Ranks FC - A Football Podcast
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Hello Rank Squad and Happy New Year! We thought we'd kick off 2025 with some forward thinking, with both Dean and Jack looking forward to the new year by examining five things they think will happen over the entirety of the 12 months to come. There's discussions of title winners, transfers, managerial changes, and a whole lot more as we consult our crystal balls to try and predict the future. There's also time at the start to look back at some of the Things We Loved at the end of 2024, including Dean's takes on the half way Premier League Team of the Year debate , and Jack's experiences at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day - And we finish with a few New Year's Resolutions that we're planning on fulfilling in 2025, both related to football and elsewhere. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! There's been a lot of noise around Kylian Mbappé this season, after his dream move to Real Madrid - mooted for so many years - was finally completed in the summer. But things haven't completely gone to plan for the man that many see as the best player in the world. Playing through the middle because Vinicius Jr. plays off his preferred left hand flank, it hasn't been the smoothest of transitions into Los Blancos for the France Captain, but recently things have taken a turn for the better. However, questions remain. Can Vini Jr. and Mbappé strike up an understanding that would surely take the world by storm? Will the Frenchman finally accept playing through the middle, after previously stating he didn't like it there? Were the early struggles just teething problems? And how do you get the 'Big Three' of Vini, Mbappé & Jude Bellingham into the same lineup and playing to all their strengths? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! We hope you're all enjoying the festive period and that your midwinter festivals - whichsoever they be - are merry and bright! We didn't want to break our almost 5 year streak of not missing a Wednesday drop, so here's a little Christmas Special that the boys threw together for you to enjoy at some point over the next few days. We take a look at some of our favourite things across the course of the season so far, picking out players, teams, leagues and managers who have defied expectations, risen above the madness, or just made us smile. We're looking forward to seeing you in the New Year, but we hope that whatever you're up to over the next few days, that you have a chance to relax, have some peace and quiet, and enjoy the wintery delights of some December football. All our Love, Jack & Dean http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Atalanta are currently top of Serie A as we close in on the halfway point of the season. After winning the Europa League last season, the glass ceiling for the club from Bergamo has been well and truly smashed, but can they go one further this year, beat out some giants of the game and claim their first Scudetto? We examine just how a club from a small city north-east of Milan has turned the Italian football landscape upside down, upsetting the traditional order of Italy's biggest clubs and managed to put together an incredible run of continental qualification under Gian Piero Gasperini, all whilst making a gargantuan profit in the meantime. This iteration of Gasperini's disruptors has the potential to be their greatest ever, but can they maintain such blistering league form against the depth of Inzaghi's Inter and a Conte Napoli side that don't have European football to contend with? How has Gasperini turned a bunch of players unwanted elsewhere into one of the best units in the game? And is this finally the time where promise becomes domestic silverware, changing the established order forever? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! There are certain clubs and players who need something new to set their seasons back on track, and the potential for drastic change is just around the corner with the January Transfer Market opening in under two weeks. We take a look at some of the gambles that clubs could take in the market, and whether they might be good enough to save sagging seasons. Before that, we examine the interview with Marcus Rashford released on Tuesday by Henry Winter, where he said he was ready for his next challenge. What does that mean? Where does it leave his future at Manchester United? And where could he possibly go in January if that's an option? Jack also finishes off with a mini ranking of the best football books he's read this year, in case anyone is looking for a couple of gifts to ask for in their Christmas Stocking, to finish things off! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Tottenham Hotspur are an enigma. Sometimes they look unstoppable, like in their 4-0 rout of Manchester City a few weeks ago. At other times they look turgid, slow and far too easy to break down. It's led to a fanbase split on whether the manager is the problem, or just another symptom of something that goes far deeper. Sam and Dougie discuss why things seems so weirdly up and down for Spurs, with a lack of consistency highlighted across their games not just this season, but over the entirety of 2024. In recent weeks, there has been a pretty visceral negative reaction to the manager - Ange Postecoglou - from elements of this Tottenham fanbase, whilst others have suggested that because these problems stretch far further back than the Australian's tenure, there is almost certainly something deeper going on. Does the ownership need to take more accountability? Nobody is doubting the impressive nature of the facilities, both at Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium, or at their state of the art training ground, but has there been enough squad investment to give both players and coach a fair crack at ending the trophy hoodoo? Has Ange Postecoglou's lack of flexibility in how he wants his team to play been exposed in the Premier League? Or is this just another injury and fatigue crisis that a squad is failing to manager? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your midnight feast of Champions League content - after another breathless week in the UCL that saw thrills, spills, and everything in between. We start with Wednesday's action, opening with yet another tough night for Pep Guardiola, whose City side were pulled apart by Juventus in transition in the second half, and who now has one win in his last ten games in all competitions. Then it's on to Dortmund, where a breathless second half between BVB and Barcelona saw the Catalans come out as 3-2 winners, but there was plenty of positives to take from both sides of this one; and to the Emirates, where Arsenal saw off Monaco 3-0 in the Arsene Wenger Trophy, and did so without scoring from a corner! There's a roundup of all the rest of Wednesday's football too - Atletico's routine win over whipping boys Slovan Bratislava; Milan squeaking past Crvena Zvezda at San Siro; Feyenoord's topsy-turvy 4-2 win over a battling Sparta Prague; Stuttgart hammering Young Boys 5-1; Lille making it hard for themselves but finally besting Sturm Graz 3-2; and Benfica's frustration at drawing 0-0 with winless Bologna. Then in Part Two, we're onto Tuesday's action, which begins with a flip to Real Madrid, who answered some of their critics with a big 3-2 win in Bergamo against Atalanta - where Kylian Mbappé looked far more like himself...and then promptly went off injured. We talk a bit of a strange game between Leverkusen and Inter, where both showed signs of their best, but which Leverkusen ultimately won by channelling last year's 'Alonso-time' late dramatics; before heading over to Leipzig to discuss Aston Villa's best performance in a while which saw them past Leipzig - who are now officially out of the race for qualification. Rounding things up, we discuss some absolutely mesmerising footwork from Michael Olise as Bayern dismantled Shakhtar in Gelsenkirchen; Liverpool staying perfect with an imperfect performance at Girona; PSG getting back to winning ways against hapless RB Salzburg; Sporting's continued struggles as they fell to Club Brugge; Brest's swashbuckling smash-and-grab against PSV; and Celtic's credible display at the Maksimir as they drew with Dinamo Zagreb. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! On today's episode we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the players currently leading the way in the scoring charts across Europe, and cast our thoughts ahead to who looks like they have a good chance of taking home the award at the end of the season. We skim across some of the players who have set out their stalls early in the summer leagues of Europe, before diving deeper into the contenders from the big five and beyond, based on current form and our expectations of minutes and consistency going forward. Before that, there's time for Things We Love, where Dean goes a bit off beat to criticise some of the decisions coming from Sir Jim Ratcliffe regarding his staff at Manchester United, and Jack waxes lyrical about Atletico Madrid's dramatic win over Sevilla at the weekend and the potential of a genuine three-way title race in Spain. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Aston Villa eased the pressure on themselves with a win against Brentford in midweek, but it doesn't change the fact that November was an incredibly difficult month for the Villans - with their last win before the Bees this Wednesday coming on October 22nd against Bologna in the Champions League. Many people have pointed to the lack of Douglas Luiz this season as a major reason that Unai Emery's Villa have struggled to control games, but it surely can't be as simple as that, so Sam and Dougie take a deep dive into a topic close to Sam's heart and try to work out exactly what has been going wrong for the Villans across the last few weeks. We discuss the lack of pressing and compactness, which may well be by design; as well as some strokes of unfortunate bad luck that have hampered their chances - as well as putting into question whether this summer actually strengthened or weakened the squad off the back of last season's success. So have Villa been found out, or are they just currently gripped by a crisis of confidence and inability to finish their chances? Are the problems endemic, or will they go away as normality returns in the New Year? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! We're returning to one of our staples this week, an old-school ranking that takes on one of our favourite topics—the players who have stepped up their game this season and taken things to a whole new level. We cross Europe to take in a number of ballers who have reached new heights since we kicked off again in August, and hand out due flowers to those most deserving of them. Our journey takes us to Bergamo to take in a striking sensation; Frankfurt for a man who might be Europe's most explosive this year; Florence for a career resurrected in superb style; Catalonia for a written-off Brazilian making waves in Blaugrana; and Merseyside for the midfield maestro maybe nobody saw coming - as well as giving out some honourable mentions for good measure. Before that, Dean's Things We Love discusses the current situation at Manchester City and how this sets up Pep Guardiola to perform one of his most impressive feats in the game of football, whilst Jack has some love for the response crews in Fiorentina-Inter who were to rapid to react to shocking scenes with Edoardo Bove's collapse, as well as some uplifting news on his recovery. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Liverpool have played 19 games this season, winning 17 of them, drawing one and losing just a singular game. They've got the best defence in the Premier League, whilst only Tottenham Hotspur have outscored them going the other way. Top of the Premier League and top of the new Champions League table, it has been an incredible start from Arne Slot's side by anybody's standards. We take a look at what has changed to give Liverpool that element of increased control, as well as how certain players have visibly improved under his stewardship. The emergence of Ryan Gravenberch as the team's heartbeat, the new-found clinicality of Luis Diaz, and the excellent of Ibrahima Konate have not gone unnoticed. There's also some discussion on the circumstances around Liverpool, the platform left by Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's old propensity for one legendary manager setting up another, and how this looks in the second half of the season - as well as our thoughts on the contract situations surrounding Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Are Liverpool surfing a wave brought on by surprising circumstances surrounding Arsenal and Manchester City, or are they the real deal? The Truth is usually somewhere in the middle... but not always! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your midnight feast of Champions League content - after an incredible week in the Champions League that saw Champions crumble, new powers rising, goals galore & some shock results. We start with Wednesday's action, opening with the breathless end to things in Eindhoven - where the USMNT's Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi fired up an incredible late comeback that saw their side overcome Shakhtar Donetsk at the death. Then it's on to Anfield, where Liverpool made light work of an out-of-sorts Madrid, lacking Vinicius and a few others. We discuss Mbappe's struggles, how Liverpool maintained perfect control, the midfield 'battle' and Conor Bradley's breakout performance. We also discuss a calamitous own goal from Cameron Carter-Vickers at Celtic Park, rescued by a brilliant Daezen Maeda strike at the other end; the drama at the finale of Aston Villa's 0-0 draw with Juventus; a brilliant game between two excellent sides in Benfica and Monaco; Jamie Gittens' star turn in Dortmund's impressive win over Dinamo Zagreb; a stunning Champions League performance from Lille's Ngal'ayel Mukau; and shock results in the early kickoffs as Sturm Graz beat Girona and Crvena Zvezda hammered Stuttgart in Belgrade. Then in Part Two, we're onto Tuesday's action, which begins witha deep dive into City's unthinkable collapse against Feyenoord which put all the worst fears of City fans into a stark perspective - this is real and it's happening. What next for Pep's men, and could they possibly turn it round in the most unlikely of locations - Anfield? We talk a bit of a strange blockbuster game between Bayern Munich and PSG and where both teams are right now, before heading over to Lisbon to discuss Arsenal's demolition of Sporting, which was one of the best performances we've seen under Mikel Arteta as all the parts finally click into place for the Gunners. Jack installs Inter as his favourites to win the competition following their incredibly mature win over struggling RB Leipzig; we look at a big night for Robert Lewandowski as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0; discuss Atalanta's 6-1 mauling of Young Boys and insist you don't write them off; ponder why Milan keep making things so hard for themselves, even in a 3-2 win in Bratislava; and end with quick discussions on hammerings handed out by both Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! It's that time of year where certain teams start looking towards the January Transfer Window to either bolster their side for a silverware push, or to try and fix gaping holes to resurrect a flailing season. We take a look at both in today's episode, where Dean walks us through some of the things he thinks might take place in the upcoming winter window. We talk about a number of things - a potential Manchester City move for more goalscoring potential on the pitch, whether Malik Tillman might be in demand from Premier League clubs, possible landing spots for Lyon's Rayan Cherki if his club are forced to sell by financial constraints, who Real Madrid might target to deal with their defensive deficiencies, how Barcelona might try to find some backup for prodigious talent Lamine Yamal, and where Liverpool might go in their search to either try and long-term replace or assist Mohamed Salah as that contract situation rolls onwards. Before that, however, there's time for Things We Love, where we discuss some of Jude Bellingham's comments regarding feeling low after England duty this summer due to some of the criticism received, and the reports coming out of Spain that Peter Lim is apparently finally about to sell Valencia, ending nearly a decade of fan-led protests against his running the club into the ground. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! With Ruben Amorim set to take the reins at Manchester United this weekend, Sam and Dougie dig into the future of Marcus Rashford - whether he fits into the new system that Amorim is likely to play at Old Trafford and if he can utilise a fresh start to revitalise a career that feels like it's in limbo right now. Whilst Rashford's last year or so has been somewhat underwhelming, there is also a feeling that he has been playing in a team that has been far less than its component parts, and that without a functioning system around him, Rashford is one of the players who struggles to make an impact the most. That should change under Amorim - given what he has achieved at Sporting - but without an out-and-out winger in his preferred 3-4-2-1 system, where does Rashford fit best? As one of the floating 10s behind the striker? Or as an out-and-out No 9 tasked with running the channels and getting in behind opposition defences? Can United's homegrown superstar rekindle his spark under his new manager? Or could he get stuck in football purgatory - trapped by high wages and a sky-high-fee, but without any of the interest to genuinely find a new home? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! We're delighted to have a new voice on the show today, Mr Eli Quivey, a self-professed 'English bloke in an American body' and a TikTok star, who has recently spent 10 days completing a football trip of a lifetime around England - visiting his beloved Old Trafford, Anfield on a Champions League night, and of course, the home of football, Craven Cottage. Eli walks us through his journey and what took him to this point, before he takes the reins for the main ranking - talking through the five things he loved most about English Football Culture whilst on this side of the Atlantic, and allowing for some interesting cross-comparison with the experiences he had growing up in the US. Then Dean flips the script, finishing the show with a ranking of the things he has missed most about the UK (from a footballing perspective) since making the hop across to San Diego. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! With Manchester City coming into the international break having lost four games in a row for the first time under Pep Guardiola, Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley take a deep dive into what exactly is going on in the blue side of Manchester, and if they can recover their sparkling form to win a fifth title in a row. Whilst the injuries to key players - namely Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne - have obviously played a huge role in this poor streak, is there something deeper going on? Pep has always liked to work with a smaller squad than usual, but have they pushed the boundaries too far in not finding adequate replacements for key men in a time of strife? There's also further questions - have City gone too hard on bringing in players who can create within the system and left them short in terms of goalscoring options outside of Erling Haaland? And why has John Stones not really been utilised in defensive midfield given the obvious deficiencies there in Rodri's absence? So, is this a question of poor squad planning finally getting the better of Manchester City's tight-knit unit? Is Pep being too stubborn with his choices in playing an aging midfield who look physically deficient? Or are City maybe not quite as good as they were last year? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! With the final international break of the calendar year now in motion, we thought it would be a good time to take stock of what's happened so far in European club football and rank the clubs who have impressed most over the start to this season. Jack's taken out any clubs he feels are underperforming expectations to narrow the field, and then ordered the seven he feels have started the strongest to give us a ranking based on what we've seen on the pitch. There's entries from all across Europe's Big Seven leagues, with some league leaders matched up with some drastic overperformers as well - so this really is one that should stir up some debate. Let us know who your picks would have been across our socials! Before that, there's some time for Things We Love, which this week digs into the MLS postseason and the rise of the underdog in the Eastern Conference, as well as Fiorentina's flying form and the resurgence of Moise Kean as a bona fide star. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! With Mikel Arteta starting to get some real heat on social media for Arsenal's recent performances and their lack of goal threat, Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley take a deep dive into what's making Gunners fans so upset about the way that their team have played recently under their former player. The biggest question that's being asked is whether Arteta is being too defensive in the absence of Martin Ødegaard, and whether that has cost his team from creating chances to score - even given the fact that the club captain and chief creator is not on the pitch at the moment. This was meant to be a season of further growth for Arsenal, but given that City do not look as strong as last season in the absence of Rodri and De Bruyne in particular, it has been Liverpool instead who have seized the initiative to take an early lead at the top of the Premier League table. So, are Arteta's tactical choices holding Arsenal back? Are they suffering from an over-reliance on adding defensive solidity in the transfer market? Is he being too cautious with the youngsters such as Ethan Nwaneri? Or are Arsenal just currently underperforming across the board - held back by their numerous absentees? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your midnight feast of Champions League content - after one of the wildest weeks we have seen in the competition in recent times. We start for a change, with Tuesday's games, opening with Sporting's huge 4-1 win over Manchester City - a parting gift from Ruben Amorim to the Jose Alvalade as City were cut open in transition again. Was it as bad as it looked? Maybe not, but the blue half of Manchester have some valid concerns, whilst the red half are ready to welcome their new manager with open arms. Then it's on to Anfield, where Liverpool maintained their perfect record in the competition with a 4-0 win over Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a Luis Diaz hat trick, and some more excellent half-time tweaks from Arne Slot, who got it right yet again. Real Madrid were stunned at home by Milan, where Paulo Fonseca's use of Rafael Leão was next to perfect, and the questions about how Kylian Mbappé has unbalanced this team remain burning bright. Can Carlo Ancelotti turn this around or are the obvious holes in the defensive line too big to fill with superstars alone? We round up the rest too: Celtic re-announced themselves in the competition with a big win at home to Leipzig, BVB dug out another win in their mini-resurgence, Malik Tillman starred as PSV beat Girona 4-0, Lille and Juventus shared the spoils in France, Monaco stayed hot with a late win in Bologna, and Dinamo Zagreb smashed four past competition whipping boys Slovan Bratislava. Then in Part Two, we're onto Wednesday's action, which begins with Inter's narrow win over Arsenal that cemented them as genuine favourites and continued to pile the questions on Mikel Arteta about how to get the best out of this (admittedly depleted) Gunners side. Also up for discussion is PSG's devastating late loss to Atletico Madrid and how the Parisiens just seem to lack confidence the moment anything goes against them, despite a bright start here; and Aston Villa's fatigued 1-0 loss to Club Brugge that will be headlined by a weird penalty call, but in reality was a pretty reasonable result - Villa were outplayed in Belgium. We finish with a roundup of the rest of the Tuesday games - Barcelona hitting five in Belgrade against Crvena Zvezda as their front three continues to shine; Bayern's hard-fought but well-deserved win over Benfica; another clean sheet for Atalanta as they won 2-0 in Stuttgart; a first win for RB Salzburg as they shocked Feyenoord at De Kuip; Brest's third win from four as the Pirates set sail for Prague and plundered more points against Sparta; and Shakhtar Donetsk's Sudakov-inspired victory over Young Boys. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! Something a little bit different this week, a little bit more out of the old school B/R Football Ranks playbook, as we do a live ranking of the world's footballing superstars in the current day and age - based on both their star power, their influence on their teams, and their form so far in this season. The first debate is what makes a 'superstar' - shirt sales? Goal and assist numbers? Global adoration? Once that's out of the way, we take ten names and try to order them in terms of where they fit in the current pantheon - are the days of Ronaldo and Messi dominating the landscape completely gone? Are the dynamic duo of Mbappé and Haaland now dominant? Or have others like Vinicius Jr and Lamine Yamal disrupted the situation so much that they now sit at the forefront? We discuss it all. Before that though, there's time for Things We Love, where this week we're talking about Fulham's dramatic West London Derby win over Brentford thanks to two stoppage time goals from Harry WIlson, as well as Damien Duff leading Shelbourne to a dramatic League of Ireland title in his first senior job in managament. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley take a deep dive on a transfer that stunned many observers last summer, when Chelsea spent £115, a British record fee, to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion. Caicedo had been one of the Premier League's revelations the season before, but it took a while for him to get his feet under the table at Stamford Bridge. Many were quick to write the transfer off as another piece of business where Todd Boehly had spent way too much money on a player who was performing well at the time, but since 2024 began, Caicedo has begun to show exactly why Chelsea were desperate to gazump Liverpool for the Ecuadorian's signature. We discuss his impact on Enzo Maresca's resurgent Chelsea side, and what has changed for the Blues to get the best out of Caicedo since the turn of the year, as well as examining his sometime midfield partner Enzo Fernandez, and wondering if that partnership might be one that ends sooner rather than later with Romeo Lavia now staking his claim for a starting spot alongside Caicedo. Is Moises Caicedo on a trajectory to be one of the best midfielders on the planet, or is the fee still too high for a player who doesn't seem to have all that many goals in his locker, even if he's brilliant at everything else? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! We're dialling in today on the big news that broke this week - Manchester United's sacking of Erik ten Hag and their approach to replace him with Sporting CP's Rúben Amorim - which at the time of recording looks very close to being completed. First of all, Dean walks us through the ins and outs of how the Manchester United backroom came to the conclusion that they were going to part ways with Ten Hag, and why it happened at this point; before detailing their approach for Amorim and how they were able to move so swiftly and efficiently in securing their first-choice target. Then, in Part Two, Jack takes over to talk about what Amorim brings to the table, both on a personal level and from a tactical perspective. We discuss the nature of Sporting when he took over there, and how he has form for turning around a huge club which is on its knees, as well as his communication mastery and how he has got a disparate group of players to buy into his methods and turned Sporting from also-rans to the dominant force in Portuguese football. There's also a chat around how his formation and ideology maps onto this current Manchester United squad - the players who will thrive in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 and those who might struggle for minutes, as well as some thoughts about problem areas which United will probably have to look to tackle in the January transfer market or the summer. Finally, in Part Three, we talk a little bit about Monday's Ballon d'Or trophy, which was awarded to Rodri of Manchester City and Spain. There was quite a fallout from his victory, including Real Madrid somewhat throwing their toys out of the pram about the fact that Vinicius Jr didn't win it, so we give our thoughts on the entire unsavoury scene. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley discuss a topic that continues to divide fans across world football - whether Arsenal's leading man Kai Havertz is now an elite striker worthy of being included in the pantheon of the planet's best. Havertz exploded onto the scene for Bayer Leverkusen in 2016, and by 2018 he was making waves at his boyhood club, becoming the youngest player to make 50 Bundesliga appearances and establishing himself as a force in Peter Bosz's attack. By the time he moved to Chelsea in 2020, Havertz was one of the most in-demand young players in the world, but at Stamford Bridge things never felt quite right. Despite scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final, Havertz's positional versatility meant he felt like a square peg in a round hole in many ways. So when Arsenal splashed out £65m for Havertz in the summer of 2023, eyebrows were raised, and after a difficult start to life in North London, many wrote Havertz off as a player who couldn't cut it at the top level. A year later, and with the German firmly established as Arsenal's first choice No. 9, the difference is astounding. Breaking records and brimming with confidence, it feels like a good time to ask whether Havertz is a stopgap to an out-and-out striker, or now in the right place to finally rise to the very top of the beautiful game. The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your midnight feast of Champions League content after the main meal was served up on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights by the third round of our new 36-team competition. We start with Tuesday's games, opening with Barcelona's 4-1 dismantling of Bayern Munich that saw them lay recent demons to rest against their most regular scourge, the naivety of some of what Bayern did both offensively and defensively, and how Raphinha's promotion to the captain's armband in Catalunya has him cooking on Ballon d'Or contender form. Then it's on to Leipzig, where Liverpool made it 11 wins from 12 with a 1-0 victory against one of the teams from Jurgen Klopp's new fiefdom, and a quick look at City's 5-0 win over Sparta Prague which saw Erling Haaland score one of the most acrobatic goals you'll ever see in your life. We round up the rest of Wednesday's action too, peeking at Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with high-flying Brest, Celtic's imperious defensive performance against previously free-scoring Atalanta, Feyenoord ending Benfica's year-long unbeaten run at the Estadio da Luz, Lille stunning a Madrid side for the second time in two matchdays - this time Atleti at the Wanda, Inter's impact substitutes getting the job done for them against Young Boys, and hapless Salzburg's 2-0 loss to a very punchy Dinamo Zagreb side. Then in Part Two, we're onto Tuesday's action, which begins with the other side of La Liga's Clasico - Real Madrid's 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund which centred around the identity of these two clubs, and how this script could have been written by almost anyone who knows them. We touch on Vinicius Jr's incredible hat-trick, and the decisions that BVB manager Nuri Sahin made which took the game away from what could have been a famous night of revenge for his side. We head over to Birmingham next to discuss just what to make of Unai Emery's Aston Villa and their 2-0 win over Bologna that installed them at the top of the Champions League table, and down to North London to discuss a 1-0 win for the Arsenal that was a little bit uncomfortable at times, but dearly needed by Mikel Arteta's side to just quieten the noise and get themselves back on the right track. We finish with a roundup of the rest of the Tuesday games - Milan's 3-1 win over Club Brugge that included an Olympic Goal from the irrepressible Christian Pulisic, Stuttgart's well-deserved 1-0 win over Juventus which saw the Bianconeri's unbeaten start under Thiago Motta derailed, PSG's profligacy in a 1-1 draw against PSV, Monaco's 5-1 thumping of Crvena Zvezda which reaffirmed their credentials as a team to be reckoned with, Girona's first ever Champions League win as they beat Slovan Bratislava 2-0, and Sporting's 2-0 win over Sturm Graz which saw another goal and an assist for Viktor Gyokeres. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! We're just over two months from the January Transfer Window opening, and whilst that seems like some time, it'll roll round fast - so the backroom staff across a number of teams are hard at work in working out what they're going to do when the curtain rises. Today, we're taking a look at the big questions facing a number of Premier League teams in the mid-season shuffle, from doubling down on squad depth to capitalise on a hot start, to replacing a key member of the squad who will be out for the entire season, to offloading some of the deadwood in the squad to make space for new blood. We touch on Liverpool's contract dilemmas, Manchester City's potential Rodri replacements and rotators, Newcastle United's stick-or-twist question on a new forward and the future of Alexander Isak, Tottenham's Richarlison quandary, and Chelsea's long-term interest in a goalkeeper and a Number 9. Before that, there's time for Things We Love, which this week consists of Dean's excitement for the genesis of San Diego FC and how a brilliant Decision Day and a beautifully poised MLS Cup Playoff setup has fuelled that; whilst Jack talks about his visit to Deportivo La Coruña last weekend to see a former giant of the Spanish game, and some of the exciting young players he caught a glimpse of whilst at Riazor. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley deep dive into Barcelona's famed academy, La Masia, which produced a golden generation during the early 2000's that spawned Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and a whole lot more who contributed to Barca conquering the world. A fallow period for academy graduates followed, leading many to wonder if that golden era truly was a one off, and if modern football could never truly see something similar happen in the modern game, with all its financial pressures and the desire to stay at the apex of the sport. But of late, La Masia's talent fountain has sprung anew, with a host of young homegrown talent in Hansi Flick's squad as Barcelona have started this season hot - Alex Balde, Hector Fort, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez, Marc Casado, and of course, Lamine Yamal. Is this a sign that the pathway is open again for the Catalan talent factory, or is this simply a consequence of Barcelona's reckless spending leaving them with no other choice? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
Hello Rank Squad! October has crept up on us quietly, and there's less than a fortnight now until we find out who will claim the coveted Ballon d'Or Trophy - the little golden ball that signifies the best player in the world over the previous season. So, with that in mind, we've put together our own thoughts on who deserves football's most prestigious individual honour. Jack is joined by Dougie Critchley to talk through each of our Top Fives for this season's trophy. Will Rodri's European glory take him to top spot? Is this the moment that Vinicius Jr achieves what countryman and idol Neymar Jr never could? Or could an outside bet sweep in to take the throne? Before that, there's time for Things We Love, which includes a discussion on Trent Alexander-Arnold's rumoured links to Real Madrid, a wonderful story from New Mexico about a USL club doing their bit for the community, and some notes from Bolivia on their national team's resurgence and famous upset against Colombia in this international break. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley take a look into the career of Paul Pogba, the reasons he ended up in a four-year-ban from the game, and what the future holds for him now that the ban has been reduced to 18 months - meaning he can return to football in March 2025. We look at the traits that made Pogba such a joyful experience to watch on the pitch, as well as those which frustrated fans; what his best role has been and could be in the future; and determine exactly what would constitute a success upon his return to the beautiful game, as well as mooting some options where his future might lie in terms of club football. Is this the story of a wasted wonderkid, whose actual career didn't leave up to the remarkable talent that he no doubt possessed, or is Pogba's maverick style about to return with flair and panache as he gets a reprieve and a second chance to write the end of his legacy whilst he's still relatively young? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://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 brutal, but it's the way football works, so we wanted to revisit an old staple and take a look at some of the managers under the cosh this season, and what the future holds for them. We start with the big discussion point in the Premier League - the future of Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, but more under the microscope of who United could legitimately bring in right now as an instant improvement, before getting into things properly. Dean picks three in the Premier League - Julen Lopetegui at West Ham United, Gary O'Neil at Wolves and Russell Martin at Southampton - as we assess their situations and give our verdicts. Then we head Continental, as Jack takes a look at who's under it in Europe - visiting Paulo Fonseca at AC Milan, Gerardo Seoane at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Ivan Juric (!) at AS Roma, and Ruben Baraja at Valencia CF, to see what their situations look like in this international break. It's Ranks! http://patreon.com/ranksfc
It's time for The Truth! Sam Tighe and Dougie Critchley dive into a topic that opens up some uncomfortable questions about the way that the English league system operates - is it becoming impossible in the modern game for newly-promoted sides to survive in the Premier League? In 2022/23, Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town were promoted from the Championship, and in 2023/24, all three were relegated back there. After six games of the new season, all three of the promoted sides - Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton - find themselves without a Premier League win, and remain the bookies' favourites to return back to the second tier at the end of this campaign. So is this a foregone conclusion? Does the monetary imbalance between the PL cash cow and the drip-downs that don't drip down mean that it's becoming more and more difficult to make the jump? And is there a blueprint to survival that more teams need to follow to avoid following the same fate? Was last year's three-up-three-down just a blip in the Matrix? Or is this just an overreaction to a singular event that is the exception that proves the rule? The Truth is somewhere in the middle... http://patreon.com/ranksfc
