion about the announcement of 2026 World Cup venues and the utter madness that is going to unfold over the summer across the USA, Mexico and Canada. And finally, Dean gives us a little update on his temporary solo parenting situation; and Guru Wisdom revolves around the lessons he's learned over the past few days. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!The January transfer window has SLAMMED SHUT, so we thought it was an opportune time to take a look back through the deals that went down, even in a quiet window; and pick out our favourite ones. Dean picks three deals from the Premier League - Gio Reyna to Nottingham Forest, Timo Werner to Tottenham Hotspur, and Claudio Echeverri to Manchester City ; whilst Jack heads to the continent to discuss Borja Iglesias to Bayer Leverkusen, Yerson Mosquera to Villarreal, and Arthur Vermeeren to Atletico Madrid. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!This transfer window has been a funny one across the board in many ways - we've seen the Premier League's financial dominance of the market fall by the wayside, and a quieter one all round take place across Europe. So, in regards to that, we've decided to eschew our usual Deadline Day preview episode in favour of something looking a bit further forward - to working out who could be the next player to break the nine-figure-mark in terms of a transfer fee. For our main ranking this week, we discuss the effect that Kylian Mbappé moving for free could have on the market, as well as putting forward cases for Marcus Rashford, Rafael Leão, Mohamed Salah, Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. We haven't forgotten about Deadline Day entirely though - Part One is a discussion of why this January market has been such a quiet one, and what it means for the complexities of the transfer market looking forwards, as well as discussing a few of the deals that could happen over the coming days. And Part Three's Guru Wisdom allows us to take a deeper insight as to what the phone activity of a Transfer Guru looks like in the final week of a transfer window - as Dean reveals the numbers and statistics that Apple have kindly revealed to him, and what they might mean. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!The whole gang's back together as Dean and Jack are joined by our Rank God  Sam Tighe, who, we're delighted to say, has just become a father for the first time. Today we're talking about various things you need to watch out for on the week leading up to Deadline Day. Dean starts us off with three big names who could yet sneak their way into a move: Karim Benzema, Aaron Ramsdale, and Kieran Trippier; and also looks at three realistic movers who should be on their way this week: Armando Broja, Antonio Nusa, and Jhon Duran. We take a bit of a detour away from Things We Love to discuss a couple of the wilder transfer stories that have erupted over the past week or so - firstly the apparent swap offer between Inter and Manchester United for a deal that would involve Denzel Dumfries and Aaron Wan-Bissaka switching clubs; and also Ben Godfrey's seemingly very easy decision between Sheffield United, Leeds United, and... AC Milan. Then finally, Sam talks us through three things he wishes that he'd known before becoming a father, whilst Dean dishes out three pieces of advice he'd offer to any new parent as well. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad,It's time for a little twist on a Ranks FC classic in today's podcast - we're taking a look at six players who desperately need a move for the sake of their careers, for varying reasons and in different situations. Dean picks three players from the Premier League - Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale, Everton's Ben Godfrey, and Manchester United's Anthony Martial; whilst Jack takes on three from across the rest of the world - Inter's Stefano Sensi, Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna, and Al-Ittihad's Jota. We discuss their situations at their current clubs, the reasons they need a move for the sake of their careers, and suggest some options which would be smart moves to make. Things We Love sees a discussion of Jose Mourinho's time at Roma, what the future holds for him, and his replacement in the form of Daniele de Rossi - including some speculation on what would be an emotional move for Mourinho to Newcastle United, and thoughts on why Roma might have made a mistake with this one. And there's a quiz from Dean in today's Guru Wisdom, allowing everyone, including Jack, to get to know the Transfer Guru a little better. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!We're back with a new series that will run throughout January, ranking the five hottest transfer rumours that have been floating around this week, and examining them in some forensic detail. In this first episode we take a look at rumours surrounding Borja Mayoral to Arsenal, Conor Gallagher to Tottenham, Evan Ferguson to Chelsea, Michael Olise to Manchester United, and Jordan Henderson to...well, anywhere in Europe that will have him basically. We discuss their likelihood of happening, why they're interesting right now, and the background surrounding the links, hoping to fill you in on the discussions behind the scenes to give you those pearls of insight. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's the biggest story of the January transfer window, so we thought it deserved its own episode - Kylian Mbappé and what the future holds for potentially the best player in the world right now. In this podcast, our own Transfer Guru Dean Jones examines five potential places where Mbappé could be plying his trade next season. We examine the romantic ideal of AC Milan, the idea of remaining at PSG, the possibilities in the Premier League, a shock flip-the-script to Barcelona, and the most likely ending to this - a reveal to millions at the Bernabeu as he joins Real Madrid. There's also a little tribute to Franz Beckenbauer, and Things We Love where Dean discusses Jadon Sancho's move to Borussia Dortmund, and Jack talks about his experiences watching the Derby da Invicta between Boavista and Porto at the Estadio Bessa at the weekend. And in Guru Wisdom, we learn about the things in fashion right now that Dean just can't get his head around.It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! We're back in a New Year with  new content for you all, and today we're going to take a look at the seven teams who led their respective leagues as the clock ticked to midnight on New Year's Eve - wondering whether they can hold onto that spot come the end of this season. We give each of them a percentage chance of doing so, and discuss the fortunes of Liverpool, Sporting, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid, Inter, PSG and PSV Eindhoven - as well as their title challengers. Before that, we get into the ins and outs of Wayne Rooney's sacking at Birmingham City, and take some time to discuss coaching backgrounds, and why English football has a bit of an issue with giving people big jobs before they've truly earned them - especially England's Golden Generation. And there's some new Guru Wisdom as well, as Dean discusses the life lessons he's handing out ahead of this New Year. It's down to you whether you think they're useful for you or not...It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's a slightly belated drop from us this week, but with the January window just days away from opening, we thought it was high time to take a look at some of the rumours that are flying around, and for Transfer Guru Dean Jones to give some insights on how likely they are to happen, whilst Jack adds some thoughts on how each of the players would fit into their rumoured new destinations. We discuss Gonçalo Inacio - linked with Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool; Jean-Clair Todibo - linked with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur; João Palhinha - linked with Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City; Kalvin Phillips - linked with Juventus, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace; and Ivan Toney - linked with Chelsea and Arsenal. There's also time for Things We Love, where Dean shares a story of sending little Dylan to bed with United 2-0 down to Villa, only for the Red Devils to turn things around in fine style, whilst Jack discusses being sent for a hotdog by Betis' joke announcement of Joaquin returning to the club, and also the signing of USMNT international Johnny Cardoso. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It's an important topic on today's Ranks FC, discussing the new proposals that have surfaced for a European Super League after a ruling by the European Court of Justice that both they and UEFA have claimed to be a victory. This standoff doesn't seem to be going away, so Rank God Sam Tighe joins Jack to break it all down.After UEFA's processes last time round were deemed to be anti-competitive and unfair, the ESL have proposed their tournament again, but does this ruling matter if UEFA have actually changed their processes since last time anyway? We discuss the fallout from this, before digging into the actual proposed tournament itself. We explain the new format and the tiers it would entail, before raising our concerns - protectionism and anti-competitiveness for the 16 teams at the very top, as well as lack of appropriate reward for new teams who break into the European places, and ask the big question: just because UEFA and FIFA have their issues, should we really be putting football in the hands of those who have obvious self-interest in their own clubs by letting them rule as a cabal?The Super League is a complex and multi-layered issue, but we hope we've broken it down to give you at least something to have a think about. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad! We're into the festive spirit here at Ranks FC and we thought we'd do something a little bit different for a laugh today. Dean has been trawling the four corners of the internet to find some of the most interesting and potentially controversial takes that he could discover - that were still worthy of discussion. We talk about whether Evan Ferguson could truly reach levels similar to that of Erling Haaland; why some people consider Jurgen Klopp a better manager than Pep Guardiola; if footballers genuinely care less about their clubs than they did 20 years ago; whether the Champions League this season will be won once again by an underdog - and who might qualify for that tag; and if Jude Bellingham is on a course to have a better career than the likes of Kylian Mbappé; before ranking each of those takes in terms of how valid they could be. Before that, there's Things We Love, where Dean applauds the teams who have forced their way into title race conversations out of seemingly nowhere - Girona, Aston Villa, Bayer Leverkusen and OGC Nice; and Jack gets excited about a few disruptors a little further down their respective tables - Bologna in Serie A, and Athletic Club in La Liga. Finally, Dean gives us some Christmas Guru Wisdom, with his tips for the festive season; and youngest Ranks FC heir Dylan Jones sings us all out on a jolly festive tune. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!We're here on a Monday to drop you a bonus podcast, looking back at the Last 16 draw in the Champions League and examining how we see each of the eight ties at this point in the campaign.We pick some early favourites, make some predictions, and answer some questions from our brilliant community regarding the teams involved; whilst looking at the matchups from a draw that is perhaps more exciting than it originally looked on paper.It's Ranks!(This show is a taster of our offering over on Patreon - where our Ranks FC Ultras dwell. There's two extra shows a week (at least), as well as a thriving football community on our Discord server, the chance to ask questions on our weekly Postbox episode, and help shape the direction of the podcast as a whole. With January coming up, Dean will be breaking all the latest transfer news across the month, and so there's never been a better time to give our free trial a go and decide if you'd like to get involved permanently!) And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!It’s time for the last Champions League Takeaway of 2023, and the last ever one discussing the group stages as we know them, with the format set to change next year. And there's plenty to get through!We start with Wednesday’s action, with three big takeaways on whether Newcastle were right to throw caution to the wind, why PSG are struggling to score goals right now, and how Barcelona's crisis meter is growing dangerously close to explosion, before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – talking Manchester United's exit and whether the 'true power' of the Premier League is overstated, why Real Madrid's desire not to lose is so impressive, and how a Benfica castoff helped them find a backbone, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks!And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!It’s time for the last Champions League Takeaway of 2023, and the last ever one discussing the group stages as we know them, with the format set to change next year. And there's plenty to get through!We start with Wednesday’s action, with three big takeaways on whether Newcastle were right to throw caution to the wind, why PSG are struggling to score goals right now, and how Barcelona's crisis meter is growing dangerously close to explosion, before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – talking Manchester United's exit and whether the 'true power' of the Premier League is overstated, why Real Madrid's desire not to lose is so impressive, and how a Benfica castoff helped them find a backbone, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?

Hello Rank Squad!Just ahead of some of the winter breaks kicking in across Europe, and at the end of a few of the 'summer leagues', we thought it would be a good time to take stock of who is leading the way in the scoring charts. We discuss the fun history of the European Golden Boot (or European Golden Shoe if you prefer), why it was cancelled for a few years, and explain the slightly complicated co-efficient system, before diving into the top ten. There's some familiar names - Erling Haaland, Lautaro Martinez, and Harry Kane to name a few - but there's also a few surprise packages. We discuss them all, and look at a few players outside the Top 10 who we think will make their way in by the end of the seaosn. In Things We Love, Dean discusses Cristiano Ronaldo's 50 goals in a calendar year, whilst Jack looks at a touching tribute to a fan in the game between Granada and Athletic Club in La Liga; whilst Part 3 sees us continue down the theme of Dean's Guru Wisdom with some new drinks he's tried this year. It's Ranks!And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!It's Dean's birthday, so we're doing his favourite thing - talking about transfers. Today, the Transfer Guru looks at five Premier League clubs who need to address glaring needs in January, and looks at some viable and rumoured options for each of them. We take a peek at Newcastle's goalkeeper situation, Arsenal and Fulham's No. 9 hunt, as well as Tottenham's and Liverpool's search for centre-backs.In Things We Love, DJ looks at the first managerial sacking of the PL season not taking place until December, whilst Jack discusses a new contract at Athletic Club for Nico Williams; and in Part 3, we get some life lessons from the wise Guru of Ranks FC.It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for another Champions League Takeaway - a midweek bonus chow down on all the week's UCL action. The biggest competition in Europe returned for Matchday 5, and we’re amongst it to take a look at the action from both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.We start with Tuesday's action, with three big takeaways on Newcastle's penalty pain against PSG (and Lewis Miley's brilliance),  Borussia Dortmund emerging as a competitive force in knockout competition, and Manchester City needing a kickstart to find world class levels, before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Wednesday - talking the very enjoyable chaos of Galatasaray 3-3 Manchester United, Jude Bellingham stepping up to the mark yet again for Real Madrid, and Arsenal's attack firmly clicking into full gear against Lens, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks!If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc?

Hello Rank Squad! It's a very special episode today - the 200th Ranks FC Podcast on this feed. Three years on from the inception of Ranks as an independent brand, we've reached the big milestone - so an opportunity to say thank you so much to everyone who's listened and supported us down the years. For a special occasion, we thought we'd pull the stops out and bring back the Rank God to give you the original trio back at full force. Sam Tighe joins us to give a main ranking on the best centre-backs in world football right now, and it's as debate-inducing as you might imagine. We started off with Things We Love, which saw Dean discussing the madness of the Premier League this season so far, Sam chatting about his experiences as a Ranks FC listener for the last few months, and Jack talking Sergio Ramos' return to full goblin mode this weekend as he was sent off twice in the same game.And there was one more throwback at the end, with Gibberish returning to Ranks under Dean's stewardship, where the Transfer Guru ranked some interesting things about the one constant across these 200 episodes. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad! Here's another new idea we're trialling here on Ranks FC - following on from our Deep Dive episode last week, this week we're turning our hand back to an old favourite - Quick Ranks. We're looking at the players and teams who have disappointed us across the course of 20233 - from Brenden Aaronson to Richarlison and Jordan Henderson; and from Norway's National Team to Ajax and Chelsea. We hope you enjoy this new format, which we'll be looking to bake into the rotation.It's Ranks! 

Hello Rank Squad! We're coming to the end of the last international break of 2023, so we thought it was time to sit down and explore the early favourites for the two tournaments running simultaneously next summer on either side of the Atlantic Ocean - Euro 2024 in Germany, and the Copa América in the United States. First we explore the European side of things, with Dean picking his top five - we talk through the hosts Germany, a Spain side with lots to offer, whether England can break the duck, how Portugal's depth is staggering, and if anyone can stop France. Then it's off to the Americas, with Jack leading the charge and discussing the USMNT, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina - and why each are in with a shot. We finish with some targeted Hot Takes on this very topic - looking at Ecuador, Hungary and the future of Gregg Berhalter. It's Ranks! If you'd like to get involved with our Patreon free trial for an extra two episodes a week from Jack & Dean, why not click here?

Hello Rank Squad!Welcome to the first of a new series here on Ranks FC - the Deep Dive. Every few weeks we're going to take a look into a specific club that interests us right now, for good, bad or indifferent. First off - Manchester United, who dominate the back pages with on and off-field actions right now. Dean ranks five things that are going to change once Sir Jim Ratcliffe is confirmed to have taken his 25% stake in the club, and control of the sporting wing. We discuss the power he will have, the potential appointment of Jean-Claude Blanc as new CEO, who will come in to be Director of Football, the security of Erik ten Hag's job, and the ins and outs that we can expect on this pitch in January and beyond. It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad!We're delighted to welcome back Ranks FC Head Coach Harry Brooks for today's episode, in which we're taking a look at the Premier League's current Top Five teams and examining which player is the most important for each of their respective ambitions this season.It's a journey that takes us through all parts of the pitch, with Harry analysing why each of his picks is the most important member of the team for Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.There's also a discussion on why it's hard to pick one for Manchester United, and a look at some other players who are very clearly the MVP on their own teams.There's a Things We Love first, where Dean discusses the call-up for Cole Palmer to Gareth Southgate's England Squad, and Jack goes deep on why Girona's incredible start in La Liga could be something more - and why it should be given more respect.And we wrap things up with a bit of a play on Hot Takes, examining a viral tweet from the weekend which picked the Best XI in World Football right now on both talent and form.It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for another Champions League Takeaway - a midweek bonus meal on all the week's UCL action. The biggest competition in Europe returned for Matchday 4, and we’re amongst it to take a look at the action from both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.We start with Wednesday's action, with three big takeaways on Manchester United's visit to the Theatre of Nightmares in Copenhagen, Benfica coach Roger Schmidt being in trouble, and Brahim stepping into Bellingham's boots at the Bernabeu, before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday - talking the sheer chaotic fun of Group F after it flipped on its head when Borussia Dortmund beat Newcastle, Antoine Griezmann being a class apart as he tore apart Celtic, and Barcelona having something of a wobble, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks!If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc?

Hello Rank Squad!We're back to look at something a little more abstract this week, having a look at the season so far and seeing where we think records might be broken in the year ahead. There's a discussion on whether Harry Kane could break Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga goal record (or a more obscure one currently held by a former Japanese international), when Erling Haaland will become the fastest player to score 50 Premier League goals, whether Nice can become the best defensive team in Ligue 1 history, which plaques Lamine Yamal will next add to his already-ridiculous records haul, and if James Ward-Prowse will overtake his hero David Beckham for the most PL free-kicks scored. Before all that, we take 15 minutes to break down the madness that occurred on Monday night between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea; and in Part Three, there's a Gibberish spin on the main ranking, with Jack finding some fun obscure records that you might not have heard of. It's Ranks! 

Hello Rank Squad! There's some new names firmly in the transfer conversations as we speed towards the end of 2023, with previously unavailable players and ones who have emerged as major talents now amongst the most coveted targets on the planet. We discuss what the future looks like for Victor Osimhen, Arthur Vermeeren, Aaron Ramsdale, Florian Wirtz and Serhou Guirassy, and which clubs lead the way in terms of their interest. And, of course, after Lionel Messi won his 8th Ballon d'Or yesterday, there's time for us to reflect on the ceremony and the rankings, throw around some entertaining Messi facts, and for Jack to bring back the poems for another Ode to the King. It's Ranks! 

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for another Champions League Takeaway - a midweek bonus meal on all the week's UCL action. The biggest competition in Europe returned after the international break, and we’re amongst it to take a look at the action from both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.We start with Tuesday's action, with three big takeaways on La Masia powering Barcelona once again, Newcastle & Dortmund giving us a UCL game for the ages, and PSG moving through the gears against Milan before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Wednesday - talking Manchester United's problems despite the win (and some positives), Gabi Jesus turning on Champions League mode, the emergence of Brais Mendez for Real Sociedad, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks!If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc?

Hello Rank Squad!We're going Stateside for today's podcast, with the MLS postseason kicking off this week. Our MLS correspondent and writer Owen Murray is back on the pod to talk through his favourites to lift the trophy, some wild card picks to watch, and the games you can't be missing as we head into crunch time over the next month or so. Before that, Dean and Jack have Things We Love, where Dean discusses Ange Postecoglou's revolution at Tottenham Hotspur, and Jack raves about Sergio Ramos' performance for Sevilla against former club Real Madrid at the weekend. And it's something slightly different to round it off - with Jack & Dean keeping the MLS flavour by picking three players each we'd like to see Stateside for next year's league. It's Ranks! 

Hello Rank Squad!It's that time of year again, where the crème de la crème of world football dust out the old tuxedos and head for Paris for the glittering Ballon d'Or ceremony - the home of the famous incident where Virgil van Dijk was once asked if he wears aftershave on the pitch by some eejits. We look through the 30 man shortlist for football's most prestigious individual prize and whittle it down to 10, before giving our thoughts on the ranking of the top 10 footballers in the world last year. Will Lionel Messi claim his 8th trophy? Will Erling Haaland's ridiculous goal record put him on top of the pile? Or could World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé finally get his hands on the trophy after his sixth nomination - a reminder that he's only 24. We look through it all, and the best of the rest. It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad!With the wheels on Europe's top five leagues squealing to a halt as we hit the second international break of the season, we thought it would be an interesting time to sit back and reflect on what's gone on so far this year, and which players have stood out. So, we've taken a look through the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1, to pick out the best player so far in each competition, and then stack them against each other to decide Europe's best so far - with a little help from our brilliant Ranks Community. There's a Things We Love, where Dean discusses the competitiveness of the Premier League this season, and Jack talks about two young Andalusian starlets in Bryan Zaragoza of Granada, and Assane Diao of Real Betis; before Hot Takes brings us some thoughts on Federico Valverde, and the future of Lamine Yamal. It's Ranks!Our Patreon community get two extra episodes a week, access to our brilliant Discord server, and loads more from us here at Ranks FC. Free trials are open, so why not give it a whirl?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for another Champions League Takeaway - a midweek bonus meal on all the week's UCL action. The biggest competition in European football returned to it's chaotic best, and we’re amongst it to take a look at the action from both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.We start with Tuesday's action, with three big takeaways on Manchester United's lack of streetwise nous, Arteta's decision to play an injured Bukayo Saka, and perhaps the best game of the season between Union Berlin and SC Braga, before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Wednesday - talking Newcastle's demolition job on PSG at St. James' Park, Atleti continuing to get the job done whatever the weather, and Dortmund & Milan playing out one of the maddest 0-0 draws you will ever see, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks!If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc?

Hello Rank Squad!It's tough out there as a manager. You can be winning trophies and be the designated Chosen One one minute, and then on the verge of losing your job the next. It's tough, it's brutal, but it's the way football works, so we wanted to revisit an old staple and take a look at some of the managers under the cosh this season, and what the future holds for them. We visit Jose Mourinho at Roma, Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, Maurizio Sarri at Lazio, Sean Dyche at Everton, Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, and Maurice Steijn at Ajax, to take a look at what their situations are right now and assess whether they have the potential to turn things round at their respective clubs. Before that though, we take a look back at last week's episode and how the teams we discussed have fared since, and in our Hot Takes section this week, Saber from Sydney throws around an idea as to how to stop time-wasting and make football more efficient. It's Ranks! 

Hello Rank Squad!We've got a very special second episode for you this week, looking at five players who have joined (or are joining) European clubs from South America this year, and picking our way through the best of the bunch.Joining Jack is Nathan Joyes, founder of The Copa Club website, magazine and podcast, and aficionado on all things South American football, to provide the insight and knowledge you need on some of the brightest stars on the horizon from football's most famous continent.We take a look at Chelsea's Andrey Santos, Nottingham Forest's Murillo, Olympiacos' Santiago Hezze, Porto's Alan Varela, and Barcelona's soon-to-be new boy Vitor Roque, as well as briefly discussing Matheus Franca of Crystal Palace and Alan Minda of Cercle Brugge.It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad!It's something a little bit different this week, as we take each of the clubs leading various leagues around the world and pit them against each other to see who we think would come out on top. It's a journey that takes us from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon, Munich to Manchester,  Cincinnati to Catalonia, Brest to Bavaria, via Milan and Jeddah for good measure. Then there's time for a few hot takes - one on the future of Borussia Dortmund's young star Youssoufa Moukoko, and the other on whether international managers should have to be from their home nations. It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for the first main course Champions League Takeaway of this season - a midweek bonus meal on all the week's UCL action. The biggest competition in European football is back, and we’re amongst it to take a look at the action from both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.We start with what went down tonight, with three big takeaways on Manchester United’s defensive woes, Arsenal’s young guns being so ready for this stage, and Simone Inzaghi making too many changes to his Inter side, before rounding up the rest of the action.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday - talking Rafael Leão’s off day for Milan, joyful João Félix shining already at Barcelona, and Julian Alvarez being the world’s best supporting actor, and then run through everything else that happened too.It’s Ranks!If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc?

Hello Rank Squad!It’s time to take a look back at some of the most interesting things that we’ve noticed in the new season, and so returning to the fold is our Head Coach, Mr. Harry Brooks, who is here to discuss some of the trends he’s picked up on from a coaching perspective.First off, we get his views on the revolution taking place under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur, a club very close to Harry’s heart, and just how Ange is shifting the perspective of Tottenham fans just months into his new regime.Then, it’s onto the main segment, where Harry talks us through five specific concepts that have jumped into the mainframe this season so far. We talk players not being positions, the dangers of over-coaching, the re-emergence of footballing mavericks, the use of data in player analysis, and the judgement of managers for playing (or not playing) out from the back.Finally, Dean and Jack give their thoughts on a spicy take from Rank Squad member Jordan, who things Fede Valverde is going to leave behind one hell of a legacy for both club and country.It's Ranks!And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!The window is shut, there's been a few games to see how teams look, and it's time to finalise our long-term predictions for this season, which can only mean one thing here on Ranks - it's time for 5x5! And, for a big episode like this, we wanted to make things special, so we've brought back the Rank God Sam Tighe for his first appearance of the new season. The concept is simple - we each pick how we think the top five in England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain are going to look when the curtain falls in May.First, we take a look at what happened last time out, before working through our selections, our thoughts on how a shedload of sides have started their campaigns, and some more questionable bold calls from Jack, hot off his Napoli shout last year. It's Ranks!And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!It's time to reflect on the transfer window and the clubs who have come out of it in better shape, in a couple of different ways. First of all, Dean Jones takes a look at the Premier League's Big Seven - Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United - and compares how their business has looked at the end of the window, before taking stock of the true winners of the PL's business this summer. Then, Jack Collins has a peek across the rest of Europe to discuss some other big hitters and how they've fared, including Paris Saint-Germain of Ligue 1, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga, Inter and AC Milan of Serie A, Benfica of the Primeira Liga, and Barcelona and Girona from La Liga. There's a new Hot Take from the Rank Squad all about Rafael Leão, before we wrap things up! It's Ranks!And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!Welcome back to Champions League Takeaway, the first one of the new season, where we're reacting not to the games that have just taken place, but to the draw for the Group Stages, which threw up all manner of questions and answers. Jack watched the draw live to have a think about things, but Dean gets the draw for the first time on air - so it's the best of both worlds! We talk through each of Groups A-G, including Group F's deathly dangers, some finely balanced second spot races, and how the big guns will fare against their less well-known rivals. It's Ranks! If you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad! We're into the last few days of the transfer window in Europe's top leagues and there's plenty of work still to do in the final hours. We take a look at the biggest storylines left to play out, including Saudi interest in Liverpool's Mo Salah, where Atleti's João Félix might end up, potential exits from Arsenal for Gabriel Magalhães and Emile Smith Rowe, Manchester United's left-back search and if that could lead them to Marc Cucurella, and rumoured Chelsea interest in Barcelona's Raphinha, as well as more things to keep an eye on! There's a return of Things We Love, where Dean waxes lyrical about João Palhinha, who has a serious claim of being the most effective CDM in the Premier League; and Jack looks at an Atletico Madrid start to the season which might have them in the title race conversation. There's also a Hot Take from Rank Squad member Valentin, that leads to a discussion about Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala - remember to send yours in to our Instagram or Twitter if you'd like to be involved!It's Ranks!And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!Welcome to the Transfer Emergency Room - the show that takes a look at which clubs are in need of severe player transplants ahead of the transfer window closing, if they're going to have any chance of achieving their goals this season.Dean starts us off in the Premier League, where we talk about Manchester United, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool - dissecting the squads to find gaping holes and glaring problems which need to be addressed in the next week or so.Then Jack takes us to the European Continent, taking on the role of Consultant as we analyse Barcelona, Roma, Ajax and Lyon, looking at their needs ahead of the new season and trying to suggest fixes which suit each of the clubs.Finally, there's a return for Hot Takes - where Tommy and Franco set us up with their thoughts on whether Phil Foden is the most talented English player of this generation, and if Houssem Aouar can be Serie A's best midfielder this campaign.It's Ranks!If you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!It’s the final instalment of our League Previews series, and we're headed to Germany to talk all things Bundesliga. Jack is joined by Kevin Hatchard, German football commentator and expert, to talk through the major storylines ahead of the new season.In Part 1 we talk a summer of turmoil at Bayern, and how they might not have things all their own way this season, even with Harry Kane now through the door; before discussing the positives for Marco Rose's DFB-Supercup Champions Leipzig, and last season's runners-up Dortmund, ahead of the new campaign. There's also a discussion of the race for the Champions League, where we examine Union Berlin's big squad, Xabi Alonso's vibey Leverkusen, and a relatively unchanged Freiburg, as well as a brief chat about if Eintracht Frankfurt or Wolfsburg could challenge for those spots. Then in Part 2, we talk about the two new boys - Heidenheim and Darmstadr, and whether they have enough firepower to survive at the top level, as well as taking a little look at who else might be in that relegation struggle, namely Bochum, Augsburg and Hoffenheim.It’s Ranks!If you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!It's our penultimate episode in the Preview Series, and we're headed to Italy to take a look at all things Serie A!Dean and Jack start by taking a look at Champions Napoli, and discussing how they'll get on in their title defence after a summer defined by their change of manager from Luciano Spalletti to Rudi Garcia. Then, we assess their main title challengers - in the form of Milan, Inter, Lazio and Juventus.In Part 2, we look at the teams who might be outside chances in that race, especially Roma and Atalanta, before discussing the teams in the hunt for those other European spots - Fiorentina, Bologna, Torino and upwardly-mobile Monza.Finally, there’s a look at the newly promoted sides, Cagliari, Genoa and Frosinone; before a discussion of those teams who might well join them in the relegation scrap - Hellas Verona, Lecce and Empoli - and how things might play out.It’s Ranks!If you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!The Premier League is back this weekend, and so it's time for it to get the Ranks Preview treatment.Dean and Jack start by taking a look at Champions Manchester City and whether they've regressed or progressed this summer, before discussing the teams that will look to challenge their dominance. We discuss Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle in terms of whether they can dethrone Pep's sky blue juggernaut.Then in Part 2, we look at the European race in a wider context, discussing Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Brighton's summer business, as well as discussing if we thing a rogue contender like Bournemouth could be in the mix.Finally, there's a look at the newly promoted sides, Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United, and then a brief ranking on which teams might be in that relegation battle - Wolves, Everton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest were all in there last season, but could Fulham, Brentford or Crystal Palace get dragged in too?It's Ranks!If you'd like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad!It's the third instalment of our League Previews series, and today we're off to France to talk all things Ligue 1! We start with a deep dive into everything that's been going on at PSG this summer, as Jack is joined in Part 1 by Peter Rutzler of The Athletic to look at the new manager, the incomings, the outgoings, and the general feeling around Kylian Mbappé and Neymar right now. Then in Part 2, Luke Entwistle, Senior Editor at Get French Football News, joins the show to talk the best of the rest and beyond. We discuss the summers and prospects of Marseille, Rennes, Monaco, Lille, Lens, Lyon and Nice, as well as taking a look at a few of last season's survivors who might be in trouble again, and a peek at the newly promoted sides too. It's Ranks!If you'd like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? --Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!It's the second episode in our League Previews series, and this time it's a double bill as we focus on both the Eredivisie in the Netherlands and the Primeira Liga in Portugal!We start on the Iberian Peninsula, where old friend Zach Lowy joins us to talk through Benfica, Porto and Sporting's summers, as well as focusing on Braga's breakthrough into the Big Three and how their business could be the best of the lot. Then we move on to the Netherlands, where we're joined by Michael Statham of Football Oranje to talk Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV's contrasting transfer windows, and the challenge to the traditional big three posed by both AZ Alkmaar and FC Twente. It's Ranks!If you'd like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? --Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!With pre-season in full swing it's time to start gearing up for the season proper to start again and we've decided to give first billing to Spain in our season preview series! We talk all things La Liga - starting with a deep dive on the two Clasico sides vying for the Spanish crown in Barcelona and Real Madrid, taking a look at the signings brought in this summer, the question of midfield balance, and some thoughts on how they'll line up at the start of the season. Then we move on to the European contenders, taking a look at Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Villarreal, before turning our attention to some teams who look like they might struggle - namely Rayo Vallecano, Valencia and Celta Vigo. It's Ranks! If you'd like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? --Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!We're back to talk about the players who really need a season to go their way - from young guns who need to regrasp their potential to the old guard looking for a last crack at the top, we discuss Raheem Sterling, Heung-Min Son, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kai Havertz, Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mané and João Félix.There's also Hot Takes from the Rank Squad, discussing Liverpool's title ambitions, overrated moments in football history, and Chelsea's defensive strength.It's Ranks!If you'd like more from the Rank Squad, including transfer episodes all summer, our weekly Postbox episode, and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? --Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!With Declan Rice becoming the second most expensive Premier League signing in history, we decided to have a look through the top 10 and cast our eye over what we could learn from the others - from Virgil van Dijk to Enzo Fernandez, and everyone in between. Jack and Dean take a look through the deals that make up those headline purchases, and examine how and why they either succeeded or failed, to get a read on the situation. There's a Things We Love, which discusses the new war of words between the Saudi Pro League and MLS off the back of Cristiano Ronaldo's latest comments, and also some wonderful homecomings made in this transfer window. Plus, Hot Takes returns - this week we hear your views on offsides, net spend, and whether Paul Scholes was better than Zinedine Zidane. It's Ranks!--Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad! The Women's World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand this week, so it felt like the right time for us to delve into everything you need to know about this summer's edition of the tournament. Jack is joined by the brilliant Mina Ibrahim to talk through her three favourites for the competition, three dark horses who could be in with a shout, and a heap of players that you need to watch out for across the tournament as a whole. To keep an eye on all Mina's coverage of the tournament, you can visit her YouTube channel here. It's Ranks!--Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!Welcome to a very special crossover episode here on Ranks FC, where we bring you our very own Dean Jones in his alternative form - hosting Chasing Green Arrows with the ever-brilliant Gianni Buttice. The boys run through their first drafts for next season's Fantasy Premier League, looking at some of the most exciting options who are sure to catapult you to the top of your friends' leagues in the season to come. It's Ranks! (But not as you know it!) --Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!The Under 21 European Championships concluded this weekend with Lee Carsley's England triumphing over Spain in the showpiece event to end a 39-year wait for the trophy and see the Young Lions become the first side to win the tournament without conceding a goal. Jack is joined by the brilliant Seb Stafford-Bloor of The Athletic and Tifo Football to talk through a feisty final between the two nations, as well as some of the bigger names and how they fared at the tournament, and some more obscure players who shone that you should keep an eye out for this season.Finally we talk about some of the nations for whom a successful generation here could be the spark for their senior side to ignite into life, to close things off. It's Ranks!--Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!We're just over a month out from the return of the Premier League, and there's a lot of questions still to answer for various clubs. The Head Coach, Harry Brooks, returns to walk us through a selection of things he's got on his radar. We start with Manchester United and how they might operate without a World Class Number 9, discuss Bournemouth's new manager Andoni Iraola and how he adapts, dig into the plethora of problems haunting Pochettino's Chelsea, take a look at how Brighton might need to adapt this season to thrive, and ruminate on how City continue to get the best out of Erling Haaland. Things We Love contains a bit on the Harry Kane to Bayern Munich saga continuing to develop, and Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as the new manager of Brazil from next summer onwards. And this week's Hot Takes includes thoughts on Ange Postecoglou and the pressure of the Premier League (straight from one of our Patreons, and you can try it for free!), N'golo Kante's place in the Premier League Pantheon, and the handball rule needing to change. It's Ranks!--Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!It's time to talk Serie A - where after a few seasons of things looking like they were firmly on a positive trajectory, everything now looks like it's on fire. Jack & Dean are joined by the brilliant Christine Cupo to talk five Serie A clubs with big issues to fix this summer - Roma, Napoli, Inter, Milan & Juventus - and how they might go about starting to sort them out. Things We Love contains the madness of this transfer window (more on our Patreon, and you can try it for free!) and Sean Dyche fulfilling a lifelong dream by going to Glastonbury Festival. And this week's Hot Takes includes thoughts on Managers To Support, Harry Kane's pricetag, and why penalties are unfair. It's Ranks! --Ready to shop better hydration, use my special link https://zen.ai/ranksfcafootballpod1 to save 20% off anything you order.

Hello Rank Squad!We're back with some brand new fun - and this week Dean and Jack are looking through some of the storylines that are throwing the standard order of things out of the window ahead of this transfer window. We take a look at the pull of the Saudi Pro League, the impact of Leo Messi to MLS, PSG's superstar exodus and Manchester United's ownership takeover to see what kind of knock-on effect they might have on the summer. There's also a segment on Bournemouth's decision to replace Gary O'Neil with Andoni Iraola, and why taking a risk on the former Rayo Vallecano manager might well be a really smart move from Cherries' owner Bill Foley. Finally, we introduce a new section, where we're asking the Rank Squad for their hot takes and assessing them one by one in terms of how good a shout they are, and how off-the-wall they might be. It's Ranks! If you'd like more from the Rank Squad, including quickfire transfer episodes all summer and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 

Hello Rank Squad! Welcome to something slightly different here on the channel. On Wednesday evening we teamed up with the excellent folks at Preediction to do a live, interactive transfer show with a load of guests who came on to talk to us about everything and anything transfer related. We talked a whole host of things - Kylian Mbappé's potential exit from Real Madrid, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, as well as answering questions on Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester City and much more. It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad! The domestic season is (mostly) over for 2022/23 and so it's time for us to look back and hand out some awards, especially for those who might have been missed out!We hand out some alternative awards - Coolest player, most watchable team, most pointless transfer, worst decision maker, and many more - to try and get a full lid on the best and worst things that happened this season and how you might remember them. Before that, we start with a discussion of the latest news on Kylian Mbappé and if he actually wants out of PSG, talking about how he'd fit (or not) at Madrid, and how the future actually looks at the Parc des Princes these days. And there's finally room for a Melon of the Season, a Gibberish Rankings about why British people cannot cope in a long, hot summer; and a goodbye for a little while to Sam, who is taking a well-earned rest. It's Ranks!If you'd like to join us for more transfer blitz shows this summer, why not have a look at our Patreon, where you can still get a one month free trial at the moment! 

Hello Rank Squad!It's the final (and perhaps the biggest) game of the European Season this Saturday as Manchester City take on Inter in the Champions League Final, held this year in Istanbul at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium - 18 years after maybe the most dramatic of all UCL Finals when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties in the Miracle of Istanbul. We take a look at how both teams got to the showpiece event, analysing their runs to the final; before turning our attention to why both will feel confident going into this game. Dean gives us three reasons City can finally get their hands on the coveted European Cup, whilst Sam sets out three reasons Inter will feel that they have the tools to stop that happening. Finally, Jack takes a look at his key battle in this one, between City’s Rodri and Inter’s Nicolo Barella, before we give some predictions to round things off.It's Ranks!Tickets for our Live Transfer Interactive Show are now available but there’s only a limited amount left. We’d love you to get involved, so if you’d be interested in chatting to us about the big transfer stories this summer, why not have a look here?

Hello Rank Squad! News broke on Tuesday that Tottenham Hotspur had appointed Ange Postecoglou as their new Head Coach, after two very successful years at Celtic where the Australian won five trophies, including a treble this year. Reaction to the news has been mixed in the Spurs camp, so we decided to get some friends along to help us look through various different facets of the appointment. First off, Jack and Dean discuss how this came to pass, before we're joined by Coach and Spurs fan Harry Brooks to look at some of the challenges Ange will have to overcome. There's a segment from our Patreon episode where Sam & Dean dissect the nuances of having a manager from a slightly more obscure background take the reins at a big club and the challenges that presents, before Jack is joined by Alex (@EuroExpert) to look at some of the tactical quirks Ange likes and some of the players who could thrive under him. It's Ranks!If you'd like to take advantage of the Free Trial on Ranks FC's Patreon, we'd love to have you join us over the summer as we freewheel through the biggest transfer stories and more from what promises to be a wild off-season. 

Hello Rank Squad!It's the Europa League Final between Roma and Sevilla, so we've brought in some very special guests to walk through a few reasons why both sides will feel they can lift that trophy in Budapest on Wednesday night. John Solano joins us to talk all things Roma, before we welcome back an old friend in the form of David Cartlidge to discuss Sevilla's chances of getting their hands back on their favourite trophy.It's Ranks!

Hello Rank Squad! As awards season begins to roll in, we turn our attention to the Premier League and which managers have impressed enough this season to be considered in the conversation as the league's best. We discuss cases for Pep Guardiola of Manchester City, Mikel Arteta of Arsenal, Eddie Howe of Newcastle United, Roberto de Zerbi of Brighton & Hove Albion, Unai Emery of Aston Villa, Marco Silva of Fulham and Gary O'Neil of Bournemouth, in various capacities - as Sam picks out his top five. Things We Love talks about Borussia Dortmund being one win away from their first Bundesliga win in 11 years, West Ham's celebrations upon reaching the Europa Conference League final, and Granada being on the brink of a return to La Liga. There's a Melon of the Week from the Bundesliga's European battle, and Gibberish returns to discuss some of the best mascots in world football. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for another Champions League Takeaway - a midweek bonus meal on all the week's UCL action. We have a final on our hands after Manchester City blew Real Madrid away at the Etihad and Inter comfortably saw home last week's advantage against city rivals AC Milan. We start in Manchester, where we discuss how Kyle Walker's moment at 1-0 was the epitome of a City side in complete control, the big game attitude of brilliant Bernardo Silva and why tonight showed just why Real Madrid are looking to sign Jude Bellingham in midfield. Then we head to Milan to talk about the sheer lack of personality and tactical nous showed by Piolo's Rossoneri, the similarities between the Champions League and World Cup campaigns of Lautaro Martinez's Inter and Argentina, and a night where a referee kept a real lid on things as it threatened to boil over. Finally, we take a quick preliminary look at the matchup in the final and how Inter's defence should give City more problems than Madrid managed tonight, or whether this Pep machine are just too good to stop. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Finally, it feels like the Mauricio Pochettino deal to Chelsea that's been floating around the ether for weeks now is a done deal, so we've decided to take a look at the first orders of business for him when he takes the reins at Stamford Bridge. There's a lot to get through, so expert help was needed in the form of The Athletic's Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey, an old friend of this parish. We discussed the issues facing Poch in deciding what his No. 9 needs to look like, working out who fits the roles he needs in his attacking midfield core, finding an understudy/replacement for N'Golo Kanté, the fitness of the squad, and the outgoing players he needs to find a new home for. There's room for Things We Love too - where we discuss Xavi ending Barcelona's four year wait for a La Liga title at Camp Nou and the news that Marcelo Bielsa has been appointed as the new manager of the Uruguay National Team. Melon of the Week comes from a humdinger at Elland Road, and there's a Gibberish about Jack's learnings from the three stag do (bachelor party) weekends he's been on in a row. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for another Champions League Takeaway - a feast on all the week's UCL action. With the first legs of both semi-finals in the books, we sat down to dissect Milan's 2-0 defeat at home to Inter and Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Bernabeu. We start in Milan, where we discuss the absence of Rafael Leão and the knockon effects that had on Milan's team selection and ability to release the pressure valve; the re-emergence and brilliance of Henrikh Mkhitaryan this evening; and the duel between Denzel Dumfries and Theo Hernandez that the Dutchman came out the better of. Then we head to Madrid to talk Haaland's quiet evening and the big-game-strides of Kevin de Bruyne; why we could watch Kyle Walker and Vinicius Jr. duke it out all night; and Pep not overcomplicating things, much to the delight of City fans. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's a Champions League Week again, so it's a double drop and a little look forward on our first episode - this time taking it into the summer to discuss some of the biggest deals that are already being put on the table. Dean brings his expertise to discuss the situations of Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Alexis Mac Allister and what the summer transfer window is going to look like for all these players. Jack and Sam do their best to work out sensible destinations for all five, and how things might play out. Before that, Things We Love is about this week's trophy winners - we discuss Napoli's first Scudetto win for 33 years and Real Madrid finishing an incredible 475 days with a Copa del Rey win over Osasuna, as well as giving some praise to Ange Postecoglou's back-to-back Champions at Celtic and a shoutout for Urawa Red Diamonds, who won the Asian Champions League at the weekend too. There's a Melon of the Week from a mad Bank Holiday Monday of Premier League football, and Sam's Gibberish throws up some options of how to make this Formula 1 season more competitive. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! May has arrived and the football train is pulling into the final few stations for this season, which means we're in the closing stages of the Champions League. Four teams remain - Inter play Milan in a Derby della Madonnina in one semi-final, whilst we have a re-run of last year with Real Madrid playing Manchester City in the other. Which of the four teams is most likely to lift that coveted trophy into the night sky in Istanbul in June? We break it down. Things We Love this week contains a discussion of the relegation battle in the Premier League, summarised by that crackerjack of a Monday night game between Leicester City and Everton; a look at the state of play as we head into the final day of the Championship season; and a discussion of Dean's beloved Walton & Hersham, who have been promoted, and whose story is absolutely wild. There's a Melon of the Week from Anfield at the weekend, and Gibberish from Sam describing an event that he and Jack went to last week in town, which threw up some interesting stories. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! With the NFL Draft coming up fast, there's always an excuse for us to dig out an old favourite out of the Ranks playbook and give ourselves a Draft challenge as well. This time round, we've added some more parameters - we each get an ordered pick to try and build the best team of players who are aged 23 or under, and no player can be picked twice. Joining Sam, Dean & Jack is Ranks Chief Writer and MLS Correspondent Owen Murray, all the way from the West Coast, and a man with more experience of these kind of things than us - Owen's representing the Rank Squad in this game, and he's hoping to do you all proud. Join us as we make our way through some of the best young talent in the world of football, and build XIs that we think could challenge for the ultimate crown. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Some extra love coming at you this week as we take a dive into the breaking news of the day - where it looks like Mauricio Pochettino is close to becoming the new Chelsea manager. We take a look into why he's accepted the job at this point, what Chelsea have promised him as a project, who he might look to sign in the summer, how his team could set up, his relationships with Directors of Football in the past, Poch's reputation in both France and England, and what this means for Daniel Levy and Spurs. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for the Champions League Takeaway - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as we had the second legs of the quarter finals and locked in our final four. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lens, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game. We start with City's 1-1 draw in Munich which saw them progress comfortably after last week's massacre in Manchester. We discuss the mentality change for City ahead of another semi-final, the impressive performance of Kingsley Coman, and Bayern's gamble not paying off. Then, we're off to Milan to discuss what looked like a 3-3 classic between Inter and Benfica, but was actually less so. That said, Inter will be over the moon - we talk the experience of Inter's lineup, the positives that Benfica can take out of this and the fanbase's joy at Inter's homegrown Italian core. Then in Part 2, we head back to London to discuss Real Madrid's thoroughly professional job dispatching an out-of-sorts Chelsea. There's some hope for Blues fans, in Lampard's tactics actually suiting this game quite well, but it's a Rodrygo love-in by the end as one of Real's Brazilian starboys takes another opportunity to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight, in a competition he loves so much. We finish with the all-Italian affair between Milan and Napoli, which the Rossoneri edged; talking through Milan's Rafael Leão's one-man counter-attack, Napoli not needing to be too downhearted, and a defensive display which was worthy of some of Milan's legendary back lines. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are just a couple of matches left in most domestic leagues in Europe, meaning that it's now or never for a lot of things. Title races, relegation scraps, promotion tussles - there's absolutely loads left to play for across the continent. On today's episode we look at the most exciting things left to play for this season - from Arsenal vs. Manchester City and Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund in the title races in the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively, to the battles for differing European spots across England, in La Liga in Spain, and in Italy's Serie A, where the Champions League battle is an absolute bear pit. Things We Love discusses yet another weekend of absolute madness, and one that was really tough on teams at the top of their respective leagues; Roma's wonderful tribute to captain Lorenzo Pellegrini; and the atmosphere in El Trafico, where LAFC finally triumphed away at LA Galaxy. There's also a Melon of the Week that we absolutely hated handing out, and Jack takes over the Gibberish Rankings to discuss his favourite golf clubs and how they compare to different football players. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for the Champions League Takeaway - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as we had our first round of quarter final matches. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lens, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game. We start with Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Chelsea at the Bernabeu, where Frank Lampard's Blues lacked real dynamism, and the spark and trickery of Vini and Valverde made them pay. We try to find some positives for Chelsea too, but ultimately this one felt like a bridge too far for a team lost with where they are right now. Then in Part 2, we head for Milan, where Napoli were once again quashed as the Rossoneri came out on top in an all-Italian affair. We talk about the power of San Siro, Napoli's nightmare evening in the North, and Milan's refusal to kill the game off - will that cost them in Naples? Three B's headline Benfica 0-2 Inter, where Bastoni's long passing is given its due credit, Benfica's wilting under the lights is discussed in terms of fatigue and experience, and Barella's return to Europe's top tier of midfielders is heralded - he remains Inter's big-game Mr. Reliable. Finally we turn our attention to Manchester, to the most impressive performance of all 8, where City's intensity made Bayern melt in the Manchester malaise, the Barnsley Beckenbauer John Stones ascended to the throne of his namesake against his old club, and Dayot Upamecano had an evening we're sure he'd love to forget. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's always good to take stock of players at this point in the season, so we thought we'd do something fun - and try to work out the best front three we could build from each of the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1, before pitting those against each other to determine an ultimate winner. As you can imagine, consensus was tricky to come by in a world that contains so much brilliance, but we've done our best! Things We Love discussed the job that Unai Emery is doing at Aston Villa, Ben Foster's big moment in the 'biggest non-league game ever' and the brilliance of Easter Weekend in the Championship. There was an incredibly controversial Melon of the Week from Dean, and Sam's Gibberish included some questions out of left field. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Club football is back with a bang, and so is the return of the Champions League, which will get to its quarter final stage (or as Sam calls it, 'the best bit in football') next week. We wanted to get the jump on it, looking at each team and ranking them in likelihood of them winning the competition this year - will it be Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Napoli, Milan, Inter, Bayern Munich or Benfica that lifts that famous trophy at the start of June? It's not the only big European tournament going though - Jack takes us on a quick pitstop of the Europa and Conference League final 8s as well, although it's only his top three to win each of them (and a wildcard to keep an eye on!) There's a Melon and Shoutout of the Week, returned to full glory this time round, and Sam's Gibberish is provided by his wonderful, long-suffering wife Rach, who gives us her take on the UCL 8-1 ranking. It's Ranks! If you'd like to take advantage of our free trial on Patreon, have a look around here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's been a week of consternation in the managerial world, from last week's bolt from the blue coming out of Bayern Munich, where Julian Nagelsmann was replaced by Thomas Tuchel in the Bavarian hot seat; whilst on Sunday night news broke that Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur had parted ways also. We start at Spurs, where we discuss what comes next for Tottenham and how Daniel Levy has a plethora of differing options from Mauricio Pochettino to Thomas Frank, to decide how the future of the club looks. Then we are blessed to be joined by Manuel Veth, German football expert, writer for Forbes and Transfermarkt, and host of the Gegenpressing Podcast; to discuss why Bayern decided that they were going to part ways with Julian Nagelsmann, despite it looking like he was bound to be their project manager for a long time to come, and why Thomas Tuchel's availability forced a quick decision upon the Bayern hierarachy. Finally, there's a Melon of the Week from Scotland, a disheartening Shoutout Section, and a Gibberish that looks at a missing member of the Ranks FC crew. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's the International Break, and so we wanted to take a look at a couple of players who look like they could change their respective nation's fortunes over the coming years. We talk about Turkey's Arda Guler, Ireland's Evan Ferguson, Belgium's Romeo Lavia, Israel's Oscar Gloukh and the big bad wolf himself - Norway's Erling Braut Haaland; to discuss how their skillsets could launch their countries into a new era of success. There's Things We Love too - where Dean discusses the form of Bukayo Saka, both on and off the pitch; Sam looks at the changing ways different clubs are attempting to avoid relegation in the Premier League; and Jack delves into Sevilla's managerial merry-go-round and the need to be careful what you wish for. There's a managerial Melon of the Week, and Sam's Gibberish takes a turn for the weird as he compares oven temperatures to footballers. It's Ranks! If you're interested in joining us for more over on our Patreon, our free trial is active now so you can get a month's listening to see if it's something you like! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for the Champions League Takeaway - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as we locked in the final four teams in those quarter-final slots. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lens, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game. We start with Manchester City's 7-0 demolition of RB Leipzig, looking at Erling Haaland's goalscoring instincts, Leipzig's brave but foolish gameplan, and why City feel like real favourites this year; before taking a dive into Inter's battling 0-0 that saw them progress at the Dragão at the expense of Porto, discussing Inter's defensive solidity for 90 minutes, the chaos of injury time and why Diogo Costa is the real deal. Then in Part 2, we head for Madrid where Real Madrid finished the job against Liverpool, talking about Trent's tricky time against Vinicius Jr. (again), the aging nature of Liverpool's midfield options, and just how comfortable Real Madrid are in these stages of a stressful competition; before finishing in Naples with Napoli 3-0 Eintracht Frankfurt, looking back at Napoli's incredible defensive effort in the ranks, how the Kolo Muani red card ruined the tie for Eintracht, and why Napoli's ball manipulation around the pitch puts them up there with the best in the world right now. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Today we have a special guest joining us to provide you with some insights into what actually goes down in the smoke and mirrors world that is scouting - Lee Scott, who is Chief Scout at Vélez CF. Lee has worked with a host of clubs in world football, including his hometown club of Aberdeen, was a co-founder of Total Football Analysis, and has written three books as well, meaning he's amongst the busiest and most broad-ranging minds in the game. We absolutely loved this episode, and we think you will too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for the Champions League Takeaway - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as the first four teams booked their quarter-final slots. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lens, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game. We start with Bayern knocking out PSG, looking at the performances of Dayot Upamecano, the insane pace of the game and what the next steps are in Paris; before taking a dive into Spurs' limp 0-0 that saw them exit at the hands of AC Milan, discussing Mike Maignan's influence, the bizarre way in which Spurs let this one dribble away from them, and Harry Kane's future after this display. Then in Part 2, we head for Lisbon where Benfica dismantled Club Brugge, talking about Gonçalo Ramos' development into a complete No. 9, the disaster that was Scott Parker's time in Belgium, and a remarkable season for João Mario; before finishing at Stamford Bridge, where we talk some mesmerising individual displays from Havertz, Chilwell and Cucurella, how Dortmund let the tie slip from their hands, and the penalty landscape in which we now reside. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're going a little bit abstract this week, to think about what defines each of Europe's Top 5 leagues in their current state, and then try to apply that criteria to work out which player (currently in the league) best represents that league right now. We take a trip through the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, the Premier League and Ligue 1 to find those who carry the spirit of the leagues within their own games. Things We Love discusses the madness enveloping top teams beating each other at the summit of European football, looks at two players considering switching their national allegiance to Spain, and talks briefly about Fiorentina's much-needed resurgence as we get to the sharp end of the season. There's a Melon of the Week straight out of the red mist playbook, a food-themed Shoutout of the Week, and Gibberish discusses the shock events that went down at Jack's birthday at the weekend. It's Ranks! If you want to take advantage of our free trial going on on Patreon right now, why not join us at patreon.com/ranksfc? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey Rank Squad! As we’re no doubt sure you heard on last week’s episode, we’ve opened 1-month free trials for our Patreon in March. That means you can sign up for nothing and sample what we do over there, enjoying 2 extra episodes a week and getting a real sense of the community and togetherness we’ve built. This episode is a 15-minute snippet of our traditional Monday Postbox episode, where we react to the weekend’s football and let Patron questions guide the flow of the conversation. If you enjoy it and want to hear the rest, please head over to www.patreon.com/ranksfc and scoop a free trial!  We look forward to seeing you over there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's that time again, and we're mixing things up this week! With the media's attention firmly locked on the PL title race, the Champions League and an imminent El Clasico, we wanted to explore some big storylines perhaps sliding under the radar. So Sam's set Dean & Jack to work on five big questions left across Europe - who will be the worst team across the Top 5 leagues, which team will come out on top in the Eredivisie title race, at what point Napoli will start to rotate their squad a bit more, whether Fulham can actually qualify for Europe, and if Dortmund will ever drop points again (and what that means for the Bundesliga title)! Things We Love touches on Manchester United's win in the Carabao Cup Final, and how Harry Maguire would have felt; Nashville SC's performance in their opening game of MLS regular season; and a beautiful gesture in the game between Besiktas and Atalanyaspor in Turkey. There's a Melon of the Week straight of out Austin, Texas; and Sam proposes a game that's been doing the rounds on social media for this week's Gibberish. It's Ranks! If you're interested in joining our free trial month over on Patreon, why not sign up here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Our new show is back for Round 2 - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as we finished off the first legs in the Round of 16. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lense, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game. We start with Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid, talking Vinicius Jr. shining, Luka Modric running the midfield and why goalkeeping mistakes are more common now; then head to Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Napoli to put some respect on Chucky Lozano's name, look at how Kvicha Kvaratshkhelia channeling Francesco Totti and touch on why Kevin Trapp has kept this tie (sort of) alive in Part 1. Then in Part 2, we dive into RB Leipzig 1-1 Manchester City where City got punished for not killing the game, Leipzig bizarrely refused to have a strategy in the first half and Pep didn't make any substitutions again; before finishing with Inter 1-0 Porto where crossing finally paid off for the hosts, Matheus Uribe put in a masterclass in the middle, and Porto toughed out the trip to set up a thrilling second leg. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's a big episode today because we're taking a look through each of Europe's Top Five leagues and their Golden Boot races, to see what we can learn from who leads the scoring charts in each country. We start in the Premier League, talking Arsenal sharing the goals out and Erling Haaland's remarkable consistency. Then we head to Italy to discuss Napoli's dynamic duo of Osimhen and Kvaratshkhelia, and the scintillating form of Ademola Lookman. In Spain there's a discussion of the lack of goalscoring across the league, as well as some nice redemption arcs that show the power of persistence; whilst in Germany we look at Nagelsmann's system finally coming to fruition at Bayern and Randal Kolo Muani becoming an all-round threat for Frankfurt. Finally there's a trip to France, where Flo Balogun is posing Arsenal a problem for next season, and Wissam Ben Yedder continues to do his thing once again. Things We Love talks Southampton's new man at the helm Ruben Selles, the brilliant Bundesliga title race and the return of MLS; a very obvious Melon of the Week is given out, and Jack takes hold of Gibberish to discuss his trip to Iceland. It's Ranks! If you'd like more from us, why not give our Patreon a go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're here with a new show - an immediate review of everything that went down in the Champions League this week as we returned to European action in the Round of 16. Every matchweek, we're going to be ranking the three key takeaways from each of the games played that week, and looking at the games through that Ranks FC lense, to give you a sense of everything that we learned from each game. We start with Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea, talking wastefulness, mistakes and why the reverse fixture should be a cracker; head to Milan 1-0 Tottenham to discuss Brahim Diaz, toothlessness and inexperience in Part 1. Then in Part 2, we dive into Club Brugge 0-2 Benfica where Parkerball returned, Rafa Silva shone and why this tie is done; before finishing with PSG 0-1 Bayern where pace was the name of the game, Bayern lacked bodies in the box, and Galtier got it wrong. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! With the Champions League in full swing this week we wanted to change up the pace a little bit, and go a tad more evergreen - revisiting an old favourite that we'd had more than a few requests to look at again. Back in one of our first ever episodes, we ranked every Premier League captain on their current playing ability, but that was two and a half years ago, so it was worth a new go round the merry-go-round. Things We Love starts us off where we talk Barcelona's current excellent form, whether Ronald Araujo should be getting close to the 'Best CBs in the World' debate, and Nantes' resurgence ahead of their UEL tie with Juventus this week. There's a Melon of the Week from mad scenes at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup, and Gibberish returns as Sam talks through his life this past week dealing with some surgery in the household. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! The Champions League is back next week and we're here to make sense of it all - going through each of the eight matchups to determine who is in the better position to advance, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and taking a peek at the teams we think are favourites to lift that famous trophy by the time we get to May. There's a lot of ground to cover! Part One sees us look at PSG vs. Bayern Munich, AC Milan vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Club Brugge vs. Benfica and Dortmund vs. Chelsea; Part Two discusses Liverpool vs. Real Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Napoli, Inter vs. Porto and RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City; whilst in Part Three we talk about our favourites to win the whole competition and why we're backing them, as well as covering Melon of the Week and a brilliant shoutout. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Yesterday brought the January Transfer Window crashing to a halt, with Chelsea going big once again, some smart signings across the board and some moments of madness as well. We take a look back at the big questions - who "won" the window, which permanent transfers will have the most impact in this second half of the season, and which loans topped a very impressive list. We talk Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea, Marcel Sabitzer to Manchester United, João Cancelo to Bayern Munich, Harry Souttar to Leicester City, Jorginho to Arsenal, Pedro Porro to Tottenham Hotspur, Keylor Navas to Nottingham Forest and much more, including some brief discussions on Marseille, Bayern, Real Valladolid, Southampton, Bournemouth, Verona, Spezia and many others. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's a special episode today - with our beloved Transfer Guru absent we are joined by long-term friend of the pod and Tifo Football star Jon Mackenzie, to talk through five deals which have maybe flown under the radar of most football fans. They're all under the age of 21, they all cost a fair bit of money, and they all add something new to their respective clubs. With the Premier League doing most of the big business in this window, it remains heavily stacked in favour of the PL, but perhaps off-piste from the names you've heard thrown around a lot this window. We talk Jhon Duran to Aston Villa, Victor Kristiansen to Leicester City, Danilo to Nottingham Forest, Dango Ouattara to Bournemouth and Georginio Rutter to Leeds United and discuss how they can affect the seasons of their respective clubs. There's a quick Things We Love, where there's a thank you to everyone who watched our documentary (if you haven't, we'd love if you smashed this link to take a look), a discussion of Xabi Alonso's slick Bayer Leverkusen, and some chat on high-flying, free-scoring Atalanta as well. Dean has a brief cameo to bring you Melon and Shoutout of the Week, and Sam's Gibberish revolves around 90's football memorabilia that gave him a big nostalgia trip this weekend. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's good, Rank Squad! We're back for another tryst into the chaos of the January transfer window, trying to make sense of everything that's going on around us. Today, we take a look at five players who are potentially on the market and could make a huge difference to a new club in the second half of this season. We start with Ferran Torres, who is linked to Arsenal (again), as a potential alternative to Mykhailo Mudryk; before moving on to Arnaut Danjuma (linked with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Leicester City); Duvan Zapata (linked to Everton and West Ham); Michail Antonio (linked with Wolves, but we'd like to see him in Italy, at AC Milan, Atalanta or Fiorentina); and finally, Moises Caicedo (linked with Chelsea and Liverpool). There's a return for Things We Love, where Sam discusses our upcoming documentary on Athletic Club which is dropping this Friday on our YouTube Channel; and Jack waxes lyrical about Napoli's 5-1 victory over Juventus on Friday night (what else is new.) Melon of the Week comes from a very slippy St. James' Park, to Jack and Dean's chagrin, there's shoutout of the week, and Sam talks his problems with Wordle in the Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for our rehousing episode - where we take a look at five players who are unwanted, underused or unloved at their current clubs, and find new homes for them to thrive in. This January, we're talking about Tottenham's Japhet Tanganga, PSG's Keylor Navas, Barcelona's Memphis Depay, Lyon's Houssem Aouar and Roma's Rick Karsdorp, alongside a whole host of honourable mentions, and looking for clubs where their respective skillsets would be put to good use. There's also time for an opening discussion on Chelsea's attempt to loan João Félix, which looks set to go through, and some thoughts on why their move for Enzo Fernandez broke down; there's a Melon of the Week all the way from Australia, and Sam's Gibberish revolves around some of the weirdest emails that he's been receiving on a regular basis. It's Ranks! If you'd like more from us, why not have a look at joining our Patreon, where there's at least two more episodes of Ranks FC every single week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad, and Happy New Year! The transfer window is only a few days old, and yet plenty of clubs have already got themselves involved in the mire - with some big names already having shifted on to horizons new. We take a look at five deals already complete and dig into the analysis of whether they're good, bad, indifferent or important. We talk Max Wöber to Leeds United, David Datro Fofana to Chelsea, Cody Gakpo to Liverpool, Matheus Cunha to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, giving them the Ranks treatment. No Things We Love this week, because there's an incomplete transfer impending that's hogging the headlines, with reports stating that Argentine World Cup winner, young player of the tournament and Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez is set to join Chelsea in a deal that would make him the most expensive player in Premier League history. We dive deeper into why they want him, why he's going to cost so much, and our thought on the deal as a whole. Plus, there's a (slightly obvious) Melon of the Week, and given the time of year, a Gibberish Ranking where Sam shares his New Year's resolutions with you all. It's Ranks! If you'd like to get involved with our Patreon, where we're dropping transfer specials across the month as well as our usual Postbox and Spotlight content, you can get involved here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's nearly the New Year, so it's time to get back talking transfers ahead of the window opening - and who better to guide you through it than our very own Transfer Guru Dean Jones, who has the lowdown on five of the biggest storylines you need to be watching closely as transfer business swings back into life. There's also a quick chat about Cody Gakpo's move to Liverpool, Matheus Cunha's move to Wolverhampton Wanderers; and Melon of the Year is handed out, alongside a return of the Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's been a wild World Cup, a magnificent month of football that culminated on Sunday with one of the greatest games that you're ever likely to see in your life, never mind on this kind of stage - and Argentina are once again Champions of the World, bringing to a close an era of European dominance that has lasted two decades. It was a fitting send off for (in our humble opinion) the greatest player of all time, leading his country to the pinnacle of the world game. Shouts out Leo Messi. We take a look back at the tournament as a whole, first discussing the wonderful chaos of the final, before picking our Team of the Tournament, throwing around some names who might have earned themselves a big move, as well as talking our favourite moments, the biggest shocks and the state of play in international football ahead of the 2026 tournament. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's finally here - 62 games later, we have our World Cup Final set, and it's Argentina vs. France in the showpiece. Can Lionel Messi finally achieve international football immortality or will France become the first side in over half a century to retain the crown? There's narratives galore, so we thought we'd dig deep into where this game is won and lost. We talk Messi vs. Mbappe, Alvarez vs. Giroud, the genius of Antoine Griezmann, Argentina's siege mentality, France's ability to get over the line, and tactical rigidity vs. tactical flexibility - as well as two cracking national anthems, and our predictions as to how it all goes. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...and then there were four! Hello Rank Squad! We have got down to our final quadrant of Nations left in this year's international piece de resistance, with Argentina, Croatia, France & Morocco the only teams remaining in the 2022 World Cup. Fresh from a round of shocks in the last ranking, we've decided to give it another go, with Dean taking each nation in turn and looking at their chances of winning the tournament in its entirety. Then, in Part Two, Jack talks us through some positives and negatives for each nation to be aware of ahead of the semi-finals, with a few tactical and a few emotional bits to keep an eye on in each of these two games. Will we have a repeat of the final last time out? Is this finally Lionel Messi's time? Can Morocco's fairytale express keep dropping masterclasses? It's all to play for. It's Ranks! And, for more from us, why not join our Patreon for after-the-whistle reactions, Christmas specials in the pipeline, and regular audio updates on the upcoming transfer window in January? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're now 56 games into this World Cup, and eight teams remain in the competition as Quarter-Finalists. We have the bracket, we have the route, we have four games from each of them to analyse, so it's time to rank the Netherlands, Argentina, France, England, Croatia, Brazil, Morocco and Portugal on how likely each of them are to lift that famous trophy aloft on December 18. There's also time for us to have a look at some of our favourite managers, players and teams that we've had to say goodbye to, in a special 'fallen by the wayside' segment in Part 3! If you'd like to join the Ranks Community, and get our Matchday Drops on World Cup Daily, it's a great time to join our Ultras on Patreon, where there's tonnes of extra Ranks content for you to explore and listen to. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're over half way through the 64 games of the World Cup now, and after two rounds in the Group Stages, there are some things of note that we have learned - or at least you'd hope so, having watched every single minute of this tournament so far. Sam takes us through five intereting quirks that he's noticed across all the teams - from underdog nations really taking the handbrake off and going hard at favourites, attacking substitutions playing out in favour of those who make them, tactical formation changes in abundance, those for whom this World Cup might just have been a tournament too far, and squad numbers (especially for goalkeepers) being an absolute shambles. There's some Things We Love too, which focus on Ghana's Mohammed Kudus, Canada's Steven Eustaquio and Portugal's ghost goal that Cristiano Ronaldo was adamant was his; as we look through some of the best bits of the World Cup so far. It's Ranks! If you'd like to come and see what the fuss is about on Patreon, and get our daily podcast drops during this tournament, then click here! Or to take advantage of our deal with NordVPN, you can visit NordVPN.com/ranksfc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're now into the bulk of the World Cup, and we've seen our fair share of spills and thrills already, but this Friday brings us the Ranks Derby (and Dean's House Derby) between the USMNT and England in Group B. We're joined by a very special guest in the form of TSS's Taylor Rockwell to balance the equation as we look at three players from each side who could make all the difference in this clash across the Atlantic. Plus, we start things off by taking a look at Saudi Arabia's upset of Argentina, why France are ominously scary after their first game, and how come there's so much added time in these games! It's Ranks! If you'd like to get involved with our quickfire daily podcasts covering everything during the World Cup, why not have a look at our Patreon community? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! The World Cup is nearly upon us, so it's time to get into the depths of what we can expect from every team at the World Cup ahead of the start on Sunday (!!). In this first part we're taking on Groups A-D - so you can expect discussions on (drum roll)... the Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, Qatar, England, Wales, USA, Iran, Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, France, Denmark, Australia and Tunisia! We take each group as it comes, examining the favourites and making some predictions on who we think is making it to the Quarter Finals. Part Two is out now as well, so make sure you get over there for all the lowdown on Groups E-H, and remember that during the World Cup we're going to be doing daily drops on our Patreon - so there's never been a better time to join! And, if you'd like to take advantage of our NordVPN offer, visit nordvpn.com/RANKSFC for all your cybersecurity needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! The World Cup is nearly upon us, so it's time to get into the depths of what we can expect from every team at the World Cup ahead of the start on Sunday (!!). In this first part we're taking on Groups E-H - so you can expect discussions on (drum roll)... Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica, Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, Canada, Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon, Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea! We take each group as it comes, examining the favourites and making some predictions on who we think is making it to the Quarter Finals. Part One is out now as well, so if you missed it, make sure you get over there for all the lowdown on Groups A-D, and remember that during the World Cup we're going to be doing daily drops on our Patreon - so there's never been a better time to join! And, if you'd like to take advantage of our NordVPN offer, visit nordvpn.com/RANKSFC for all your cybersecurity needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With domestic football (mostly) stopping in just a few days time, we take a look at some of the teams who just can't hold back their excitement for a month where they'll get some rest and some time on the training ground; and those teams who will be devastated that their season so far has been put on hold. There's some discussion of new managers, changes of managers, mentality resets, momentum halts and all the rest of it as well. Things We Love takes the form of players who have recovered from injury in time to play a part at the World Cup, and the celebrations we've seen when individuals get that final call up to play for their nation on the biggest stage; a quick discussion on the glorious madness that was MLS Cup; and Jack's apology for cursing teams in the last couple of weeks. There's also Melon of the Week, which is handed out to a familiar recipient; and the Gibberish Ranking, which is hosted this week by none other than 4-year-old Ranks Prodigy Dylan Jones, who talks to us about his favourite music artists. It's Ranks! If you'd like to come and join us for daily coverage of the World Cup and everything around it, there's never been a better time to join our Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MLS Cup takes place this weekend, and we couldn't let that slide without giving you the lowdown on what was happening in the big one across the pond. So, we roped in our MLS Correspondent and de-facto chief writer on the Ranks FC website, Mr. Owen Murray, to make sure you know your onions when it comes to the big one in the States - between Philadelphia Union and Los Angeles FC. We talk Andre Blake's defensive wall, LAFC's hold on Dean Jones, Gareth Bale, Carlos Vela, the first cup final between two No. 1 seeds in bloody ages and all the rest of it, in a special bonus drop. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Every year, there are certain players who shake off a bad season, or even a bad reputation, to finally hit their heights and shine brightly for their respective clubs. So, inspired by a question about Lionel Messi's 'remontada' from last year's slightly disappointing season at PSG, we decided to take a look at the Premier League who have turned things around to become key cogs in their teams this season. We discuss a Manchester United full-back, some Brazilian flair at Fulham, Everton's remoulded and reborn No. 8, a story good enough for a film at Newcastle United, and perhaps the biggest redemption arc of the lot at Arsenal. There's also Things We Love, which includes some hype for MLS Cup (more on that later in the week), Unai Emery's appointment at Aston Villa, and Braga having themselves a lot of fun in Portugal. Melon of the Week takes us to Molineux, and Sam wraps things up in the Gibberish by discussing some footballers that you wouldn't want to have trick-or-treating with you, in honour of Hallowe'en this week. It's Ranks! If you'd like to join us on Patreon for all your World Cup needs, as we gear up for daily drops during the tournament - hit this link; or to take advantage of our deal with NordVPN, you can visit NordVPN.com/ranksfc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're back with one of our favourite episodes, discussing some of the best young footballers in the game on the back of the Golden Boy award handed out last week to Barcelona's teen sensation Gavi. To make sure it's differentiated from our Best Teenagers episode a while back though, we wanted to look at some of the notable omissions from this year's list that you will want to keep an eye on for next year. We talk Southampton's new midfield anchor, a Dutch superstar lighting up the Eredivisie after some high profile moves, a German coming back from a serious injury, Barcelona's latest left-back and Borussia Dortmund's starboy at centre-forward. There's also Things We Love, where we get hyped for the World Cup and give a little time to Maurizio Sarri's silky Lazio; a Melon of the Week segment with a focus on the Welsh capital; and a Gibberish which includes some stories out of Sam's latest hobby. It's Ranks! We'd love to have you on board with our Patreon during the World Cup for daily podcast blasts and in-depth dives on the main contenders. Why not give it a go here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! With Karim Benzema locking down his first Ballon d'Or trophy (and deservedly so) on Monday night, we wanted to use that as a springboard for some discussion. First up, we look at a very uncontroversial decision to give Mercedes Benzema his first ever Golden Ball, as well as the podium places and some chat around the Kopa trophy for the best young player! But time waits for no man, and so we head onwards to next year, to examine the five players that have had the most stunning start to the season. Will Haaland scoop the prize even without a World Cup? Does one of Messi and Neymar need to lift the Jules Rimet trophy to propel them back into the spotlight; and some rogue outside shouts, to win that golden ball next winter. There's a Melon of the Week from the manager's dugout in Leicester City's local, and Jack takes over Gibberish to discuss some things he's good at. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time to look back at the first quarter of the season, or as we like to call it, the end of the start. So, with so much ground to cover, we decided we'd rank Europe's top five leagues in terms of the carnage factor of the beginning of the season - everything from struggling giants to remarkable fairy stories and everything in between. There's Things We Love, which looks forward to a stunning weekend of football ahead of us in terms of teams in their respective top fours playing against each other, and a nod to our weekend ahead where we're off to Bilbao to see a resurgent Athletic Club take on Atletico Madrid. Melon of the Week comes from Portugal, and in the Gibberish Rankings, Dean takes his turn at ranking three things that he's good at. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 (Firstly, apologies for the audio quality, Jack's gone AWOL to Sicily and tried to continue with the day job) Managerial careers are a bloodbath. You can win a Champions League these days and be out of a job 15 months later, so it feels like anyone is fair game really. It's not pretty, it's probably not right, but it's just how it is in the cut-throat world of elite-level football, so we take a look at the heads who might be under the cosh already.  Max Allegri of Juventus, Brendan Rodgers of Leicester City, Steve Cooper of Nottingham Forest, Gerard Seoane of Bayer Leverkusen, Steven Gerrard of Aston Villa, Julen Lopetegui of Sevilla and Simone Inzaghi of Inter all come under the microscope (in one way or another) all come under our microscope as we look at the gaffers under pressure at this stage of the season.  There's also Things We Love, which includes a straight-up worship period for what Erling Haaland is doing to the Premier League in his first eight games; some love for the brothers of the moment at Athletic as Iñaki and Nico Williams assist each other; and Jack going off on one about Casa Pia in the Primeira, who sit fourth after the first eight games of the Primeira season.  And Melon of the Week takes a personal turn for Dean, whilst Sam's Gibberish Rankings are the most self-indulgent they've ever been. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's been a window full of intrigue, but some players have used it to devastating effect, to make the jump from squad players to locked in starters in Qatar, or to inscribe their name firmly in their managers squad lists. We look at a couple of Dutch delights, an England centre-half (no, not that one ), a brilliant Brazilian shape-shifting to good effect, and a Belgian on the rise. There's also World Cup Watch in Things We Love, where Dean discusses France's strange defeat to Denmark and their potential over-reliance on talented young guns, and Jack pours out some love for the two South American behemoths who have delighted in this window. Melon of the Week is awarded to some senility in the Portuguese camp, whilst Sam's Gibberish includes the price hikes at the supermarket that are giving him nightmares. It's Ranks! If you'd like more from us, especially during the World Cup, we'd love to have you on board as part of our Ultras! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's under two months to the World Cup, but which positions for which teams are giving their managers headaches? We discuss the biggest logjam positions in the international realm, from England's right-backs to Spain's left-backs, and from the glut of glorious attacking players for both Argentina & Brazil, to France's ridiculous depth at centre-back. There's Things We Love as well, where we discuss Ethan Nwaneri's emergence as the youngest player in English top-flight history; Iñaki and Nico Williams' goalscoring heroics for Athletic Club and their international call-ups for separate nations; and Granada's coming to fore as Spanish Segunda football continues through the international break. And finally, we discuss an absolute madhouse of a weekend in terms of red cards and melons - in both the Melon of the Week and the extended Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Teenagers are fleeting - one minute past their 20th birthday, and they're gone into the big wide world of everyday footballers - so we have to give them their due whilst we can. And it seems only yesterday that we were punctuating this list with Ryan Gravenberch, Nuno Mendes - and even Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. But the seasons flow, players grow and new wonderkids wind up on the block every single season, so it's time to put them in order for 2022. We talk a host of names, from a Barcelona cohort including Ansu Fati, Gavi and reigning title-holder Pedri, Eduardo Camavinga, Borussia Dortmund's latest gems off the production line, Harvey Elliott (how is he still elegible?!), Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and many more. Sam also chucks in a big prediction for this season for each of his top five. Things We Love focuses on Graham Potter's rise to the top table of European football management, a rake of late moments for the big guns in Serie A, and Sporting's recovery after a tough start to the season - with some love for some names who were maybe in danger of slipping into unfulfilled promise territory. There's a Melon of the Week out of Turin (or multiple, being frank) and we do a quick draft to select our teams that we'll focus on for the upcoming 2022 World Cup. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The transfer window has closed and we've had a couple of games in each league, so whilst pre-season predictions are fun, this feels like a good time to lock our selections in for the season - which can only mean it's 5x5 time. The concept is simple - we each pick how we think the top five in England, France, Italy, Germany and Spain are going to look when the curtain falls in May. We look at what happened last time out, before working through our selections, our thoughts on how a shedload of sides have started their campaigns, and some more rogue calls from Jack, where heart continues to take precedence over head. There's a quick Things We Love - where Sam talks his first dive into management, and Jack talks a fairy story out of Exeter. There's also a Melon of the Week, a Gibberish Ranking and the poems are back to kick things off. It's Ranks! To pick up our special deal with NordVPN, head to https://nordvpn.com/ranksfc to get a free month and a load off a 2-year-subscription. And of course, if you want more from us, you can join the Rank Squad Ultras on Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Welcome to our third and final episode of this week, this time looking back at the transfer window as a whole and working out where we think the best deals, steals and keels have been found. Jack and Sam split the rankings into four parts - best big-money deal (over £40m), best low-cost deal (under £15m), best loan deal and, controversially, the deals where we think clubs might have dropped a bit of a clanger. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Deadline Day will soon be upon us, and we've set DJ to work in order to line up TEN of the biggest stories and sagas that will look to go right to the wire this summer. From the world's biggest players to free agents looking for a new home, title contenders and relegation battlers, we've covered loads of deals, rumours and late dramas that may well go down to the final hours. There's also Things We Love, which this week entails the off between Richarlison and Brennan Johnson at the City Ground on Sunday, as well as Ander Herrera's homecoming to Athletic Club. And there's a VERY contentious Melon of the Week from Toxic Dean, as well as Sam's Gibberish, which truly has some questionable takes also. It's Ranks! To pick up our special deal with NordVPN, head to https://nordvpn.com/ranksfc to get a free month and a load off a 2-year-subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Ultras! Happy Bank Holiday to those who are enjoying it! And to those who aren’t: Perhaps this podcast will help you through the day. We covered all of Europe and beyond (as usual), with a heavy dose of transfers included too as we hurtle toward the end of the window. Here’s everything we talked about! Enjoy the week ahead! PREMIER LEAGUE —Liverpool scored 9 and Salah did…nothing? + Midfield transfer talk —Man City’s Mentality Monsters —Arsenal grinding through, Ødegaard brilliance + Saliba’s World Cup hopes —Chelsea finally show some character —United creeping forward + Antony/Gakpo chat —Are Spurs good, or? ON THE CONTINENT —The Raphinha/Lewandowski combo, Koundé debut —Can Aspas make Spain’s World Cup squad? —Edinson Cavani’s next adventure —Juventus vs. Roma was surprisingly fun —Who is the best in Serie A? —Dortmund is bad for your health —Marseille look a lot of fun, Nice look the opposite —Yann Sommer’s record-breaking day —What the hell, Porto? OTHER —Linfield & Atlético Tucumán stories —CL, UEL & UECL draw storylines —Nandos sauce recipe That’s all for this week! If you've enjoyed this and you'd like to join our Ultras community for more of the same, come see us at patreon.com/ranksfc! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's creeping towards the end of the transfer window and certain teams are still desperately in need of reinforcements - as we prepare for things to get stressful over the next week. We take a peek behind the curtains at Goodison Park, Stamford Bridge, the King Power and Old Trafford to analyse the players that need to come and go before the window slams shut if Everton, Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United are to live up to expectations this season. Things We Love takes a look at Casemiro's tearful but celebratory departure from Real Madrid and discusses why he's an excellent addition for United; and there's also an outpouring of love for new Napoli starboy Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and some big respect put on Luciano Spalletti's shirt collection. Melon of the Week takes us into the Portuguese Second Tier, and the Gibberish makes some semblance of sense this time out - with Sam ranking the three statistical measures used in football that he thinks are a bit of a nonsense. It's Ranks! To pick up our special deal with NordVPN, head to https://nordvpn.com/ranksfc to get a free month and a load off a 2-year-subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We're back to normal programming after the madness of Preview season, and it's nice to be back on home ground. With that in mind, we return to a staple of the Ranks Calendar - the biannual visit around the grounds to see which players are in real need of a move with just two weeks of the transfer window left. We start in Wolverhampton, with a mercurial winger; travel to the Bernabeu in Madrid, the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam and the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, before ending our journey back in West London at Stamford Bridge - to name five players in need of new homes. There's also Things We Love, which talks about boyhood fans appearing at Manchester City, Arsenal's newly-formed team that fans can finally hail, and discuss the chaotic opening of the Calcio season in Serie A. There's a familiar face returning in Melon of the Week, and Sam takes tactical lessons from his cats in the Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Welcome to the sixth and final episode of our Big Season Preview Series - as we culminate in the casa di calcio, Italy! With Milan holding the title, Inter snapping at their heels, Juventus hoping for a return to power, there's a major title race to discuss, first and foremost - and then a dive into the chasing pack, last year's third place side Napoli, who have lost a tonne of major names; the winners of the window (?) Roma, under Jose Mourinho; and Maurizio Sarri's new-look Lazio as well! Can Fiorentina and Atalanta cause upsets this season, and who is best placed right now to seal the European places? Next we look at some candidates for regression - those who have either had tough summers with big names departing for brighter shores, or where managerial changes have led to major question marks. We finish with a look at the promoted sides, especially Monza - whose business has been delightful, and a few of those Serie A stalwarts who might well be slipping into trouble; before Jack and Sam pick a player to watch each this season. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Preview season continues here on Ranks FC, moving over the Iberian Peninsula from Portugal to Spain! La Liga is back, and there's brilliant battles up and down the table - so we were incredibly lucky to be joined on today's show by the expert analysis of Alan Feehely, editor of the mighty Football España. We pose five questions ahead of the season beginning: Who are now title favourites out of Real Madrid and Barcelona? Will Atleti improve now they are back in their underdog role? Is Sevilla's hold on a UCL spot in danger - and are Real Betis, Real Sociedad or Villarreal ready to succeed them? Who are the biggest regression candidates for the season ahead? Which promoted club is most likely to survive, and which surviving club is most in danger of the drop? There's also a Melon of the Week, where two candidates handily put themselves into contention - and Sam's Gibberish is about the things in his life that he wishes he liked, but he doesn't. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for our fourth episode of our Big Season Preview Series - this time, a slightly shorter one on the Portuguese Primeira, and the major storylines ahead of this season. We take a dive into where all of Portugal's Big Three are ahead of this season - can Porto retain their title? Are Sporting still their closest contenders? Could Benfica, under Roger Schmidt, be back in this conversation? We also discuss a little bit of the 'best of the rest' - Braga's role of late, but are there challenges too from Vitoria Guimarães or Gil Vicente, last season's surprise package? It's all wrapped up inside here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When everything comes at once, everything drops at once! Moving from England across the Channel, we take to France to look at life in Ligue 1 this season - and we're joined by the expert analysis of Alex Collings, of the Football Per 90 Podcast and a writer for Scouted Football. We pose five questions ahead of the season beginning: Can PSG break their points record (on back of a lot of hype and smart summer) Who is the best of the rest? What can we expect from Paulo Fonseca & Lille?  Who is the biggest regression candidate? Who is your tip for breakout star? There's also talk on the links to Amadou Onana, some revisiting of last year's thoughts and a discussion of Takumi Minamino's new role at Monaco. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! The summer has passed, the international tournaments have been concluded, and the return of domestic league action is just round the corner, so it's time for the second of our Season Preview series - and it's a big one, because the Premier League is back! We start at the bottom of the table, with the battle for survival taking place there; and end with the thrill of the title race - but in between we discuss everyone else too - from those consolidating to the fight for European spots - and all the mayhem and chaos that we expect to play out with a host of new faces and outcomes joining the PL. There's also a Melon of the Week and a really bizarre Gibberish Rankings with Dean taking the reins, so make sure you hang around for that madness. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's all systems go this week as we head into full preview mode! First up, the Bundesliga! We're joined by Jon Mackenzie of the mighty Tifo Football to work our way through how German football's top tier looks before the season opens. We talk a number of different categories - the Top Four, the European Battles, the teams looking to find their way back to European paradise, the middle-of-the-roaders, and the relegation scrap! How are Julian Nagelsmann's Bayern going to set up? Are Leipzig a genuine challenger for the title? Do Dortmund have the depth to mount a charge? What do the promoted giants need to do to survive? All these and more, answered in detail, in the first of our 5 League Preview episodes coming out in the next fortnight. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! We've seen some massive movers and shakers in the market this window, but as we settle in the 'deep breath before the plunge' with less than two weeks left until we see the return of many of Europe's top leagues, we take a moment to check on the players who are still where they started the summer, and might well be available if the right option came up. We rank five categories - best overall player, best free agent, best forward, best goalkeeper and best defender - with Sam and Dean each picking a selection for each and Jack mopping up at the back with some honourable mentions. Things We Love discusses PSG's business under new Sporting Advisor Luis Campos, FPL selections as the Premier League draws ever closer, and the start of the Championship season this weekend, which promises to be yet another cracker. There's a Melon of the Week for a manager doing some strange things in Southern Italy, and Gibberish discusses Sam's commitment to being an eco-friendly man, at least in terms of subscription services. It's Ranks! If you'd like more from us (two extra episodes a week) and to join our wonderful Ultras community, why not come and give us a go over on Patreon as the new season gets going? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! With pre-season firmly in full swing and the transfer merry-go-round showing no signs of stopping, we wanted to take a look at some of the big question marks ahead of the new season getting underway. We start at Manchester United, where the addition of Lisandro Martinez at CB has posed a dilemma - will it be club captain Harry Maguire or Champions League legend Raphael Varane who starts next to their new man? Then we shift to Bayern Munich, who have similar personnel dramas after the addition of Matthijs de Ligt - how does everyone fit in, in Julian Nagelsmann's system? Finally, we turn to Barcelona, whose plethora of attacking riches has just been massively added to with Robert Lewandowski joining their ranks. Xavi's front three in their first league game is anyone's guess for now! Things We Love discusses some of the big names who are said to be on the move but haven't actually secured their new homes yet, and the anticipation of where the big switches will come in August; as well as discussing Paulo Dybala's switch from Juventus to Roma, and the excitement surrounding having a player of Dybala's quality in a system that will actually suit him. Finally, Melon of the Week is awarded to a man struggling to get into his (or his team's) new groove in pre-season so far, and then in the Gibberish Rankings we each pick the three albums we would listen to for the rest of our lives, if we were forced to renounce all others. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dean Jones is back, Rank Squad! And on that note, we wanted to give you a transfer ranking to match - so we did. We talked five Premier League teams who have serious work to do before the season begins, if they're to match expectations. From Wolverhampton Wanderers to Everton; Manchester United to Chelsea; and the new enigma that is Newcastle United - we considered where they are right now and what they hope to achieve before the window slams shut. There's also some chat about the business of Luka Jovic to Fiorentina and why it might herald a new era for players who have previously been trapped in their clubs; and the brilliance of the Lionesses and France from what we've seen so far of EURO 2022! Melon of the Week has many contenders, from Premier League pre-seasons, running out of beer in Switzerland, and clearing team-mates shots off the line in the Canadian PL; whilst in Gibberish Dean talks about the weirdest things he found in America - including the legendary Joey Chestnut. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pre-season has begun, and with it comes a new rake of questions about how you're going to set up your FPL team for the upcoming season, so we're here to help you mix it with the best of the best (and send your friends to the shadow realm). We've brought in one of our good friends, Gianni Butticè, Official FPL panellist and all-round good egg, to help you work out the finer details in how to get your FPL season off to the best possible start! We talk Defence vs. Attack in terms of premium positions, how you get the most value out of this brilliant Manchester City squad and whether you should go safe or daring in your captaincy selections, as well as some general tips and hints ahead of the Premier League starting again. There's also Things We Love, where Sam discusses Leeds United playing real-life Football Manager with their new signings, and Jack gets giddily excited about the upcoming Euro 2022 tournament, where we think 7 of the 16 teams have a real chance of winning the lot, Melon of the Week goes to a particular Social Media team for their announcement video, and Gibberish talks a little about life's simplest (ish) pleasures. It's Ranks! If you'd like to join our brilliant Ultras community, get the best of the pre-season knowledge and an extra two podcasts a week - we'd love you to join us over on Patreon, for the price of a pint a month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're edging closer to the new season and there are plenty of clubs with a lot of work to do over the course of the next month. We look at five new managers who have it all to do in terms of implementing new philosophies and sorting out their new charges. From Vincent Kompany at Burnley to Alfred Schreuder at Ajax; Paulo Fonseca at Lille to Christophe Galtier at PSG; and a returning legend at Athletic Club - there's plenty to discuss amongst those looking to change things up. We discuss a couple more bits in Things We Love - namely MLS having a real moment in the sun, and Arsenal's excellent work in the transfer market so far. Melon of the Week looks at two candidates - a new man in a hot seat and the candidates in a pre-season friendly blow-out, before Jack finishes off with a Gibberish all about the best acts he saw at Glastonbury Festival. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time to start making some bold predictions ahead of next season, and so we brought in the best man for the job - football coach, agent and Twitter extraordinaire Harry Brooks, making his triumphant third Ranks appearance - to give some thoughts ahead of next season. We talk about Arsenal's profile of signings, a potential clash of personalities at Erik ten Hag's Manchester United, and Liverpool's replacements for their outgoing players. There's plenty to discuss, and some disagreements all round, but it's a detailed discussion on how some of the most interesting teams in the Premier League are going to fare based on what we know so far! There's also Things We Love, where Sam discusses the U19 European Championships, and Jack looks at the rumoured new PSG manager Christopher Galtier and how he might fit in at the Parc des Princes. Melon of the Week comes from Canada, and Sam's Gibberish runs the rule over the transport problems he is facing right now. It's Ranks! If you love Ranks and want more from us, why not join the Ultras? There's at least two extra episodes a week over on our Patreon, as well as a brilliant community of like-minded people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, the transfer window is open, and nobody has hung around wasting any time! We take a look at the five most expensive deals done so far and give them a thorough analysis, before grading each on how we see them before a ball has been kicked for their new teams. So we talk Brenden Aaronsen to Leeds United, Karim Adeyemi to Borussia Dortmund, Erling Haaland to Manchester City, Darwin Núñez to Liverpool, and Aurélien Tchouaméni to Real Madrid. There's also Things We Love which has a little bit more on Haaland's medical, some love for Australia's hero Andrew Redmayne and his mad antics, and Andrea Pirlo taking a risk on a job at Fatih Karagümrük in Turkey. There's a Melon of the Week from the Nations League, and Sam takes a Gibberish from his local pub. It's Ranks! If you want more from us, why not come join us over on Patreon for two extra episodes a week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s up Rank Squad! Jack’s away enjoying some well-earned rest, so Dean and Sam tackle this week’s pod as a duo—and it’s a big ‘un! It’s the long-promised, much-talked-up REBUILDS episode, where we take a look at 5 clubs in dire need of some help and try to come to their assistance. There’s Benfica, who are facing up to a future without Darwin Núñez—but with Roger Schmidt, pressing mastermind.  There’s Everton, who must now ride of the wings of Frank Lampard and try to improve upon a terrible 2021-22. There’s Chelsea, who need to buy a new defence, maybe a new midfield and possibly a new forward. How exhausting. There’s Juventus, who need star power, creativity, an actual midfield and some support for Dušan Vlahović. And there’s Manchester United, obviously.  All of that, plus a melon to hand out at the end, then Dean takes on the Gibberish ranking and discusses the total mess that is next season’s schedule and rules. It’s Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! The domestic season is pretty much all done in Europe, and we're here to take a look back. Originally this was supposed to be a Ballon d'Or ranking, but Karim Benzema has rendered that a little bit pointless, so we're mixing it up. We talk about the big man, of course, who powered Real Madrid to a La Liga & Champions League double, but also his contemporaries. From KDB's immense second-half season surge to Kylian Mbappé's remarkable run across this year (and his desire to stay in Paris); to Rafael Leão's personal mission to take Milan to the Scudetto Crown, and Robert Lewandowski's stunning goalscoring season, and where he goes next in his career, we've covered it all. There's also Things We Love, where Sam talks about early transfer business, Dean discusses Nottingham Forest's return to the Premier League, and Jack talks about Ranks being there as Roma lifted the first ever UEFA Europa Conference League trophy. There's a discussion of the ugly scenes at Saint-Étienne after they were relegated in Melon of the Week, and Sam's Gibberish is focused on spending a week with Jack and the little ruts that entails. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the last (and biggest) annual game of the European football calendar comes hurtling towards us once again, it's one which we've seen before - a repeat of 2018's final between Liverpool and Real Madrid - and a complete reworking of the 1981 Final, which was held at the Parc de Princes between these two sides - it's funny how history can repeat itself! It’s time to turn our eyes to Paris and look in great depth at this seasons Champions League final between Los Blancos and the Reds - between the 13 time winners and the 6 time winners of this very competition. Carlo Ancelotti vs. Jurgen Klopp. Karim Benzema vs. Sadio Mané. Vinicius Jr. vs. Mohamed Salah. There's loads going on. We look at the key places the final will be won and lost, by ranking three reasons for both Real and Liverpool fans to be optimistic ahead of kick-off. Then, there's Things We Love - which is a singular this week, because we're discussing our trip to Lisbon this weekend to watch Porto seal the double in their Taça de Portugal win over Tondela. We were lucky enough to be in attendance, thanks to our partners at New Balance, and we discuss what was a truly unique experience at the game in Jamor. And as ever, to close things off, there's a Melon of the Week, and a Gibberish Ranking. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every season has its glorious moments, but for every positive, there's a negative. We like to focus on the good stuff here on Ranks, but ultimately there are ups and downs to every season, and we wanted to take a look at some of the clubs who have been on the rough end of things this time around, and why that might have happened. From potential title contenders who just haven't stepped up to the mark to teams at the wrong end of the table, and from signings who just haven't cut the mustard to particularly poor attempts at turning the club around - we're here to look at all of them. There's Things We Love too - which veers from the scenes in Milan's last home game of the Year to Newcastle's brilliant blonde piston pairing in midfield to a preview of the Europa League Final; plus a very obvious Melon of the Week on Merseyside and another Bali Gibberish from Sam. It's Ranks! To see Jack's full Europa League Preview - bash this link here! And we'd love you to join us on Patreon, for eight extra Ranks Episodes for less than the price of a pint, per month, click here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every transfer season there's deals that don't work out, and whilst some are impossible to predict, there's others where the warning signs are truly there - we look at a few big money deals that we have reservations about for various reasons from injuries to physicality to difficult fits. And, back to do it is the Rank God Sam Tighe, returning from his honeymoon to retake his place back in your headphones on Ranks FC. Things We Love talks watching football in tricky time zones, Erling Haaland's big move to Manchester City and the story of Bristol Rovers' ridiculous last-day win to seal their promotion; Melon of the Week is given out to a Championship goalkeeper who performed a gaffe straight out of a 90's bloopers reel, and Sam takes charge of the Gibberish again to talk things that baffled him in Bali. It's Ranks! To join our amazing Ultras community on Patreon, where you get an extra two Podcasts a week and access to our Discord server for a fiver a month, click here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are just a couple of matches left in most domestic leagues in Europe, meaning that it's now or never for a lot of things. Title races, relegation scraps, promotion tussles - there's absolutely loads left to play for across the continent. On today's episode we look at the most exciting things left to play for this season - from Man City vs. Liverpool and Inter vs. Milan at the top of the tables, to the survival salvos taking place in the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga; as well as the race to reach Europe in Spain and Italy, where all sorts is still going on in the Europa and Conference League battles, and the fight to reach the top flight in the 2. Bundesliga. As you might expect, the Things We Love from a rather hoarse Dean and Jack talks about Fulham's dismantling of Luton Town and the celebrations that followed as the Whites won a league title for the first time in over 20 years, and also heads to LA to look at the job that Steve Cherundolo is doing as manager of a resurgent LAFC. There's also a Melon of the Week from the lower tiers of English football, and the Gibberish Rankings looks at some of the most ridiculous trophies that are handed out across the world. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s happening Rank Squad! It’s getting scarily close to silly season, so it’s time for our first big transfer ranking of the 2022 summer window - our first look at the biggest stories that are going to dominate the back pages in the off-season.  Dean walks us through five of the biggest names that are going to be either moving, or talked about moving, for the entirety of this summer. From a Norwegian target man coming home to his boyhood Premier League club, to a French galactico-in-waiting perhaps finally making the move everyone’s been expecting for years; from the in-demand I̶r̶i̶s̶h̶ English midfielder who’s apparently commanding a 9-figure-fee, to a out-of-contract defender being courted by all of Europe’s elite; and two No.9s having very different seasons who might both be on the move - we cover all the headlines.  Before those headlines though, there’s a quick fire questions section from some of the best we got on Twitter this week discussing transfer lines on Arsenal outgoings and their next No. 9, Newcastle United’s plans for the summer, USMNT footballers on the move, potential targets for Chelsea at CB, Nkunku’s future, Real Madrid’s deadwood moving onwards and quality or quantity for newly promoted teams.  There’s also time for a little Things We Love, where Jack starts us off (of course)by talking about his beloved Real Betis winning their first trophy in 17 years as they won the Copa del Rey on Saturday, and the poetry of a momentous occasion in Verdiblanco. If you want more, here’s the link to an article that he wrote on the subject. Plus, there’s Melon(s) of the Week from Serie A, and a Gibberish Ranking. It’s Ranks!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've come to the sharp end of the European competitions, and there's everything to play for in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League. We rank the four contenders left in each: Liverpool, Villarreal, Manchester City and Real Madrid in the UCL; West Ham United, Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig and Glasgow Rangers in the UEL; and Feyenoord, Olympique Marseille, AS Roma and Leicester City in the UECL. Dean and Jack work their way through the three competitions, having a go at working out each team's percentage of winning their respective tournaments, and analysing the semi-final matchups as we go. There's also a Melon of the Week all the way from Brazil, and our Gibberish is about things that Dean is just not capable of doing. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I know what you're going to say! This season hasn't even finished yet and you're already thinking about the next one! But this game never stops, and the best clubs are thinking far in advance - so we thought we'd do so too. And to help us take a peek at some of the teams we're most excited about for 2022/23, we enlisted the help of Alex Stewart, of Tifo Football fame. We talk through the forward planning going on at Roma, Arsenal and Barcelona, as well as taking a little look at Leipzig; where Sam talks through what's gone on this year, Alex gives us some insights on why there's reasons to be excited, and the returning Dean Jones walks us through the latest updates on transfer dealings and rumours going on ahead of the opening of the window. There's also Things We Love, where DJ highlights the brilliance of Manchester City vs. Liverpool and why we should be soaking it in, Sam discusses Porto's new record run for unbeaten games in the Portuguese Primeira, and Jack spotlights the mad race for promotion in the 2. Bundesliga with just five games to go. There's a Melon from Mexico, and Dean takes the Gibberish mantle to talk about things that surprised him from his recent trip to Chicago. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year where conversations start happening about Players of the Season and the like, but we wanted to dig under the surface before we get to the sharp end of those debates. So, in Dean's absence, we're joined by our friend Mark Carey, Data Analyst at The Athletic, to look at some of the players whose numbers have thrown up something interesting to look at in a few seasons that might have slid underneath your radar. We race across Europe, taking in a centre-back in Spain, a goalkeeper and a winger in the Premier League, a midfielder in France and a striker in Germany, as well as a few honourable mentions from Italy and beyond, covering all sorts of ground about a few players who are having special seasons or who have jumped up a level to maybe earn themselves a move. There's also Things We Love, where Sam takes a look at his favourite groups from last week's World Cup Draw and Jack discusses a very interesting weekend as the Serie A title race enters it's final straight with three horses neck-and-neck; plus there's a Gibberish Ranking regarding some alternative destinations for Kylian Mbappe this summer. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The wait is finally over for the Maple Leafs - for just the second time in their history, and for the first time since 1986, Canada are going to the Men's World Cup, having topped CONCACAF's qualifying pool in some style. Canada fan and content creator Aaron Moniz joins us to explain just why this is such a special moment in the country's history, how it went down, who we should be keeping an eye on, and what it means for Canadian soccer going forward. Things We Love also has an international feel. Sam kicks us off by singing the praises of the also-qualified Ecuadorians; Dean discusses Captain America Christian Pulisic scoring a hat-trick to pretty much see off the demons of the USMNT's failed qualification campaign for World Cup 2018; and Jack sings about how nice it is to have an Ireland team that it's easy to get behind - one which makes you proud to be a fan. There's also a Melon of the Week, kindly provided by the higher-ups in this World Cup's bureaucracy, whilst the Gibberish discusses sources of annoyance and potential solutions to them. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Welcome to a very special episode of Ranks, in association with New Balance! This weekend we headed off to Rome to experience one of the most fervent, intense rivalries in world football - Roma vs. Lazio, in all it's glory at the Stadio Olimpico - where the Giallorossi put on a show to beat their Biancocelesti neighbours 3-0, with Tammy Abraham grabbing the headlines by scoring a brace. We start off with a supercut live from the stadium, before a ranking of five things we learned from our experiences in the Eternal City - from the atmosphere in the city itself and the fan cultures, to just how special this relationship between Abraham and Mourinho could be, and what this means for Roma going forward. There's also a Melon of the Week of course, and Sam's Gibberish gives you a little insight into a few non-football related experiences from our weekend abroad. It’s Ranks! For those of you who might be interested in joining our Ultras for two extra episodes a week, we'd love to have you on board! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

France Football have finally moved their glittering Golden Ball award to a sensible position in the football calendar - given out after the season is over, rather than trying to piece together two separate ones in an annual award. It might be in the one year it made sense to keep it in December (hello Winter World Cup) but ultimately, we're fans of progress, however it comes. Sam ranks the top five players in the running for the award right now, from a Frenchman lighting it up in Germany and an old-timer with a vengeance mission, to an Egyptian King and a smooth Los Blancos vintage. Things We Love sees Dean talking about Aaron Ramsdale, and a discussion around whether or not he takes England's No. 1 shirt ahead of the World Cup later this year; Sam discussing the impact of Torino's Gleison Bremer and where his next steps are; and Jack seeing the live emergence of a new Octopus at Real Betis this weekend - shouts out Paul Akouokou. There's also room for Melon of the Week and a slightly heated debate about the scenes that went down at the Parc des Princes this weekend, whilst in the Gibberish, Jack goes completely off piste about his favourite food. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The No. 6. The pivot. The volante. The trinco. Defensive midfielders come in many shapes and sizes, but they've become perhaps the hottest property in the game behind an elite goalscorer, because the elite ones are so rare and are often the difference between the best and the rest - just ask Manchester United. Today, we took a look at those at the top of the pile - the top five defensive midfielders plying their trade right now, and in the process, had a deep think about what the role actually entails. There's some time to think about who might be the next generation starting to make their mark here as well. On top of that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses Kai Havertz's recent glorious form as Chelsea's out-and-out centre-forward; Sam talks about Roberto Carlos playing for a Sunday League side in Shropshire (off the bench!) and Jack waxes lyrical about Mikel Arteta's Arsenal being in the ascendancy, and their youthful vigour paying off. There's a Melon of the Week for a certain Everton defender, we announce the winner of the Porto kit competition, and the Gibberish is all about living on a building site. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! This week, Leeds finally ended what has been a glorious time in the club's history - the stewardship of Marcelo Bielsa - with the club languishing dangerously above the Premier League relegation zone. It was a sad day for many Leeds fans, even if the change was perhaps necessary for sustaining their top-flight tenure. We're joined by Leeds fan and podcaster Jon Mackenzie, who talks us through five lessons that he has learned from having the Argentine football philosopher in charge of his club - and why the bond between Bielsa and the Elland Road faithful was so strong. There's positives, negatives, and everything in between. Bielsa has been succeeded by Jesse Marsch, once of RB Salzburg and more recently, of RB Leipzig. Our friend, and German football expert, Jasmine Baba, pops by to talk about what the American will bring to the dugout and how things might look for Leeds going forward. There's also Things We Love, where Jack talks about Caoimhin Kelleher's performance in the Carabao Cup Final and his new place on a Liverpool Wall of Fame; whilst Dean discusses Carlos Vela's out-of-this-world return to LAFC as MLS stormed back onto the stage. There's a Melon of the Week too, and Jack takes over for an impromptu Gibberish. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're heading towards the final stretch of the domestic seasons, with just under three months to go until it's all wrapped up - which means that title races are starting to enter their final forms, and that's really exciting! Sam takes a look at the title races across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and England to determine where the drama lies as we get to that home straight. It's controversial, to say the least - or at least it is in Jack's eyes. But that's the joy of this game - whether you're after a multiple team chase with points being dropped everywhere and chaos reigning, a two-horse race with each pushing the other to new levels of brilliance, or a chase of a multiple-title winning behemoth by a brave underdog, there's something for you here. Before that Things We Love covers MLS restarting this weekend, the belated brilliance of Cesar Azpilicueta's captaincy in the Club World Cup Final, and the Europa League returning with it's usual madness; whilst there's a special double Melon being handed out, and a Gibberish encompassing the return to offices happening across the world. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! Welcome to a very special episode of Ranks, in association with New Balance! This weekend we ventured to Porto to take in O Classico at the Estadio do Dragão - Porto vs. Sporting in a clash with crucial implications at the top of the Primeira table. A win for Porto would see them all but clinch the title, whilst a Sporting win would close things right up in the title race. In a game which had everything - four goals, five red cards and an atmosphere right up there with the best in the world, we put down the things we learned from our adventure. From the invincible city to the Dragão itself, from the youngsters on display to Sporting's resilience, from Coates to the absence of Luis Díaz, we discuss it all - and we're also joined by Marino Peixoto, football journalist and Portuguese enthusiast, to look at it from a more general perspective at the end. Oh, and there's a very special competition in association with New Balance as well. It's all very exciting. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to the Champions League, which returns with a vengeance next Tuesday! Ahead of a massive two weeks of fixtures, we take a stock check of every team left in the competition - comparing it to where they stood at the end of the Group Stages. There are some climbers, some fallers, and some big guns who are just motoring along - but everyone is looked at here. Things We Love takes us through a magical weekend of FA Cup upsets and storylines, Senegal's mighty triumph in the AFCON Final and the ensuing celebrations, and a 'Green-off' in Serie A on Monday night which included two magnificent free-kicks. There's a moment for Melon of the Week too, live and direct from Old Trafford; whilst Sam's Gibberish takes us to 'Things He Just Doesn't Understand'. We curtailed it, I promise. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! In our traditional first episode post any window we're taking a look at our five favourite deals of the window, which in this particular January, has been heavily skewed by South Americans moving around Europe! From Colombian tricksters swapping Porto for Merseyside, to Uruguayan registas making moves from Turin to Tottenham; and from long-term gems joining in summer moves to those we think will be making immediate impacts - we discussed it all here! Things We Love includes Jack waxing lyrical about just how amazing Sunderland Fan TV was on deadline day, where they were the ones breaking news; Dean talks about Fabio Carvalho's move to Liverpool falling through and about smaller clubs holding out for the valuations they believe are fair; and Sam discusses the Canada MNT and how brilliant they have been in this year's CONCACAF qualification. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're coming to the end of the transfer window, Rank Squad; and so we're taking a look at the biggest names and clubs who still have plenty of work to do. We start at Spurs, who are looking to shift on three players and bring a couple in, before heading to Manchester United. Martial might have gone, but Van de Beek and Henderson are still looking for new homes, whilst Jesse Lingard is a man in demand. Newcastle are on the hunt for anybody who could help them survive, and we discuss their approaches, whilst Dusan Vlahovic's probable move to Juventus might free up a whole domino chain of late switches across Europe - perhaps most interestingly, for Arsenal, who also wanted him earlier in the window. We also discuss three players who need a move desperately - a Moroccan wideman in Seville, a former Barcelona starboy struggling for minutes under Mourinho, and Inter's backup CDM who could almost certainly start for 15+ teams in Serie A. Things We Love focuses on Roy Hodgson's return to management at Watford (and a homecoming for his assistant Ray Lewington), Dortmund & Leipzig both on the charge in the Bundesliga, and Comoros' performance in the AFCON Round of 16 which won hearts all over the world, if not a place in the quarter-finals. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To paraphrase Patrice Evra, We Love This Game here at Ranks FC. And with Sam dropping out last minute, we had to spin things on a sixpence for today's ranking - so Dean and Jack sat down to talk about the things that make this game of football the best thing on earth. From Cup Finals to Stadiums, Rivalries to Last-Minute Winners; we broke down our favourite things about the ball game, whether you call it football, soccer, calcio or futbol. There was also Things We Love, where we talked about some of the big Transfer Stories this week, from Erling Haaland to Dušan Vlahović to Wolves' new boy Chiquinho and just how good Nigeria have been so far at AFCON. Melon of the Week goes to a referee who picked up the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the Gibberish falls to Jack, who ranks his favourite Greek Gods. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Picking a Ballon d'Or winner is always tricky because it's done on a year-by-year basis - so we decided to make it 11 times more difficult and pick our Team of the Year across the whole of 2021 - in association with our friends at EA Sports FIFA 22. We go through piece-by-piece to discuss the best of the last calendar year and every single position within a team, in the formation we thought best to try and squeeze them in! There's also Things We Love, where Dean discusses Dortmund's new kit design competition, Sam sings about Dani Alves returning to play in Blaugrana and grabbing an assist, and Jack waxes lyrical about Francisco Conceiçāo's late winner for Porto and his celebrations with his dad, who also happens to be his manager. Melon of the Week comes from the madness that happened at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend between Roma and Juventus, whilst the Gibberish sheds some light on the best things that happened at Sam's wedding last Friday. It's Ranks! If you want to vote in the FIFA 2021 Team of the Year selections, the link is here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the first episode of 2022 and kicking off a busy January of football across the globe is the latest edition of the African Cup of Nations, where Algeria will look to defend the crown that they won in 2019! We're joined by Joe Crann, football journalist and adopted South African who has spent some years covering the tournament, to talk about this year's movers and shakers. We look at some of the favourites, including the holders and their nearest challengers, through some wildcard picks and into the underdog stories that you need to be looking out for as we get underway in one of the most exciting, unpredictable tournaments on the planet. There's also time for Things We Love, where Dean gives us a Phil Jones love-in, Sam gushes over Wolves manager Bruno Lage and his post-match interviews, and Jack discusses the transfers of Jonathan Ikone and Michael Cuisance to Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Venezia respectively. Finally, Dean drops his Melon of the Year for 2021 and Sam's Gibberish explains the three most arduous tasks he has had to do in planning his wedding, which takes place this Friday. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to silly season, Rank Squad; and welcome to the last Ranks FC episode of 2021. Dean Jones walks us through five of the biggest storylines heading into a slightly bizarre window for a lot of clubs. From the next movements of the upcoming batch of best forwards in the world to the strange situation manifesting at Newcastle United; Chelsea's contract dilemmas to Juventus' need to rebuild and some future-proofing at Real Madrid, there's a lot to discuss! There's also time for a little Things We Love, where Sam discusses the latest reincarnation of Joelinton as a World-Class No. 8 and Jack sings the praises of brave little Rayo Vallecano, who end the year in 4th place in La Liga. Dean's Melon of the Week goes out to a special national team performance in the Suzuki Cup, before Sam's Gibberish ranks the things he's most looking forward to in 2022, and Jack is allowed two minutes on why the Darts World Championship is so brilliant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the season, so Sam-ta Claus is dropping down the chimneys of five lucky clubs to give them a special gift under the tree that could turn around the second half of their seasons, or at the very least, improve things from where they are right now. Sam and Jack are joined by Pet Berisha of the State of Play Podcast and Copa90 as the Rank God drops in to Manchester, London, Newcastle, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Barcelona to help out some of the managers who are not seeing things quite go their own way this season. There's also Things We Love, where Sam discusses Jorge Molina's glorious hat-trick at 39 years of age, Pet talks about Gabriel Martinelli's wonderful winking habit and Jack brings up the brilliant Shelter 'No Home Kit' campaign tackling homelessness through football on Boxing Day. There's also time for Dean to ring through a pair of Melons of the Week, and for Sam's Gibberish Rankings, which this week are about what Football could learn from Formula 1. Merry Christmas, Rank Squad! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 teams remain in the Champions League, drawn (at the second attempt) into eight knockout ties that will take place in February. We examine each of them and how they rank in terms of winning Europe's top competition right now - from the favourites to the outsiders and everyone in between. There's also a chance for Jack to wax lyrical about the other two competitions - the Europa League and the Europa Conference League - and to add in some mini-rankings about the most entertaining matchups and the best narrative prospects thrown up by the two other draws done on Monday by UEFA. Then there's Melon of the Week, where there were no shortage of candidates for a second week running, and a Gibberish Ranking where Sam delved into the ins-and-outs of his Spotify Wrapped for this year. It's Ranks! If you're looking to contribute to the relief aid for those affected by the Kentucky Tornadoes this week, the link, as promised, is here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So the Bundesliga, eh? Jesse Marsch gone at Leipzig, Marc van Bommel gone at Wolfsburg, Freiburg in 4th, Mainz in 7th and stories all over the place. We decided it would be prudent to bring back an expert on all things German football to enlighten us on what is happening across the board - so it's a glorious time to reintroduce Jasmine Baba, German Football Consultant. Jasmine talks us through all the big stories mentioned above, plus the strange goings on at Borussia Dortmund and what's happened to last year's success stories Stuttgart, as we blitz through the good, bad and ugly of the first half of the Bundesliga season! There's also time for Things We Love, where Sam talks about the chaos left in Champions League Matchday 6, Dean discusses the beauty of a perfectly timed volley and Jack waxes lyrical about why Empoli are one of the most fun teams to watch in Serie A. There's a first too in Melon of the Week, where a whole team are nominated, and the Gibberish Rankings threatens to derail Sam's impending marriage. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Certain players play the same way their entire lives, whichever coach, manager, tactical setup or formation they're deployed in or by. Some though, are utilised in quirky and interesting ways, and it's those we're looking at today - from Julian Nagelsmann's use of Leroy Sane to Denzel Dumfries' position at Inter. There's also Things We Love, where Dean discusses Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher's big punditry bust-up live on Sky, Sam talks about the brilliant madness of football in the snow and Jack waxes lyrical over Dries Mertens' two glorious goals as Napoli paid tribute to Diego Maradona on the weekend. Melon of the Week has about eight contenders, but the winner comes to us from Norway where Viking went, well, Viking, and the Gibberish Rankings is about 'Things that wind Dean up.' It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's very nearly the most wonderful time of the year (unless you're Sam) and that means it's time for the Ballon d'Or! After a year that has seen a lot of different players make their individual marks to shine sporadically, the big question is - who lifts that Golden Ball in Paris next Monday. We look through the main contenders and some outside bets as well, and talk through the pros and cons of our favourites for the award, ahead of the ceremony. There's also time for Things We Love, which this week includes Mauricio Pochettino's future job prospects, some sumptuous goals and assists from the weekend, the chaos of Fiorentina vs. Milan and a feelgood story from Roma about Mourinho's latest starboy. There's also a Melon of the Week, which has some real contenders this weekend, and a Gibberish Rankings which is the bits we can tell you from Sam's Stag Weekend in Liverpool. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So the World Cup kicks off in a year and four days, the first teams are starting to secure their spots and qualification is starting to get to the sharp end. We let Jack loose on a couple of mini-rankings to take a look right now at the early front-runners in terms of contenders, the teams with a lot to do in the year ahead if they're going to compete, the dark horses to cause a stir at the tournament, and the big names in a little bit of jeopardy in terms of qualifying at all! There's also time for Things We Love which includes early thoughts on All of Nothing: Juventus, the unbelievable month of narrative ahead of Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa, and the redemption arc of Aleksandar Mitrovic which ended with him sealing Serbia's place at the World Cup, almost a year to the day after he missed the penalty denying his nation a place at EURO 2020. Melon of the Week sees us take a detour to Australia and the FFA Cup, and Sam's Gibberish is the weirdest things that he found on his weekend away in Paris. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last international break of the calendar year gives us a chance to breathe and take stock of just what we've seen so far this season - now we're around 11/12 games in. Trends have taken shape, teams have gelled (or not) and certain players have emerged already as leading Player of the Year candidates, We stretch our legs across Europe to rank the top three players so far across the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue seasons, with plenty of honourable mentions and disagreement along the way. There's also Things We Love, which includes our new merchandise range with New Balance (football shirt, hoodie and walkout jacket), the Brendan Rodgers to Manchester United (and City!) rumours, and Hugo Duro emerging as a cult hero for the right reasons this time, at Valencia. Dean has to backtrack on some big claims last week to pick the latest Melon contender, and Sam's Gibberish takes on the form of his last three searches on Google - don't worry, it's clean. It's Ranks! If you'd like to join us over on Patreon, for two extra podcasts a week, we'd love to have you as part of our brilliant Ultras community! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antonio Conte is the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and if this season's performances are anything to go by, he has a job on his hands. We're joined by Nathan A Clark of Tottenham podcast The Extra Inch to take a look at five issues which need to be the pillars of Conte's reign at the Lane if he's to succeed where plenty of others have failed. From structuring possession to reigniting the midfield creativity to leaving the club in a better place than he found it, it's a comprehensive look at how things are going to need to pan out under the Italian, if Spurs are going to reach similar levels of success to that which he's achieved elsewhere, both short and long-term. There's also Things We Love, which includes Dean waxing lyrical about the brilliance of West Ham United this season under David Moyes, and how they're a very well-coached unit honed by the togetherness of the squad; and Jack singing the praises of Giovanni Simeone, who is having a purple patch at a resurgent Hellas Verona. Our Melon(s) come from South America and a riled-up fanbase, whilst the Gibberish Rankings discuss the perils of living through Autumn at least once a year. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool. It's not a pretty scoreline if you're from the red half of Manchester, although it filled plenty of red hearts with unfathomable joy just down the M62. However, this feels like the straw that has broken the camel's back - and now plenty of fans are calling for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, legend that he is at Old Trafford, to be replaced. We take a look at the three biggest problems currently holding Manchester United back, and how they can be fixed; as well as examining the talk around the fact that Antonio Conte will be the next manager in the Old Trafford dugout. There's also Things We Love, which includes some thoughts on the Football Manager 22 Beta being released, the Premier League title race potentially being the greatest of all time this season, and the fact that La Liga had a sensational weekend across the board this week. There's a welcome return for a manager as Melon of the Week too, and the Gibberish Rankings looks at Dean's least favourite songs. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappé, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Benzema, Lewandowski, Oblak, Salah. The list goes on forever - star players who grace the Champions League, who we look to for entertainment every time the Gazprom returns for a midweek slot. But what about those ones that slip under the radar in the light of such radiant brilliance? The next generation playing for clubs who are outsiders, the quiet men in the middle of things, those outside of Europe's big five leagues? Sam walks us through five of the best talents in this season's Champions League who might just have ghosted off your radar, and why you should be looking to learn more. There's also Things We Love, which includes a Mo Salah love-in and a dissection of Osasuna's fast start to La Liga's season; whilst Melon in the Week comes from Serie A and the Gibberish Rankings are a list of things Sam struggles to find most in his own house. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Top-tier club football returns this weekend, and with it, a glut of incredible games and teams to keep an eye on across the continent! To help us pick the most watchable teams so far this season, we enlisted the help of our friend Dougie Critchley, who some of you will know from his work on Football Daily and Euro Football Daily. We talked through some of the best sides on the continent, including some rampant Total Football proponents, a Bundesliga David and Goliath, and a pair of Scudetto challengers - before discussing a bit more why La Liga has struggled to ignite, and a couple of honourable mentions in France. Before that, Sam talks us through the heartwarming story of the Hernandez brothers playing together for France and winning an international trophy; and afterwards Dean returns to the Pod in live form, ranking the best bits from his time in America and dropping a (different football) Melon of the Week. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Championship, League 1 and League 2 are hotbeds of young talent in England. Not only have we seen talent in promoted sides thrive, but transfers up for the likes of Michail Antonio, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen, James Maddison, Jay Rodriguez, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tim Cahill, Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale were all success stories, so there's some pretty good historical basis for players making the jump. So we're making this one a staple, and bringing back our old friend Ali Maxwell from Not the Top 20 Podcast and The Athletic's Football Tactics Podcast to talk to us about some of the most exciting talents in the EFL who we might well be seeing on the biggest stages in football at some point in the near future. We start with a look back at Ali's calls from last year, which included Rico Henry, Josh Da Silva and Michael Olise - before heading on to some of the names from this campaign - taking a look at Blackburn's Ben Brereton Diaz, Coventry City's Callum O'Hare, Stoke City's Harry Souttar, Luton Town's Elijah Adebayo and MK Dons' Matt O'Riley and what stage each of them are currently at. As ever, there's time for Things We Love, where Sam talks João Félix's masterclass against Barcelona at the weekend, and Jack discusses a weekend of shock results across Europe and the reverberations they could cause. Dean phones in a Melon of the Week and we finish with a Gibberish that could get Sam in some trouble at home. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're delighted to welcome the first of our special guests in Dean's absence with Jack and Sam being joined by Stephen Ganavas of Scouted Football to talk through some of the hidden gems in the Golden Boy shortlist. Having talked about the best teenagers in the world a few weeks back, Stephen ranked a few names in here less up in lights, but who you still really need to know - Mohamed-Ali Cho of Angers, Yeremy Pino of Villarreal, Karim Adeyemi of Salzburg, Illya Zabarnyi of Dynamo Kyiv and Josep Gvardiol of RB Leipzig. There was time for Things We Love too, where Sam discussed a particular touch from Emile Smith-Rowe in Sunday's North London Derby, and Jack gushed about the performance of Nicolo Barella in Inter's 2-2 draw with Atalanta at the weekend. Dean phoned in a Melon of the Week from California, and the Gibberish Rankings focused on the TV shows that are next on Sam's radar. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's always a few players who explode into life each season to make big waves for clubs that we didn't see coming. Whether it's comebacks or breakthroughs, across Europe and beyond, previously fringe options suddenly become crucial elements for a new manager or find themselves in the plans of an old one. We look at five of the most surprising options to have emerged this season so far. There's also, of course, Things We Love, which this week starts with a love letter to Ronald Araujo, and then descends into the Koeman in or out discourse. If you want a full breakdown of our thoughts on the next Barcelona manager, we've done a YouTube special here! We chat too about Danny Drinkwater's renaissance at Reading, and Napoli's perfect start to the Serie A season which included a training ground special on Monday night. Melon of the Week goes to a certain goalkeeper from the Europa League, although there's a nice fan-based counterpoint to that one; and Sam picks his favourite Pringles flavours in the Gibberish. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Teenagers are fleeting. It feels like only yesterday that we were talking about Kylian Mbappé, Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland - but they're all into their 20's now and ineligible for consideration. So we take an early look at the brightest stars of the new generation - off the back of one of our Ultras asking if Jamal Musiala was one of the best teenagers in the world. He's in some elite company - Ansu Fati, Pedri, Florian Wirtz, Jude Bellingham, Nuno Mendes, Mason Greenwood, Gio Reyna, Eduardo Camavinga, Ryan Gravenberch - and the list goes on! Sam does his best to put them in the order of how they stack up against each other right now. There's also time for Things We Love - where Dean talks CR7's debut, Sam discusses seeing players live in the flesh again and Jack waxes lyrical on how good Roma-Sassuolo and Serie A as a whole were this weekend. As ever, there's a Melon of the Week, and Dean talks his personal problems in the Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks! If you'd like to vote for us in the FCA Awards, we're in the International category for Best Club Content Creator - we'd really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The transfer window has closed and we've had a couple of games in each league, so whilst pre-season predictions are fun, this feels like a good time to lock our selections in for the season - so it's time for a new game on Ranks. Welcome to 5x5. The concept is simple - we each pick how we think the top five in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France are going to look when the curtain falls in May. We work through some brilliant backing of those pre-season picks, some drastic changes courtesy of the end of the transfer window, and some absolutely outrageous calls, mostly from Jack, where heart has clearly taken precedence over head. And of course, there's a Melon of the Week, a Gibberish Ranking and the poems are back to kick things off. It's Ranks! If you'd like to vote for us in the FCA Awards, we're in the International category for Best Club Content Creator - we'd really appreciate it! And of course, if you want more from us, you can join the Rank Squad Ultras on Patreon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, that was quite something, hey? A window like no other, that saw Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jack Grealish, Antoine Griezmann, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Gigi Donnarumma, Romelu Lukaku, Jadon Sancho, Achraf Hakimi and David Alaba all on the move. Oh, and Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane eventually stay put after weeks and months of speculation. We're here to make sense of it, ranking the best five transfers across the window! We discuss some of the most valuable deals across the course of this summer, and why they're such important pickups for their respective new clubs. There's also time for us to discuss the Things We Love, which includes some bits on the biggest non-deals this summer and also some Narrative FC love; whilst Melon of the Week comes from Spain and Sam's Gibberish Rankings are about the very strange week he's had. It's Ranks! If you want more from us, with two extra episodes and a newsletter a week, and access to our Discord server, why not come join the Ultras on Patreon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With one week left in this transfer window, there's a lot of storylines still live. Dean walks us through three of the biggest storylines to keep an eye on in Kylian Mbappé, Richarlison and Harry Kane - and how those might play out; before Sam talks about three players who desperately need a move from their current homes, and Jack looks at three clubs who really need to get a move on. Before that though, there's the return of Things We Love, with Ruben Rochina's Granada comeback, the chaotic start of the Serie A season and Memphis taking to Barcelona like a duck to water all in need of serious discussion. And of course, there's Melon of the Week - three guesses, and a brilliant Gibberish Rankings from Sam to close things off. It's Ranks! If you'd like to vote for us in the FCA Awards, we're in the International category for Best Club Content Creator - we'd really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last of the big five European Leagues gets underway this weekend. Here's everything you need to know about the return of Serie A in Italy. So, from the title race between Juventus, Atalanta, Milan and Inter; to the European challenger powerhouses of Roma, Lazio and Napoli; to the wildcards of Fiorentina, Sassuolo and Sampdoria - we’ve got the lowdown on all the key points ahead of the openers this weekend.  But as with all these preview shows, we wanted to get some expert opinion on the other bits you should be keeping an eye on - so we brought in an old friend of ours, Marco Messina of the IFTV Channel and Podcast to give you the lowdown on the newly promoted teams of Empoli, Venezia and Saliternita - as well as which traditional clubs might struggle this time out, and who he expects to improve on last year's showing. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a big week in football, and a big week for the podcast - and whilst Lionel Messi might have left Spain, there is still so much to be excited about in this season's La Liga season, which promises to be the most competitive in a long time. We start off with the title race, examining holders Atléti, solid but unspectacular Real Madrid and the house fire that is Barcelona ahead of the big kick-off; and talk through who the favourites are and how all three will look to make sure this season matters most to them. From there, we bring in some expert help - Spanish football expert and ESPN Editor David Cartlidge joins us to talk through some of the storylines you need to be keeping an eye out for this season - including Espanyol's charge from the Segunda to the Top 10, Granada's future, some underdog relegation shouts, and the chasing pack in the European Spots. We dial in on that chasing pack to finish - talking through what we're expecting from Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Jack's beloved Real Betis this season, and how they can close the gap on the top three in a year like no other. It's Ranks! If you've loved this week with it's extra episodes, and you want to be in with a chance of winning a football shirt of your choice, why not come and join the Ultras over on our Patreon - the best community in football! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, we're all systems go on the Premier League, which begins in earnest this Friday as Arsenal take on newcomers Brentford in the curtain-raiser. We're here to take a look at just how we think things are going to pan out this season - from title contenders to survival hopefuls, European dreamers to mid-table slumpers and everything else you might need to know. Sam breaks the table down into five clusters, before we discuss how we think the Top Four will shake out. And, given the new season has begun, there's just enough time for the return of Melon of the Week, where a certain card-happy pre-season referee takes the first Melon of 21/22, and a Gibberish Ranking, where Sam raises the three changes he would make to improve the Olympic Games. It's Ranks! If you want to join our FPL League ahead of the new season, the link is here. And if you've enjoyed our taster week and want to join the Ultras permanently, we'd love to have you over on Patreon for two extra episodes a week, the chance to ask your questions in the Postbox, access to the Ranks Discord and our Torcida Newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad! It's a special week here on Ranks, where we're giving you a wee glimpse into what life is like as part of our Ultras community over on Patreon, where we do two extra episodes a week. The first of these is the Monday Postbox, where we break down the best (and worst) weekend's action across Europe and beyond, answering your questions on what went down in the world of football . Here's what's inside today's postbox. MESSI —How can PSG fit all these players into the same side? —Where does the defending come from if it's Messi/Hakimi down the right? —Short and long-term planning in Paris —Is this the mark of Ligue 1's rise to prominence —How do Barcelona look without Messi? —Reaction to Joan Gamper trophy, Memphis, Collado and beyond FRANCE —What a brilliant opening weekend —Monaco, Nice, Lille and Rennes all held —Brilliant Marseille are the most fun team around —PSG's second string against an impressive Troyes side —Lille haven't lost the spirit of last season's campaign! ENGLAND —Chelsea, Lukaku and what constitutes success —Who are the main contenders for the Champions League? —Lautaro, Tottenham, Arsenal and the battle for his signature —Christian Romero and who would be his best partner —Kane's return to training and the tricky situation —Arsenal's pursuit of James Maddison —Are City better than last season with Grealish in for Bernardo & Aguero? —Who will be the first manager to get the boot this year? ITALY —The mercurial rise and fall of Inter —Does Inter's breakdown mean the league loses its edge? —AC Milan: Will they try and play Giroud & Zlatan together? —Demiral to Atalanta - potentially a brilliant bit of business —Mourinho, red cards, and the passion alive at Roma RANDOM —If you could pick one manager in the world to be right now, who would it be? —Celtic, Rangers, Kyogo Furuhashi and is there a title race in the SPL? —Christine Sinclair and the Gold Medal she deserved —Harvey Elliott and fighting for a first team start —Neil Warnock, the Championship and Fulham getting kicked to death If you like what you hear, and you fancy coming to get involved on a permanent basis, we'd love to have you - you can find us over here. We'll see you on Wednesday for our full Premier League Preview and on Friday, where we look ahead to the La Liga campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Like clockwork, we are days away from the start of the return of domestic football in Europe's Big 5, with Monaco taking on Nantes in the Ligue 1 curtain raiser this Friday night. It's like there was no break at all! With that in mind, it's time for us to preview both the French and German leagues, with Germany's DFB-Pokal starting this weekend as well to kick things off. In France, we take a look at PSG's summer squad booster and discuss who is able to challenge Les Parisiens for the throne, discussing Monaco, Nice, Marseille and Lille as serious contenders for the crown; before we're joined by Alex Collings to talk through three other Ligue 1 storylines you can't miss—Rennes' dynamic wing duo, the emergence of Troyes under the City Football Group, and Lyon's season under the effervescent Peter Bosz. Then it's across the Rhine to Germany, where there's been a merry-go-round of managers in the Bundesliga. Bayern, whilst dominant, have a couple of teams circling for a potential slip-up under the new stewardship of Julian Nagelsmann - so we discuss the Bavarians alongside Marco Rose's Borussia Dortmund and Jesse Marsch's RB Leipzig. Then, Jasmine Baba joins us to talk through Wolfsburg's potentially problematic manager situation, Hertha Berlin's rollercoaster rebuild taking a new turn, and Borussia Mönchengladbach's potential under Adi Hütter. It's Ranks! If you'd like to vote for us in the FCA Awards, we'd love you forever. The voting is here and takes just a couple of seconds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a summer dominated by international football, there was always going to be a few transfers that didn't get the love that they perhaps deserve. We're here to set that straight for you - talking everything from Leipzig's new goal machine up top and Brighton's 'computer' in the middle to the Nice Revolution and Leeds' flying full-back acquisition. There's also a return for Things We Love, where Dean discusses how important Raphael Varane could be for Manchester United, Sam talks through the absolute chaos that has been the football at the Olympics so far, and Jack waxes lyrical about how Marseille have been quietly picking up some very clever deals and steals under new boss Jorge Sampaoli. It's Ranks! If you'd like to vote for us at the Football Content Awards, in either the International Podcast or the New Content Creator category, you can do so using this link. We'd love it if you could! And you can submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oh, you thought this summer's international football was finished? Think again! The Olympic Games start this week in Tokyo and there's a host of football to be played between some very exciting squads. We're joined by the excellent Joe Donnohue of Scouted Football and Leeds Live to talk through the best narratives, the top teams in contention for the gold medal and some squads that we're excited about watching as we build up to a tournament which Neymar lifted for Brazil last time out! Before that, Jack pours some out for the Gold Cup, which has been brilliant entertainment in the most part, with a couple of drab 1-0's for the Baby USMNT aside, and dishes out some love for Jamaica's all-sorts-of-fun Reggae Boyz squad, a patchwork quilt of some of the Championship's finest players. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, there we have it. EURO 2020, done and dusted, and Roberto Mancini's young, bold and brazen Italy side took home the trophy by beating Gareth Southgate's resilient Three Lions on penalties, but England should be commended for taking the best side in the competition the full distance. In our final Euros episode, Sam and Jack take a look back through the best players in this years competition, ranking them on their performances; before Dean subs in to talk through the highs and lows of being part of a strange but wonderful tournament at Wembley. Finally, there's a quick spin through our favourite games, moments and Teams of the Tournament to round such a wonderful month of football off. It's been emotional. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, four have become two and Italy and England will face off in the EURO 2020 final at Wembley on Sunday having seen off the challenges of Spain and Denmark respectively, both over 120 minutes; although Mancini's boys also needed the penalty lottery and some big boy moves from Giorgio Chiellini to book their spot. We're joined by Muhammad Butt, Chief Writer at Squawka, to look back through two very different but equally entertaining semis, starting with England's win over Denmark, and how the Three Lions managed to secure their place in a major tournament final for the first time in 65 years; and then heading over to one of the games of the tournament in Italy vs. Spain, where two midfields did battle in a viewing experience from the ages. From there, it's eyes on the final - three reasons England should be confident, three reasons Italy should be confident and of course, a couple of predictions for good measure. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week 16 became 8 as we saw the European Championships spring into knockout mode. There were shocks, spills, gaffes, glory and penalty shootouts; and the contenders from the Group of Death - France, Portugal and Germany - are all out of this competition, alongside the Netherlands. So, of all the nations left in, we ranked each team in terms of how likely they are to be lifting the trophy on the 11th July, given how they performed in their first knockout fixture, their routes to the final and their ability to get this done. It's pure, unfiltered, ranking - fresh off the back of the last game of the round finishing at 11pm. There's also our Tales from Wembley - a very hoarse Dean tells us about his experiences today as England saw off Germany 2-0, in all its detailed glory; whilst Jack and Sam discuss their trip to see Italy see off Austria in extra-time last Saturday. With all the twists and turns, that night feels a long time ago. It's Ranks! 21:04.374 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Group Stages are done, Rank Squad, and so our rescheduled podcast looking back at it is here! We thought it would be best to rank all the qualified teams, 1-16, on their performances during their group stage campaigns - and then look at what that means going forward - from Sweden’s organised resolve to Belgium’s ability to shift gears; England’s defensive masterclass to Austria’s machinations down the left.  Then, we look back at three nations who hugely disappointed us and exactly why we felt so let down by their performances (yes, Turkey are in there, obviously); and pick out our favourite fixture each of the eight that lie ahead in the first knockout round. It’s Ranks!  If you want more from us, why not come join the Ultras over on Patreon, where you get eight extra episodes a month for the price of a pint for us to share? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every team has now played once at the European Championships, meaning we have a bit more to work with in terms of looking at how this whole thing plays out. We break down some categories of things we've learned: looking at the best team performances so far, some of the bet individual performances that came from left-field, players that we were disappointed with and breakthrough stars of the first match round. From the flying squad of the Italian corps to Slovakia's shock win over Poland, full-backs who got run over defensively to young guns making a name for themselves on the biggest stage, we take in the entire first round of games and rank them. Then Sam and Jack talk some tactical quirks so far, taking a peek at three good and three bad quirks we've seen so far, in a segment inspired by Gennaro Gattuso's most famous press conference. It's Ranks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three days to go and excitement at Ranks HQ has reached Fever Pitch. The European Championships, just the 364 days after they were supposed to begin, are finally upon us. The squads are (sort of) set, the players (we hope) are ready, and the storylines (we know) are just about to unfold.  So, without further ado, here is our behemoth Euro 2020 (or ’21) Preview episode, where we’ve each taken two groups and analysed the four teams in each in detail, looking at strengths and weaknesses, how it might be won and lost, and who we think is going to stand up and be counted when the going gets tough.  We talk tournament favourites, golden boots, dark horses; we predict the top two in every single group, look at some of our favourites to go through as third placed dynamos and pick out some of the best narratives that surround this tournament as we ready ourselves for lift off.  It’s Ranks!  If you’d like to join our Ultras for three episodes a week during the tournament, including Friday’s Ones to Watch, we’d love you to come join us for the price of a pint a month for us to share!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Official! Ranks FC has signed a partnership with New Balance Football, which means that we're going to be working closely with everyone's favourite Boston-based Sports Brand on all their football endeavours, and we can't tell you how excited we are! For a chance to win our new Ranks FC kit designed by the NB Football gang, head over to our Twitter or Instagram and get sharing! This week, we spoke to newly signed New Balance star, Liverpool wonderkid, youngest player to ever play in the Premier League, a man who has been lighting it up for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship this season and one of the hottest prospects in the English game right now, Mr. Harvey Elliott, to dig into just what makes him tick. We talked his loan spell and growing up as a player in the Championship, his ambitions for next season at Liverpool, what he needs to add to his game to break the starting XI, his Liverpool fandom, why there will always be a place in his heart for Fulham, that list of haircuts, his favourite music artists and cuisines and his heroes growing up, as we got to know Harvey a bit better. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a weird year, nobody is arguing with that. But in the gloom, in the darkness, some heroes have shone on the pitch for their respective clubs. Be these leaders of men, comeback stories, against the odds triumphs or all three, we asked friend of the pod Zach Lowy, co-founder of Breaking the Lines, to come back and help us pick five of the best personal storylines across Europe this season. And boy did he deliver - from Championship hitmen (to the chagrin of Jack and Dean), to versatile Spaniards playing every position under the sun, to champion defenders who went from one end of fans affections to another, to veterans who inspired unlikely title charges, this one had it all. Before that though, as ever, there was time for Things We Love, which this week included Dean talking about Romelu Lukaku's redemption arc and the very real possibility of him returning to the Premier League; Sam discussing one of the best games of the season in the U21 European Championships, and Jack talking about Aguero's unveiling, Barca-born, Betis-bred defenders returning to the Villamarin and his predictions coming true in both European finals last week. It's Ranks! Come and join the Ultras on Patreon for two extra podcasts a week, our Torcida newsletter and access to the Rank Squad Discord Community!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Europa League last week, Champions League this week! As the last (and biggest) annual game of the European football calendar comes hurtling at us, it’s time to turn our eyes to Porto (previously Istanbul) and look in great depth at this seasons Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea. Pep Guardiola vs. Thomas Tuchel. Kevin de Bruyne vs. N’Golo Kanté. Cityzens vs. Pensioners. We look at the key places the final will be won and lost, and dissect three reasons to be optimistic for both sides of a well-trodden clash.  Before all that though, there's time to discuss Things We Love - Sam starts us off with some thoughts on Mike Maignan heading to Milan and why we should be keeping a close eye on both Milan and Lille's business across the course of this summer; Dean talks about Luis Suarez's impact on this Atléti team and why his redemption arc was so scintillating this season; and Jack discusses Joaquín's new contract at Betis (he's 40 in a month!) before turning his head to an explanation of the new Europa Conference League and why you should be excited about it as a competition. There's also a Melon of the Season, which goes out to a previous multiple time MOTW winner who you might have thought Dean had forgotten about, and the Gibberish Rankings where we discuss Sam's own Melonish behaviour in the week just gone, and trust me, some of it is pretty special. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're into the Endgame now, Rank Squad - the time for European finals, titles, silverware is upon us; and getting ahead of the game, we're looking ahead to next week's showdown in Gdansk between Manchester United and Villarreal. It's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer vs. Unai Emery. Edinson Cavani vs. Gerard Moreno. Red Devils vs. Yellow Submarine. We look at the key places the final will be won and lost, three reasons to be optimistic for both sides of the divide, and some transfers that could well be affected by the outcome of this game; before turning our focus to this year's Europa League as a whole - talking about the best matches we've seen in the competition, and those stories that made our hearts sing. Before all that though, there's time to discuss Things We Love - Dean starts us off with the big transfer news of the moment, that Harry Kane has reportedly asked to leave Tottenham and how he sees this saga playing out; Sam talks about homegrown talent at Southampton and seeing both sides of it - the returning hero Theo Walcott and the new blood in Nathan Tella; and Jack discusses Jenni Hermoso's performance in the UWCL Final and the fact that Karim Benzema is rumoured to be returning to the France setup for this summer's European Championships. There's also a Melon of the Week, which this time out goes to a very particular fan at the FA Cup Final, and the Gibberish Rankings where we discuss the YouGov poll about people in the UK believing they could fight gigantic animals. To the 8% of people who think they could beat an Elephant in a fight whilst unarmed, we're here to tell you that you couldn't. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the season draws to it's close, the transfer window looms large and there are certain players who will be literally itching to get themselves to pastures new, for a myriad of reasons: to win trophies, to get their careers back on track, to get themselves some actual playing time. We look at five of the biggest names who will likely be (or at the very least should be) angling for an exit this summer. From a £120m man in Blaugrana to an England captain to a former Los Blancos golden boy, there are big moves across the continent on the tip of everyone's tongue, and we take a look how likely they are to leave and where they should ideally be heading. Things we Love this week discusses the madness left in the Serie A season and why you should be glued to it, Edinson Cavani's contract extension at Manchester United and what it means for the club, and a potential first Primeira title for Sporting CP in Portugal for the best part of two decades. There's also some time for Jack's mourning over Fulham's relegation from the Premier League, Dean to award another Melon of the Week and Sam's Gibberish Rankings for Things That Should Be Easier To Do. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No sooner had the Mourinho Bus left North London, then it rocks up in Rome! In a bombshell move, Roma announced that Paulo Fonseca would be leaving on Tuesday morning, and that Jose Mourinho would be taking over next season in the Eternal City on Tuesday afternoon - the world of football waits for nobody.We break down just how this might play out, whether this is a move that might see JoMo get his MoJo back, and which players at Roma might well thrive under the Special One. Then we head into our big ranking, which this week involves Sam taking all 20 of the Premier League's clubs and ranking their record signing - based on how their careers have gone so far, but also projecting onto their futures, and their values in the wider world right now. It's a complex one - how do you compare Chris Wood with Adam Webster with Paul Pogba, but we give it our best shot. And of course, there's just time for a Melon of the Week from the DFB-Pokal semi-finals before we close things off. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a No. 1 special over here at Ranks, a glimpse behind-the-curtain and between-the-sticks, as we are joined by Lee Robinson, former professional with Rangers and a host of other clubs, and now one of the brains behind The Modern-Day Goalkeeper - three brothers trying to revolutionise the training and perception of young goalkeepers in the game. First up, we rank three ways that the boys are changing things - from training schedules to specialised gloves to altering perceptions around height; before Lee ranks his favourite five goalkeepers and just why he rates them so highly. As ever, we start with Things We Love, which this week includes the latest from the Bundesliga Manager Merry-Go-Round with Julian Nagelsmann making the hop from RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich; the title races across Europe which we're glued to as we reach the end of the season; and Aston Villa's Keinan Davis finally breaking his Premier League duck on the 29th attempt. Melon of the Week goes to a referee in Spain who absolutely fluffed his lines at the weekend, before Sam rounds things off with a Gibberish Ranking of all the injuries he's currently 'suffering' from. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, no such thing as a quiet week in football, but I don't think we've ever had 72 hours quite as mad as the last 3 days have been. With the announcement, the fallout, the breakdown and the backdown of an entire organisation in such a short time period, we try to make sense of just what went down regarding The Super League. We take stock of the full timeline of Tuesday's wild events up to recording, react to the seeming death of the Super League at this point and discuss Ed Woodward's resignation and what that might mean for Manchester United going forward (especially in terms of the Glazer ownership). Then we look to the future, opening up the can of worms which relates to the punishments of the "Big Six" - points deduction? relegation? Is that fair on the players or the fans who were the best outlet in this fight against the ESL? Is Juventus' demotion during Calciopoli our closest reference point? And can we use this swell of on-the-ground energy for good moving forward; to tackle racism, elevate the women's game and take back clubs into the hands of fans, with the same ferocity? Finally, we raise some love for the clubs who have been steadfast during this - the clubs that if you're feeling disillusioned with the game right now, that you might be able to draw some inspiration from. We talk the upstart rebels Atalanta in Italy, the young pretenders in France who have set this year's title race alight - Lille; and the mighty conveyor belt that is the backbone of Ajax. We also talk about supporting grassroots football local to you, with Dean waxing lyrical over Walton & Hersham, and Jack calling up his beloved Hanwell Town FC; before we pour out some love for the model of German football and the Bundesliga's commitment to fan investment and ownership. Finally, Sam talks about why he got angry on his first visit to Crystal Palace in a Gibberish, and Dean picks a non-ESL-related Melon of the Week. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're careering towards the end of the season, so we thought we'd shine a little light on the players who have exploded into the public consciousness and into our hearts in the 2020/21 season. From the Premier League to the Bundesliga to La Liga, we've experienced some of the most amazing stories as unknown quantities have brought the limelight streaming down on themselves with incredible performances. From London to Leeds, Barcelona to Bavaria and beyond, Sam ranks his favourite breakouts from a season like no other. In Things We Love, Dean discusses the possibility of Sergio Agüero taking the leap across the Pennines from Manchester to Yorkshire, and linking up with Marcelo Bielsa in the process; Sam discusses the new Ranks FC Discord server and the watchalong we enjoyed with El Clásico taking place on Saturday night; and Jack waxes lyrical about the dramatic nature of the relegation battle in Portugal's Primeira Liga. There's a Melon of the Week from lower down the English Football Pyramid as teammates turn into mortal enemies, and the Gibberish is a very special outside contribution based on club badges. It's Ranks! Come and join the Ultras on Patreon for two extra podcasts a week, our Torcida newsletter and access to the Rank Squad Discord Community!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again, where the debate begins to rage about who the Premier League's best player has been over the course of the last eight months. It's never easy, but with no obvious front-runner this year, we thought it was a good time to explore just who should be getting the nod for the domestic individual award that causes more debate than any other. We discuss a crop of City's best, as well as talismans for United, Tottenham and Aston Villa, as we head into the final straight for the PL campaign. Before that though, there's time for Things We Love: Sam talks Fiorentina's 21-year-old Serbian hitman Dušan Vlahović, Dean discusses the ins-and-outs of La Liga's twisting title tensions, and Jack waxes lyrical about the languid love-in for Lingard now that the emotional yoke has been removed from his shoulders. There's also time for a Melon of the Week from the other side of North London for once, and the Gibberish rankings are based off of a very special message we got. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's an all-Basque affair in the Copa del Rey final as Athletic Club take on Real Sociedad for the trophy this weekend. They've only had to wait a year! In this special episode, made in partnership with New Balance Football, we delve into a gargantuan game that has more on the line than silverware - this Euskal Derbia is about local bragging rights, regional pride, and a first Copa del Rey since the 1980's for one of the Basque Country's two big guns. To give you what you need to know ahead of the game, we —recap the road to the final, including the elimination of both El Clásico giants —pick three players who you we think are most likely to influence the result —interview Athletic Club's Sales Director Germán Mugueta about what winning would mean to the Bilbao club —spotlight three things to keep an eye out for in the game, ranging from David Silva's influence to Yuri Berchiche's overlaps to the possibility of the trumpet making a reappearance —talk to La Liga Lowdown & Txoko Pod's Beñat Gutiérrez about the rivalry between Athletic and La Real and why it makes the game special There's also a giveaway of a special edition commemorative Athletic Club Copa del Rey final shirt, which you can find over on our Twitter, @RankSquad, brought to you by our partners at @NBFootball - so make sure you head over there to find details of how to enter! And to follow all our game day coverage on Saturday, drop us a follow on our Instagram - @rank.squad It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Draws done, brackets done, and the roads to Istanbul and Gdańsk respectively are paved for Europe's elite. So it's time to take a look closer at how these might play out. First up, the Champions League, where Sam ranks Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Porto and Chelsea on the likelihood of them holding ol' Big Ears to the sky on a balmy evening at the Atatürk Stadium, and why. Then it's over to Jack to take a look at his beloved Europa League - where Dinamo Zagreb, Villarreal, Arsenal, Slavia Prague, Granada, Manchester United, Ajax and Roma remain to do battle in order to bring the storied Coupe UEFA back home from Poland. We take a look at each of their chances, and each's strengths and weakness as we career towards's the competition's conclusion. Finally, Dean takes charge of the end to give us a Melon of the Week straight out of the classic social media muddles archive, and ranks his favourite Takeaways during Lockdown in this week's Gibberish. It's Ranks! If one pod a week isn't cutting the mustard any more, and you want two extra episodes and a newsletter weekly for the price of just a pint a month, why not come join us on our Patreon?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the third instalment of March's InterviewSZN on Ranks FC as we welcome Hugo Scheckter to the pod to pull back the curtain on what life is like in the world of Player Care - in his words, "anything that's not on-the-pitch or medical!" Hugo was Player Care Manager at Southampton and West Ham United in the Premier League, as well as IndyEleven in the US, and explained to us the ins-and-outs of a field that is still relatively young in the football sphere - ranging from how to get into it, the best and worst parts, how players are welcomed, his funniest experiences with players and the future of Player Care as a whole. There's also Things We Love, where Dean talks about the title race in La Liga, Sam discusses the impending U21 European Championships and Jack pours some love out for New Balance's special edition Rose Lavelle boots, which are full stop exquisite. There's also a special Melon of the Week, dedicated to a certain late-arriving Premier League skipper. Thanks for listening, Rank Squad! Make sure you're subscribed to the pod on whatever platform you use, and if you want to give our Patreon a spin in March's free trial, come join us at patreon.com/ranksfc.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March InterviewSZN continues on Ranks FC, as we welcome FA intermediary and Head of Football at Distinct Agency, Sonny Coleman, to the pod to give us an insight into the world of being a football agent. We discuss his route into this side of the game, the day-to-day of what as entails, how the agency world is changing, and his engagement with the players he represents, as well as Sonny's roots in football and how that stemmed from his Dad Chris - former professional and manager, with spells at Fulham, Wales, Real Sociedad and Hebei China Fortune. Thanks for listening, Rank Squad! Make sure you're subscribed to the pod on whatever platform you use, and if you want to give our Patreon a spin in March's free trial, come join us at patreon.com/ranksfc.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a familiar voice in the Ranks FC studio this week, and not because it's a returning guest, but because it's the Voice of FIFA, Bundesliga Broadcast Behemoth, and one of the finest commentators to ever grace the microphone, Mr. Derek Rae, who joins the Rank Squad to talk all things commentary. We start off with Derek's own background and how he started life behind the mic, before taking a waltz through five pillars of his glittering commentary career: Preparation, Pronunciation, FIFA, Clichés and Experiences - to get the complete package of just what makes the great man tick when he's in the booth. Thanks for listening, Rank Squad! Make sure you're subscribed to the pod on whatever platform you use, and if you want to give our Patreon a spin in March's free trial, come join us at patreon.com/ranksfc.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday, the UK announced its roadmap towards a world without lockdowns, a world which screams to us - full stadiums and football as we love it. It's not quite a global movement yet, but a glut of vaccines means that wherever you are, it feels like the moment is coming where we can look to an open sky once more. Never again will we take a trip to a new ground or to see the players we love, for granted. With all that in mind, we thought we'd talk about our post-lockdown football dreams and what they might be like - and there's a lot going on here. From VAR decisions we don't understand to train journeys around the country; from trips abroad to stadiums we're gasping to experience to shared moments with our mates; seeing unique players in the flesh and enjoying a sense of community wherever you're watching the game. These are what we can't wait for, but we hope they'll inspire your own dreams about the beautiful game as well. In a particularly harmonious episode, Things We Love covers the Fantasy PL leak that has wound up Aston Villa, Bayern-conquering Eintracht Frankfurt's march into the top four, and the record of Villarreal's Gerard Moreno, who NEEDS to be on the plane in Spain's squad for EURO 2020 (2021). There's a Melon of the Week too, and Sam ranks things that should be easy, but are actually hard - ending in a lesson on how not to whistle. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You didn't think we were going to miss this opportunity, did you? The return of the Champions League means the return of the Champions League's cooler little brother - because the Europa League, like the UEFA Cup before it, is where the cool kids hang out. Europe's most exciting club competition, back with a Round of 32 that contains some explosive match-ups and some players to watch. We take a look at some of the tournament favourites - AC Milan, Manchester United, Napoli and Leicester City; some dark horses - Lille OSC, PSV Eindhoven, Shakhtar Donetsk, Villarreal; and the most exciting teams to watch - Real Sociedad, RB Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen and SC Braga; as well as a bit of a deeper dive on some of our players to keep an eye on, namely Yusuf Yazıcı and Wenderson Galeno. In place of Things We Love, there's a whole opening segment dedicated to the appointment of Marco Rose as the next Dortmund boss, why German clubs have a habit of announcing deals like this and Dayot Upamecano's move to Bayern before the window in which they happen, and what the former Salzburg man will have to do to turn things around at the Westfalenstadion. There's also, of course, a Melon of the Week (for an entire fanbase, no less), some love for Pancake Day, and a Gibberish Rankings where Sam talks about everyday scenarios that make him happy. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That time of year is getting closer, Rank Squad. Oh yes, it's time for European nights, under the lights - as next week the Champions League takes flight again for its knockout stages. It might be a tad premature, but who's asking - we're taking a deep dive on the Round of 16. From the teams who are in the best form, to the best chances of an upset, to the most entertaining fixtures - we've got the mini-rankings that will guide you through the return to the European stage - because a lot has changed since this draw was made! Dive in for the Champions League preview you need before we go again. As ever, we start with Things We Love though, and this week Sam and Dean are waxing lyrical about Raphinha and Phil Foden respectively, whilst Jack shows some love to the title race in Turkey, with a three-team split at the top of the Süper Lig meaning that once again, it looks like it's going all the way in Istanbul to decide a winner between Beşiktaş, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. And, to finish, Dean has four contenders for Melon of the Week, including a belated one for an Arsenal goalkeeper, a certain Premier League ref, a Southampton defender with the worst single game points total in Fantasy PL history and a club who have had one of the worst weeks of all time; before Sam ranks his favourite times of day in lockdown Britain to round things off. It's Ranks! If one pod a week isn't cutting the mustard any more, and you want two extra episodes and a newsletter weekly for the price of just a pint a month, why not come join us on our Patreon?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This January might have seen deals more scarce than usual, but there was still plenty going on as the transfer window raged across the first month of 2021. We're here to pick up what was hot (and a little of what was not) as Sam ranks the best five deals that have happened in the month just gone. With Liverpool finally signing some centre-back cover (for one of which we sought expert advice from our friend, NTT20's Ali Maxwell), Atléti bringing in a top marksman, Brighton bolstering the Latin cohort down on the South Coast, Gladbach-ing up their midfield options and the Cobham Cannavaro switching Chelsea for Milan, there's plenty to discuss - and we go around the grounds to look at a few deals that perhaps slipped under your radar too. There's also, of course, a Melon of the Week (and it's a huge shock choice from Dean) and we try to rank every Bean in the Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He's back, ladies and gentlemen! The Rank Squad were joined once again by Harry Brooks, head coach at Round World Royals, to discuss five more players who could do with a change of position or system to up their game. This time it's Tanguy Ndombele, Jadon Sancho, Gareth Bale, Mo Salah and Marco Asensio in the spotlight, as we move them around to find their sweet spot. There's also a discussion, fuelled by Jack mostly, about whether Harvey Barnes could function as a No.9 for Leicester. Before we get into that though, there was the little matter of Thomas Tuchel becoming Chelsea boss today, replacing the departing Frank Lampard. We dive into what we can expect from a Tuchel team at Stamford Bridge - and the pros and cons of what the German will bring as a coach. There's also room for a Melon of the Week, and Sam ranks the 'things he's most upset about missing because of COVID' in today's Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks! If you love the pod and once a week isn't enough for you, why not come and join our Ranks FC Ultras over at Patreon, where you get two extra podcasts and our Torcida Newsletter every week, for just a couple of quid a month?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Across Europe we're seeing a season where the title races are more open than ever before - in England five points separate the top six, in Italy there's at least four sides with a shot at the Scudetto, in France top spot is currently decided on goal difference, in Spain it's a new challenger sitting pretty at the summit, and in Germany the recent wobble from the Champions has contenders getting excited. We take a look at them to see where the drama is most likely to go down (and Jack talks a bit about the Primeira, whilst we're at it). In Things We Love, Dean gives us the latest on some transfer news including Dele Alli's proposed channel hop to PSG and David Alaba's future; Sam pours some love on Inter's centre-back sensation Alessandro Bastoni, who was exceptional against Juventus on Sunday; and Jack gives some props to Iñaki Williams and Athletic Club, after their Supercopa win over Barcelona, which will be celebrated long into the future in Bilbao. There is of course, a Melon of the Week - handed out to a certain Roma Centre-Back after his self-destructive performance against arch-rivals Lazio in the Derby della Capitale last weekend - and Dean takes over to do a Gibberish Ranking of the Subscriptions he made during a year mostly spent indoors. Talking of subscriptions, if once a week isn't enough to scratch your Rank Squad itch, why not come and join us over at Patreon for eight extra podcasts a month? It's loads of fun, we promise! It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we look forward to a new calendar year stuffed with football, it's worth looking back at 2020, and the Rank Squad teamed up with EA Sports FIFA 21 to take a look at the contenders for 2020's pantheon - a year unlike any other. We talk some of the biggest names from across Europe, including a couple from Champions of the Continent, Bayern Munich, from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and a couple of attackers from Barcelona and Juventus who you might have heard of. There's plenty of debate across the board, especially in the problem positions of right-back and centre-midfield, but in the end, we settled on an XI we were *mostly* happy with. There's time, as ever, for a Melon of the Week - which this week has a personal tinge for both Dean and Jack, and Sam's Gibberish Rankings, which focus on some of the weirdest jobs to be found across the globe. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year, Rank Squad! It's our first episode of 2021and we thought it was time to wheel out a classic (with a twist) and take a look at some predictions for 2021. Dean bravely took on the mantle that Sam vacated to look ahead to the year to come, making predictions based on a big transfer saga that's been rumbling on for a while between Dortmund and United, his attendance at games, Cristiano breaking international records, will Messi stay or will he go and who will win the European Championships this summer! Sam pipes up with his own couple of predictions about Messi and Tottenham, separately (!) and we take a look back at his predictions from last January, which to be fair to him, have been slightly affected by a worldwide pandemic and the cancellation of football for a couple of months. There's also things we love, where Sam discusses Ralph Hasenhüttl's tears at beating Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, and Jack talks about Nadiem Amiri's Puskas winner being scored just two days into a new calendar year. Finally, Dean crowns a Melon of the Week from El Gran Derbi in Spain, and Sam's Gibberish Rankings take a look back at his most-used websites in 2020. It's family-friendly, don't worry. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Holidays Rank Squad, and welcome to the last episode of 2020. With this year one to forget in many ways, we wanted to throw things forward to January and the first Dean Jones ranking of the Ranks FC era! We take a look at some of the most unconventional rumours coming out of the camp for the transfer window - from former Arsenal widemen being linked to Inter Milan, to Arsenal actually thinking about some sensible business, to AC Milan marking some targets that nobody was expecting! There's also a quick look at some of our favourite things - recently Sam has reignited his love affair for Chelsea's Ben Chilwell, and Jack very much enjoyed Fiorentina hammering Juventus 3-0 and Fede Chiesa's face afterwards. Meanwhile, Dean pens a bit of an ode to why football was so important to him in this year of all years. And, as usual, there's the awarding of a Melon of the Week before Sam rounds things off by talking about his New Year's Resolutions from the previous year and his new ones for 2021, in this week's Gibberish. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SAMta Claus is...not coming to town, because he's in tier 4, but if he weren't, he'd come to your town and give out some presents! We take a look at some of the things that Europe's most in-need clubs are after - players, managers, Presidents, the lot. With his elves in tow, Santa leaves some gifts under the tree for the clubs that need them most. Then it's on to the festivities, as we name five footballing guests at our respective Christmas parties - nominating who's in charge of the food, entertainment, cracker jokes and snowball fighting - before talking about our favourite Xmas Present stories, and finishing off by signing some magical elves for our own respective clubs. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Champions League Last 16 is set and the draw is done, which leaves us salivating at the prospect of eight blistering ties to come in the New Year. Still, with the matchups now set, it felt like a good time to rank the contenders left in Europe's pre-eminent club competition, and so we set Sam to work building a list. We take a look at Bayern, Leipzig, Dortmund, Gladbach, Real Madrid, Atleti, Barcelona, Sevilla, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Juventus, Atalanta, Lazio, PSG and Porto and put them in order of who is best placed to win the competition, before flipping our attention over to the Europa League draw, where Jack picks out three games to watch from a phenomenal Round of 32, and also takes a quick look at some of the favourites. We finish with another London Colney-based Melon of the Week, and Dean takes on responsibilities for the Gibberish Ranking, where he picks the best games to play with a three-year-old. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Monday, before United's game against Leipzig, Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola came out to say that "I can say it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United." Given Pogba had scored in United's game against West Ham at the weekend, and was about to play in a do-or-die game for United in the Champions League, it's worth pointing out that the timing could have been better. And so it proved, with the German side knocking Pogba's side into the Europa League in a thriller in Saxony. There's perhaps more than meets the eye here though, and it's just the latest in a series of chapters which have pitted a club record signing against his employers in almost every sense. So we decided to look at all of it, looking at the reasons we love Paul Pogba, and the reasons we can find the man frustrating; before getting a United viewpoint from an old friend of the pod - Mina of the brilliant Goal Diggers pod, and self-declared President of the Pogba Agenda. Then we kick it forward - if this really is the end, then what next for Pogba? Sam and Dean come together to rank five possible destinations for the World Cup winning midfielder based on how likely they are as landing spots, and also how well they would fit Pogba's playing style and his ambitions. Finally, there's time for a quick Melon of the Week, which is based around foul throws (if you know, you know) and Sam ranks his Spotify Wrapped in this week's Gibberish Rankings. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first interview of the Ranks FC Era, we meet a man whose star is on the rise at Bayern Munich and a key part of the US Golden Generation coming through, 20-year-old centre-back Chris Richards. It's been a huge year for Chris - he made his first Bayern appearance in June, his first Bayern league start in October, earned his first US senior cap in November and made his first Champions League start just last week. We talked to him about the whole lot - David Alaba being his mentor at Bayern, Hansi Flick's demeanour and influence on this squad, his time playing for Bayern II in the third tier, Leon Goretzka's transformation, marking Robert Lewandowski in training, his friendship with Alphonso Davies, his first USMNT camp, the U20 crop coming through for the national team, Yunus Musah, his perfect defender, playing with Manuel Neuer, what he misses about the US, who the fastest player at Bayern is, his favourite films, Jamal Musiala, and a whole lot more! It's all sorts of fun, and Chris is brilliant insight and entertainment. Aside from that, we announce the three winners of last week's competitions and Sam ranks the weirdest combinations on Earth that work well together in the Gibberish Rankings.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There was only one place we could start today - in tribute to a genuine legend in this game we love. An icon. A behemoth. The one and only Diego Armando Marandona. There will, simply put, never be another like him and the football world is a darker place without his presence. That said, he was a football man until his last breath, and the game, beset as it is by grief, must go on. The Champions League provided some inspiration of its own this week, as we take a quick flash through Europe's finest, before heading on to the games you need to watch this weekend. Dean starts us off with Chelsea vs. Tottenham, bitter London rivals vying for the Capital's top berth and perhaps even more, in a game which has the subplot of Frank Lampard facing his old boss and friend, Jose Mourinho, who returns to the Bridge. Sam takes a look at Southampton vs. Manchester United, where high-flying Saints will look to continue their good start against a United side that still haven't quite worked out what they are. Jack finally takes us out of the Premier League to head to Italy, where Sassuolo, currently second, host Antonio Conte's Inter Milan, knocked unceremoniously out of Europe on Wednesday night by Real Madrid, and looking a shadow of the side they were last season. It's an intriguing match-up between a side who know exactly how they want to play against one very uncomfortable in their own skin at the moment, as well as being another chance to watch Sass. Finally, Sam takes us to Holland for this week's Scouting Spotlight, flicking the torchlight on PSV's Donyell Malen. The former Arsenal and Ajax man has returned from last season's injury woes in fine style, and is fronting the charge for his side in the Eredivisie. Still only 21, but already a leader in this side - sharing captaincy duties with Denzel Dumfries, there's so much to come from a player who has been quietly doing the business for some time in Eindhoven. It really is Ranks FC. If you've loved three episodes a week and want to join the squad permanently after this week's loan period, come and get involved on Patreon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to 2025, where the halcyon days of Ronaldo and Messi are long consigned to the past and a new battle rages to be the world's best. There are many contenders, but who tops the award they all want more than any other - Sam Tighe's Player Rankings. We take a look at some of the young superstars who are well on their way to the top of the game and will be the pantheon of the elite in the future (if they're not already). Before that though, there's Things We Love - which in this case involve Tanguy Ndombele's return to both the side and to his blistering best; the madness of both Barcelona and Manchester City being placed 13th in their respective leagues; the title races we didn't expect; Leverkusen's pure chaos approach to playing football, and, as the more eagle-eyed of you might have noticed, the new Ranks FC logo. There's also a special Melon of the Week ranking, which tops out with a refereeing display that put all others to shame, and in this week's Gibberish, Sam ranks the best responses he got to a 'where you're from and who you support' survey. If you want to enter our competition, hit this link or go to bit.ly/RanksFCComp. And if you wanna skip the lottery and just become one of the Ultras anyway, join us on Patreon here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello Rank Squad, here's a special Cyber Week treat for you - this week, we're opening up our Patreon offering to everyone, to show you what you'd be getting if you took the plunge and became Ultras. The first of two extra episodes is here - our Monday Postbox, where we talk through the weekend's action and answer as many questions as we possibly can. Opening up in the Premier League, we field some bits about Spurs' title-challenging credentials, comparing Jose's time in North London to his time at Old Trafford, question how City can get out of their rut of inability to break teams down. It's a similar story at Arsenal for Arteta, and there's some love for Liverpool after a highly impressive win over Leicester; and for Tammy Abraham, who is making Frank Lampard's selection dilemmas harder with a series of good displays.  After the break we hop to the continent, starting with a discussion of Dortmund and the ever-more impressive Erling Haaland, as well as a deep dive on how Milan have turned things around to sit pretty at the top of Serie A. Then we head to the New World, with a look at the MLS Playoffs, some thoughts about players wearing shirts tucked in, and a peek at where managers such as Allegri and Pochettino may end up next to finish off.  It's Ranks! If this has caught your fancy, and you want more of it - come join the Ultras over here to get your questions answered and become part of a fizzing community!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Championship is a wild world, and it's formed some of our most loved stars of the Premier League and beyond. Nobody encapsulates that more than current PL Poster Boy Jack Grealish, who spent three explosive years setting the Championship alight before returning to take the top flight by storm. It's not just him though - right now Ollie Watkins, Patrick Bamford, Jarrod Bowen and loads more are all having their moment in the sun; and we wanted to get ahead of the curve on who the next ballers ready to take the step up are. So we called in one of the big guns and welcomed our friend Ali Maxwell of the Not The Top 20 Podcast, the experts on everything Championship and beyond, to the virtual studio. We discussed a whole load of players, including Brentford's Josh DaSilva and Rico Henry, Reading's Michael Olise, Swansea's Ben Cabango and Stoke City's Tyrese Campbell - looking at how they play, where they might fit, and who has their eyes on these young stars. We also got a quick update from Ali on some of the big name loanees in the second tier - Liverpool's Harvey Elliott and Harry Wilson, on loan at Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City respectively; Tottenham's Ollie Skipp, who's anchoring the midfield of Norwich City; and Chelsea's Marc Guehi, back at Swansea City. This week's 'Things We Loved' included Dean talking about Wayne Rooney taking on the (player-)managerial hotseat at Derby County; Sam discussing the Football Manager 2021 beta and how much he's enjoying it; and Jack pouring out some praise for the joyful, swashbuckling USMNT and their new crop of young ballers taking up the mantle. There's a new Melon of the Week from the International Break, and Sam's Gibberish involves the very 'English' things that he just doesn't like, to much chagrin. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for our first guest on Ranks FC and who better than our old friend Jimmy Conrad, USMNT legend and modern media mogul, who joins us to look at the most shocking things that have happened this season, from Liverpool to Messi to VAR and beyond, we cover it all, from the Champions League to the Gala Dinners that may or may not be happening this winter. On top of that, Dean leads some chat about what's going on over at Real Madrid, Sam pours out some love for West Ham's Declan Rice and Jack harps on for a bit about Sassuolo, who currently sit second in Serie A, just two points behind Milan and without a loss so far. Dean gives out a Melon of the Week to someone very close to his and Jack's hearts, and Sam's Gibberish Rankings look at tips to surviving the winter months. Oh, and the poems are back. It's Ranks! If you fancy two extra episodes a week, come and join the Ultras on Patreon - it's a whole load of fun: patreon.com/ranksfc.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Off the back of JWP's flurry for Southampton at the weekend, we decided to take a punt at trying to pick the best five set-piece takers in Europe. It's an ardous task for Sam, who has no fewer than five honourable mentions, but he finally gives us his reasoning behind his picks for the five men who he thinks are the best dead ball specialists UEFA has to offer, whether that be on corner kick, free kick or penalty duty. There's discussions on everyone from Leo Messi to Joshua Kimmich and beyond. In this week's 'Things We Loved' Sam pens a love letter to friend of the pod João Félix, who is really coming into his own for Atleti this season; Dean waxes lyrical about Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City and their thumping of Leeds United; and Jack explains why everyone should really be watching Real Sociedad, who currently sit top of La Liga and have won four on the bounce in some style. Obviously there's a Melon of the Week, which comes straight off the back of a Basque nightmare, and Sam's Gibberish sees him ranking the worst things about his new-found hobby - Golf. It's Ranks! If you want more from us, come join the Rank Squad Ultras over at Patreon - where you can get two extra podcasts and a newsletter every week from the Rank Squad.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's 20 club captains in the Premier League, but their ability levels are vastly varied. From club stalwarts who don't really play to talismanic leaders, we wanted to dig a bit into the heart of it, so we got Sam to rank all 20 on their footballing ability right at this very moment. Needless to say, arguments followed. It led on to a discussion about what the captain's role really is though, and just why the armband is so important. In Things We Love this week, Dean gets back to his investigative roots and looks at Pep's contract situation at Manchester City, and the problems that come with the delay to signing a new contract; Sam talks about Angeliño's new-found goalscoring form on loan at RB Leipzig (and why City could probably do with him back); and Jack explores Roma's start to the season within the context of their new ownership promising to make them "one of the greatest names in World Football" again. There is of course, a Melon of the Week (from the Bundesliga) and a counterpoint, the anti-Melon, if you will; before Sam rounds things off with his gibberish rankings - what he's missed most about driving, after getting back in a car for the first time in six years. We're just glad we weren't in it. It's Ranks!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ranks FC is go! And we're launching back into Wednesday episodes with a big one - ranking the best attacks that European football has to offer. From the Premier League to Bundesliga, it's been a goal-fest since we returned for 2020/21 and we're here to take those clubs and put them in some semblance of an order. Sam takes on a gargantuan task, with a little help from the Rank Squad, and a wildcard in his pocket. Of course, on top of that there's 'Things We Loved' which this week include Pep's use of Joao Cancelo in City's game against Arsenal; Kylian Mbappe's form and just how bright his future is; and Dani Parejo's triumphant return to former club Valencia in the Derbi de la Communitat. As usual, Dean hands out Melon of the Week, although there's a surprise challenge, and we debut Sam's Gibberish Rankings at the end. It really is Ranks FC. If once a week isn't doing the business, and you want to join the Ranks FC Ultras with two extra pods and a newsletter every week, come find us on Patreon: patreon.com/ranksfc  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first full episode of Ranks FC, we talk to Leeds United and Northern Ireland midfielder Stuart Dallas who sets the record straight on Marcelo Bielsa, the agony and the ecstasy of Leeds, recording a documentary during a pandemic and just what Erling Haaland said to him when they swapped shirts. There's also some chat between Jack and Sam on Leeds' hot start to life back in the Premier League and why fans should continue to be excited about watching a Box Office Bielsa side. If you want more from Ranks, come join us on our Patreon, where you get eight extra episodes a month for about the price of a beer (and also we'd love a beer), so if you wanna join the Ultras, come and involved here: patreon.com/ranksfc  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Ranks FC, the new home of what was B/R Football Ranks, at the start of a new chapter. If you loved what we did before, you'll be glad to know it will take much of the same format as it used to on our staple weekly show; and if you were after more, well, there's plenty more coming at ya. Make sure you hit subscribe as we embark on a journey into the world of football with you - Rank Squad Forever. You can find us on Twitter at Rank Squad - and at Jack Collins, Sam Tighe and Dean Jones.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices