Ranks FC - A Football Podcast

Ranks FC

About

Welcome to Ranks FC - the show that takes football and puts it in the right order. Join Jack, Dean & friends every Wednesday for rankings that discuss the best of football across Europe, from the Premier League to Serie A, La Liga to the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 to the Primeira Liga and beyond!If you're here to hear about the best players on the planet, the next generation coming through, the biggest transfer deals and the under-the-radar steals, you've come to the right place - all with a positive outlook, Things We Love, and the infamous Melon of the Week. It's Ranks!

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245 episodes

Ranking the Premier League Team of the Year

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

59m
May 01
Ranking the Final Four in the Champions League, Europa League & Conference League

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 4m
Apr 24
Champions League Takeaway: Premier League Catastrophe, Reyes de Europa, Lucho's PSG Remontada & BVB Stun Atleti

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

54m
Apr 18
Ranking Breakout Stars of This Season

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

59m
Apr 17
Champions League Takeaway: Xavi Silences Lucho, Dortmund Stay Alive, Bayern's Experience Tells & Another Madrid-City Classic

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

49m
Apr 10
Rúben Amorim: The Next Liverpool Manager?

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 https://pod.fo/e/21d544, 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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

44m
Apr 10
Ranking Rule Changes That Would Improve Football

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

57m
Apr 03
Ranking the Best Wingers in Europe

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 20m
Mar 27
USMNT Drop Another Dos a Cero on Mexico (Postbox Excerpt)

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! https://www.patreon.com/posts/101031609?pr=true It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

25m
Mar 25
Ranking the Most Dramatic Finishes To This Season

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 1m
Mar 20
Manchester United End Klopp's Quadruple Dream (Postbox Excerpt)

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! https://www.patreon.com/posts/postbox-united-100593851 It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

21m
Mar 18
Champions League Takeaway: Penalty Delight for Arsenal & Atléti, Rolls Reus Returns & Barça's Youth Injection

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

48m
Mar 14
Ranking the Greatest European Goalscorers Ever

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 6m
Mar 13
Champions League Takeaway: Madrid Edge Leipzig, City's Training Day, Bayern Breathe Again & Bossman Mbappé

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

42m
Mar 06
Ranking Players Who Could Quit the Premier League

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 2m
Mar 06
Phenomenal Foden Keeps Manchester Blue (Postbox Excerpt)

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! https://www.patreon.com/posts/99718708 It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

27m
Mar 04
Ranking the World's Best Centre Midfielders

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 0m
Feb 28
Liverpool Triumph in the Carabao Cup Final (Postbox Excerpt)

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! https://www.patreon.com/posts/99235408?pr=true It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

31m
Feb 26
Champions League Takeaway: Arsenal Burned at the Dragão, Napoli Hold Barça, Penalty Drama for Dortmund & Inter Finally Break Atleti

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

35m
Feb 21
Ranking the Best Value Transfers from Summer 2023

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 3m
Feb 21
The MLS Season Preview Show

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

40m
Feb 19
Champions League Takeaway: Bayern's Season on the Brink, PSG's Strength in Depth, Another Big Brahim Moment & City Edging Towards Perfection

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

43m
Feb 14
Ranking In-Demand Managers & Potential Destinations

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

59m
Feb 14
Ranking the Champions League Last 16

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 4m
Feb 07
Ranking our Favourite Transfers of the January Window

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

36m
Feb 02
Ranking the Next £100m Transfer

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!  http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 2m
Jan 31
Ranking the Big Names and Likely Deals of Deadline Week

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

1h 1m
Jan 24
Ranking Football Careers at Risk

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

59m
Jan 17
Ranking the Hottest Rumours of the Window #1: Mayoral, Gallagher, Ferguson, Olise &

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

36m
Jan 11
Ranking Kylian Mbappé's Potential Landing Spots

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! http://patreon.com/ranksfc

58m
Jan 10