Davor Suker's Left Foot

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