Ranks FC - A Football Podcast

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 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? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.