Ranks FC - A Football Podcast

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together to take a look at some potential moves this summer which could come out of left field to shock the world this summer.  We wander through six names potentially on the move, or whose transfers would cause serious ripples in the market and the news over the course of the transfer window that's coming in. From the Premier League to Serie A, the Bundesliga to La Liga, and well beyond - it's a few madcap ideas and some deals that could annoy at the very least one fanbase under the spotlight today.  As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! You know we've got to the business end of the competition when there's only one Champions League Takeaway a week, so here's your big double serving after the second legs of the semi-finals, which delivered less goals, but no less drama than the first legs, and where PSG and Arsenal booked their tickets to Budapest for the showpiece.  In Part One, Dean runs us through the 1-1 draw between Bayern and PSG which meant that Luis Enrique's men will have the opportunity to defend their crown after winning 6-5 on aggregate in a strange game at the Allianz, where Bayern appeared to be a little apprehensive about how they were going to approach this one and then they paid the ultimate price.  Then in Part Two, Jack takes us through another war of attrition at the Emirates, but one this time that Arsenal dominated for long spells, allowing the Gunners to reach just their second Champions League Final, and their first for 20 years. It was a sensational atmosphere at the Emirates, and one which carried the Gunners over the line, as much as it was Starboy Bukayo Saka who scored the goal that took them there.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together to take a look at two different clubs in very different situations, but who both do have decisions to make about who the man in the dugout is going to be at the start of the next Premier League season - Chelsea and Manchester United. Firstly, there's a little chat about Jose Mourinho's rumoured return to Real Madrid, and why we all think that it's a dreadful idea from everyone involved, before diving into the main course.  The Blues are in turmoil. After Enzo Maresca's outburst saw him dismissed at the turn of the year, Liam Rosenior came in from sister club Strasbourg, but lasted just 107 days in the role, so interim manager Calum McFarlane will see out the campaign, before they make a new man permanent in the summer. Chelsea are linked with three names in particular - Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva; but the lure of former player Cesc Fabregas remains as well, and they're not the only ones on the market either.  For United, things are more complicated in some ways, and less so in others. Michael Carrick was appointed as interim when Ruben Amorim parted ways with the club, and he has done a remarkable job steering the club back to the Champions League places, with 'league challenging form' since taking over. But do they appoint Carrick on a permanent basis, especially given next year dealing with squad rotation and UCL football will require more than just a steady hand on the tiller? Or should they turn to someone else - a Julian Nagelsmann, or perhaps even the Man in Black - Diego Pablo Simeone... What are the right calls? Who would lead these sides back to their former glories? And is one manager enough to overcome structural deficiencies when they're staring you in the face? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! You know we've got to the business end of the competition when there's only one Champions League Takeaway a week, so here's your big double serving after the first legs of the semi-finals, which brought us two very different games, but with no shortage of drama or entertainment in either.  In Part One we head to the Parc des Princes, where PSG outgunned Bayern 5-4 in an incredibly entertaining encounter - one where both teams' ridiculous offensive firepower was given full licence to fire at will. We discuss one of the best games we've seen in quite some time, as well as questions over the defending, giving out some individual flowers in a game where you could have harvested a full crop, and looking ahead to a second leg where both managers are promising more of the same.  Then in Part Two, we chat through a very different, but no less dramatic game, this time between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal at the Metropolitano in Madrid; where there were some legitimate questions over some controversial decisions in the game, but that didn't overshadow a contest that was more attritional, but still had major swings of momentum and big opportunities for both sides - who will still both fancy their chances of making the final. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together to take a look at the big debate that's beginning to rage on social media, that of who is going to be awarded Manager of the Season this year in the Premier League?  The boys walk through each of the candidates, ranking them on where they would have placed them in the rankings if they were given the power to decide - especially in a year where neither title contender feels necessarily like they might naturally sweep the award. We discuss Arsenal's Mikel Arteta and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, as well as Aston Villa's Unai Emery, Brentford's Keith Andrews, Sunderland's Regis Le Bris, Everton's David Moyes and Fulham's Marco Silva; and try to find some order in the chaos.  So, is there one correct answer? Do you judge this on individual brilliance, punching above your weight or expectation, or just a team winning silverware? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! With just a few games remaining in this season, there's still plenty to play for in so many different places - not just geographically, but at opposite ends of the spectrum as well. We take a look at the Premier League title race and relegation rumble, La Liga's incredibly chaotic survival scrap, some battles in the Bundesliga up and down the table, a potential history-shattering record for Bruno Fernandes and what that means for the Player of the Year conversations, and also the tussles for the title which look very tasty in both Scotland and France.  Before we get into all that though, there's time for a chat about Chelsea - who lost 3-0 to Brighton at the Amex on Tuesday and who find themselves in absolute freefall under Liam Rosenior; and some love for Real Sociedad, who won their first trophy in front of fans in 38 years in an incredible display of how local talent, a magnificent manager and a fanbase united can do wonderful things.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together in the studio to take a look at what's going on with Arsenal's creation and goalscoring numbers, which have nosedived in recent weeks. The Gunners are top of the table in the Premier League and into the final four of the Champions League, but a sense of unease has perpetuated amongst the fanbase - perhaps partly brought about by the fact that Mikel Arteta's side haven't scored more than once in a single game for a month, and look quite anaemic right now in those forward areas.  We dig into the context of it all - fatigue, injuries, pressure - as well as examining certain players individually, seeing what has changed from earlier on in the campaign, and looking at what Arsenal could do differently in this final stretch; a stretch that could be pivotal for their hopes of winning both domestically and in Europe.  So why are Arsenal struggling in these areas? Is it the overwhelming pressure of being on the brink of something historical? Are the injuries hampering them in a way that no side could deal with? Or are they being tactically set up to try and grind through the most difficult part of the campaign? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the Second Legs of the Quarter Finals - where Bayern Munich and Arsenal booked their spots in the final four, albeit in very different manners.  At the Allianz, Bayern came out the right side of a 4-3 thriller against Real Madrid, that ended up with the Bavarians prevailing 6-4 on aggregate, but it wasn't as comfortable as that scoreline might suggest. Los Blancos took the lead after just 35 seconds, wiping out Bayern's first leg advantage, and in a topsy-turvy first half the game swung wildly from end to end. Bayern did calm things down in the second half, but it took a chaotic last 10 minutes for them to seal the deal - with Eduardo Camavinga sent off, Luis Diaz put Bayern ahead in the tie and Michael Olise finished things off with a beautiful last kick of the game.   In Part Two we head to the Emirates, where Arsenal held a 1-0 lead over Sporting coming into the second leg - and that's how it stayed, to see Arsenal through into the final four. It's history for the Gunners, who have made back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club's existence. Job done, but no more than that - this was perhaps not the performance that fans at the Emirates were looking for to soothe some of the nerves that have spread across the fanbase in recent weeks. Although, a clean sheet after some difficult defensive displays will no doubt be some tonic.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the Second Legs of the Quarter Finals - where both Atletico Madrid and PSG booked their spots in the semis, albeit in very different ways.  We start at the Metropolitano, where Barcelona won 2-1 on the night but Atletico held off the storm to qualify 3-2 on aggregate. In one of the great first halves we've seen this season, Barça stormed into a 2-0 lead to tie the match on aggregate, but an Ademola Lookman goal just before the break handed Atleti back the advantage - one which they held onto over the second 45 to make it to the final four for the first time since 2017. In Part Two we head to Anfield, where just as in the first leg, PSG ran out as 2-0 winners over Liverpool to make it a 4-0 aggregate scoreline - but this was a very different encounter to the first leg. The Reds, backed by a raucous Anfield, came out of Arne Slot's self-proclaimed 'Survival Mode' to give the reigning champions a game - something that very much wasn't the case in the first leg. PSG however, march on, clinical in killing the game and defensively steely - this looks far more akin to the side that conquered the continent last time out. Could they do it again? It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together (although sadly not in the studio) to take a look at just how well things are going at Bayern Munich right now for Vincent Kompany (and company). After winning 2-1 at the Bernabeu to record their first away win against Real Madrid in 25 years, many people have them as the favourites to lift the Champions League title at the end of the season, and there's plenty of reasons to be positive around Bayern right now.  The scintillating form of their front three - Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise - has led to the trio scoring 87 goals between them this season already, and 52 assists for good measure. There's the age-defying quality of Manuel Neuer in goal, a formidable midfield spearheaded by veteran Joshua Kimmich and rising star Aleksandar Pavlovic, the introduction of Jonathan Tah has been a masterstroke in the middle of defence, and the pace of Alphonso Davies combining with the guile of Konrad Laimer at full back.  To top all that off, there's a late-stage rejuvenated Serge Gnabry flying in the middle, the mind-bending talent of Jamal Musiala returning from injury, and the prodigious teenage sensation Lennart Karl popping up with crucial moments that have many in Germany arguing he should go to the World Cup with the National Team.  So, right now, are there any weaknesses in this Bayern side? Can this growing team now match up to an Arsenal side that beat them in the League stage? And could PSG be the wildcard in the pack as they attempt to go back-to-back in the Champions League? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the First Legs of the Quarter Finals - where PSG and Atletico Madrid both won by a 2-0 scoreline, albeit in very different ways.  At the Parc des Princes, PSG took Liverpool to the cleaners for much of the 90 minutes - and will be somewhat disappointed that their lead that they will take to Anfield is only two goals - some profligate finishing and some excellent goalkeeping from Mamardashvili holding them to just the two goals, but this was one-sided in almost every sense. Liverpool went to a five at the back, and still couldn't contain the reigning Champions, and Arne Slot has a lot of questions to answer ahead of the reverse fixture at Anfield.  In Part Two we head to Catalunya, where Atletico won at the Camp Nou for the first time in 20 years, and for the first time under Diego Simeone. It was a game of big decisions - VAR intervening to send off Pau Cubarsi for a last man challenge, whilst at the other end Marc Pubill got away with handling the ball in the box whilst on a yellow card. Hansi Flick was deeply concerned about the decision making, but he can be pleased with a lot of this performance from his side - who remain, deeply watchable partly due to their vulnerabilities. Atleti were clinical and resolute though, and will feel very good about the fact that they return home with a comfortable lead to defend.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the First Legs of the Quarter Finals - where both away teams found a way to win, albeit in very different fashions. At the Bernabeu, Bayern won the European Clasico, triumphing at the Bernabeu for the first time in 25 years - it's been a while since Élber scored the only goal in May 2001!  This was a classic in many ways, living up to the billing, and both teams have reasons in the aftermath for both happiness and regret, given the way that this played out. Bayern were much the better team, and will be a little frustrated they didn't kill the game, but it's still a win at one of the toughest places to go in Europe; whilst Real Madrid will be frustrated by the defeat but also pleased with the fact that they're still in this given at one point they felt on the verge of collapse.  In Part Two we head to Lisbon for a different type of away win - this time by Arsenal, who needed a late Kai Havertz strike to smash and grab their way to an important win at the Jose Alvalade against Sporting. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't much fun to watch, but it was a crucial win for Mikel Arteta and company in a place where Sporting have been absolutely sensational this season. Sporting will have regrets on this one, but a combination of David Raya in outrageous form and some profligate finishing have left them a mountain to climb at the Emirates.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to take a look at a number of big stars and stalwarts who are departing their clubs this summer after long and/or storied periods of service, and how these clubs set about replacing them - either like for like, or in a different area of the pitch.  We take a look at the imminent (either confirmed or highly speculated) departures of Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid, Casemiro from Manchester United, Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, and Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona; and set about trying to find ways for each club to go about the rebuilding process - either upon the departure of a genuine club legend, or someone who has made an immeasurable impact in a shorter space of time.  So, do you need to find the perfect replacement to fill the massive boots left behind? Or is it a case of strengthening around the rest of the team to find the answer in the aggregate? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! This international break gave us what we've been waiting for - the final names locked in for this summer's World Cup field. 48 nations have locked and loaded their spots in the biggest tournament in world football. Perhaps the biggest one missing though, once again, is Italy - with the Azzurri beaten on penalties by Bosnia & Herzegovina to make it three World Cups in a row that they have now missed out on qualification for.  We break down that game, as well as Czechia's penalty shootout win over Denmark; Sweden's dramatic late show against Poland; and Türkiye's ground out 1-0 win over Kosovo; as the final European nations booked their places, before heading onwards to take a look at some of our favourite things from the now-set group stages.  We take a peek at where the biggest upsets could come, the Group of Death, the Group of Life, where the goals will come, where the chaos will come and who has the most to lose, within the 12 groups of four; before rounding things off with the games you cannot miss in that first round of fixtures.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!  As we head into the last international break of the season, we're about to hit crunch time for 2025/26 in all of Europe's biggest leagues. With the end of the season imminent, the pressure is ratcheted up on teams up and down the table to get their respective jobs done wherever they find themselves within their competition, but certain players will be feeling the heat more than others, for a variety of different reasons.  Dean and Jack both pick out five names - Dean from the Premier League, Jack from across the rest of the continental leagues - who have something to prove in the final stretch. Whether that be for their own futures at their clubs, for their personal legacies, for their next move to be the one they want, to push a club towards trophies, or to be the talisman in a fight for something else, it doesn't matter - we're discussing them all, on a journey that takes us from the top to the bottom of tables, and from youngsters starting out to legends coming to their close.  It's Ranks!  (If you're on the hunt some World Cup Qualifier bits and pieces ahead of the international action in this break, Jack was on the brilliant World Cup After Dark Podcast to talk the UEFA Thunderdome of contenders for those final spots) 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to take a look at the big debate that's beginning to rage on social media, that of who is going to be awarded Player of the Season this year in the Premier League?  The boys walk through each of the candidates, ranking them on where they would have placed them in the rankings if they were given the keys to the castle - and helping Sam to select who he is going to write down on that little piece of paper when the voting opens this season. We discuss Arsenal's duo of Gabriel Magalhães and Declan Rice, Brentford's Igor Thiago, Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, Manchester United talisman Bruno Fernandes and Liverpool's Dominik Szoboslai and try to find some order in the chaos.  After the Premier League, we take a spin round the rest of Europe's Top Five, picking out our Player of the Season and a few honourable mentions for each of La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1.  So, is there one correct answer? Do you judge this on individual brilliance or the most important component of a team winning silverware? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the Second Legs of the Round of 16 - where the final four teams booked their spots in the Quarter Finals - Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich & Atletico Madrid. We start at the refurbished Camp Nou, where Barcelona survived a first half basketball game with Newcastle United, and then absolutely flattened the Magpies in the second, playing some scintillating football that showcased just how breathtaking their attack can be in full flight.  It was also an interesting night in North London, where Spurs actually won their first game under Igor Tudor, only for it not to be enough to qualify for the next round, given the collapse in the first half of the first leg. We take a look at whether this actually might be the best-case scenario for Tottenham Hotspur, with morale and momentum maintained, whilst taking Europe out of the equation in order to focus minds on the absolute necessity of survival in the Premier League. It was a strange performance from the visitors too - caught a little bit between killing the tie and defending their lead, but whilst they looked disjointed after 9 changes from the weekend, they did more than enough.   In Part Two we discuss two individual record breaking legends. First off, we head to Anfield, where Mo Salah hit a pearler for his 50th Champions League goal; as Liverpool stepped on Galatasaray's neck, smashing the Istanbul side 4-0 in front of a completely partizan crowd to both revive the mood of the season, and give manager Arne Slot a stay of execution after serious pressure in recent weeks. Then, it's over to Munich, where Harry Kane matched Salah's achievement with a brace; as Bayern finished the job against Atalanta in what felt like a formality. Both missed penalties tonight. Both are amongst the best of a generation. Two icons of the modern era, reaching their milestones on a special night.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the Second Legs of the Round of 16 - where our first four quarter finalists booked their spots in the last eight. We start at the Etihad, where despite a brave performance from 10-man Manchester City following Bernardo Silva's red card, Real Madrid proved too much to handle to see them off 5-1 on aggregate. Some positives for City to take ahead of the Carabao Cup final at the weekend, but perhaps more intriguing is the way Real Madrid look genuinely like they've worked out a system that minimises their weaknesses and gives them a sturdier platform on which the stars can shine.  Reigning Champions PSG also had an excellent night at the Bridge, finishing Chelsea off with a 3-0 win on the night in West London, which equalled the Blues' worst aggregate defeat ever in the Champions League - 8-2. This was a chastening night for Chelsea and Liam Rosenior, who never really looked like even beginning a comeback, and the meek nature of the defeat might well have just turned an already angry fanbase into an apathetic one. That's a very, very bad sign.  In Part Two we head first to the Emirates, where Arsenal put in a very impressive performance to overcome Leverkusen 2-0, with Ebere Eze and Declan Rice providing two wonderful goals, and we examine their chances of genuinely putting up a fight for a quadruple where they're now favourites in every competition; and finally to Lisbon for the game of the night, where Sporting put together the perfect Champions League comeback to end the Bodø/Glimt fairytale in an absolute avalanche of emotion and attacking football at the Jose Alvalade.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio for more of a positive episode - looking at some of the players who have made a major step forward in their individual careers over the course of the season.  We walk through six players - three each for the two boys - who have really moved onwards from 2024/25 to 2025/26, stepping upwards to either make huge individual contributions for their own teams, or taking a huge step up last summer and dealing with it incredibly well.   So, who are the gold dust XP winners. Who has evolved over the course of this season? And how do you even measure these things? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the First Legs of the Round of 16 - where chaos reigned again and goals flowed freely. We start at the Bernabeu, where Fede Valverde's hat-trick carried Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Manchester City in by far their best performance under Alvaro Arbeloa, and where Los Blancos went back to looking like a side who could win this competition once again.  Reigning Champions PSG also had an excellent night at home, although their 5-2 win over Chelsea was probably a bit of a flattering scoreline for Luis Enrique and co. A back-and-forth encounter gave way to a PSG onslaught in the final stages, with a little help from Chelsea keeper Filip Jörgensen, and some real quality from Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, who came off the bench to bag a brace and give them a significant advantage for the second leg at the Bridge.  In Part Two we head first to Germany - where a very impressive Leverkusen were a little bit unlucky in some ways to eventually be pegged back for a 1-1 draw against Arsenal - with former Werkself hero Kai Havertz scoring the late equaliser from the spot on what would have been an emotional evening for him; and also to the Arctic Circle, where Bodø/Glimt's incredible campaign stayed right on course with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Sporting, in a performance which showcased the very best of what Kjetil Knutsen's side are capable off - some breathtaking football again.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the first  Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the First Legs of the Round of 16 - where there were a glut of goals, some games put to bed already, a couple of shocks, and another nadir from perhaps the saddest club in world football right now in Tottenham Hotspur.  We start with Spurs' visit to the Metropolitano to play Atletico Madrid, where in the first 15 minutes a catastrophic collapse plumbed new depths in what has already been a disastrous season for the Lilywhites. This time Antonin Kinsky was the man in the firing line, with the young keeper substituted just 15 minutes into his Champions League debut. Atleti hit five, and whilst Spurs managed two in reply to nominally keep them in the tie, this was another brutal night for interim manager Igor Tudor, who has now conceded 14 goals in the four games he has been in charge of - all four of them losses. Surely, this can't go on.  We then head to Tyneside, where Newcastle United put in a very impressive performance against a lacklustre Barcelona, and were rewarded with Harvey Barnes' late opener to give them the lead...only to see that wiped out by a Lamine Yamal penalty in injury time after Dani Olmo was felled in the box. Scant reward for a good showing for the Toon, but Barça escaping with a draw despite being nowhere near their best at St. James' Park.  In Part Two we look to Istanbul - where Galatasaray repeated their league stage scoreline against Liverpool with a 1-0 win over the Reds at Rams Park, in a game that ended up being a microcosm of Liverpool's season - fragile defensively and wasteful up top; before rounding things off with a chat about Bayern's mesmerising 6-1 win over Atalanta in Bergamo, where Michael Olise dazzled on a night where Bayern ran absolute rings around their opposition, and confirmed their status as one of the outright favourites to win this competition this season.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to look at three sides who had relatively lofty expectations for the season back in August, and who find themselves in far more difficult situations than they had first feared. We look at what this season has meant for Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Newcastle United; what the fallout might be if they miss their ambitions from the opening of the campaign; and how they can actually still pull something out of the fire to make this season somewhat of a success.  But has it really been as bad as is being made out in certain elements of both the fanbases and the media across the world? Or is the doom and gloom that permeates some parts of each club actually closer to being true than they would like? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! We thought that with less than 100 days to go now until the World Cup begins this summer, it was time to start to take a look at the tournament in earnest - and the storylines on the pitch that are set to dictate just how this tournament is remembered from a footballing perspective.  We split that into three parts. Firstly, we take a look at three of the favourites to win the tournament - holders Argentina, as well as France and Spain - and the narrative threads behind each of their campaigns to come. We look at Argentina's attempt to be the first nation to go back-to-back since Brazil in the 1960's, France hoping to give Didier Deschamps the send-off his illustrious managerial tenure deserves, and Spain looking to begin a new dynasty by backing up their 2024 Euros with a World Cup two years later, just as their Golden Generation did in 2012 and 2014.  Then in Part Two, we look at the managers who have traded their club loyalties for a shot at winning the most illustrious tournament of them all at international level - looking at England under Thomas Tuchel, Brazil under Carlo Ancelotti, the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino, and Germany under Julian Nagelsmann.  And finally, in Part Three, we dive into the four teams who have qualified for the first time ever - Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan and Jordan - examining their stories, the background, and the manner in which we're expecting them to show up to the party.  It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to look at what is going down at the bottom of the Premier League table, where one of the great names of English Football has been dragged into the scrap for survival - Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are still in the best possible position they could be, but things feel like they're tailspinning in a way we haven't seen in a while. They couldn't, could they?  We discuss the relegation battle, chatting through each of the other relegation candidates in the form of West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, and work out where the points are going to come from if each of them are going to survive.  So, could one of the great giants actually fall? All three of these teams would claim that title, as would Leeds. Someone is falling through the trap door to the Championship. And,  as ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the Second Legs of the Playoff Round of the competitions - where the final four teams booked their spots in the Round of 16. It was an emotional night at the Bernabeu, where despite a somewhat lethargic performance from Real Madrid, it felt fitting that it was Vinicius Jr who dropped the dagger on Benfica before celebrating heartily as he guided Los Blancos to the Last 16.  It wasn't great from reigning champions PSG either, who saw off fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco with a 2-2 draw to extend their first leg advantage, although again it was Monaco who took the advantage and the initiative, before losing it after a red card early in the second half - a familiar tale from last week. PSG allowed nervy moments at the end where they didn't need to, and they will need to significantly improve to stand any chance of retaining their crown.  In Part Two we head to Italy - first to Turin, where Juventus did recover a three goal disadvantage against Galatasaray despite being reduced to 10 men when Lloyd Kelly received a very harsh red card, but where fatigue finally set in and allowed Gala to kill the tie in extra time; and also to Bergamo, where Atalanta booked their space as the only Serie A team in the Last 16 with a very impressive comeback win over a weirdly lacklustre Borussia Dortmund.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the Second Legs of the Playoff Round of the competitions - where our next four teams booked their spots in the Round of 16. It was a very special night for Bodø/Glimt at San Siro, with their incredible fairytale continuing on with a 2-1 win over Inter that made them the first Norwegian side to ever make the next stage of the competition. We discuss their rise from plucky upstarts in the lower reaches of European competition to relatively household name in the football sphere, and how they've continued their incredible trajectory.  Then it's over to Madrid, where Atletico won 4-1 against a young Club Brugge side who have impressed in the Champions League this year; thanks to a hat-trick from Alexander Sørloth, who remains their star man in 2026. The scoreline is perhaps a touch flattering, but Atleti are in a scoring mood these days, and that's a good sign as they look to finally win the competition that has eluded them for so long.  In Part Two we head to St James' Park, where Newcastle had an unassailable lead over Qarabag that never really looked in danger, although it was far from a perfect night for the Geordie Boys as they won just 3-2 against their Azeri opponents despite being 2-0 up after five minutes; and also to North Rhine-Westphalia, where Bayer Leverkusen drew 0-0 against Olympiacos to hold their first leg advantage and progress through without too much trouble.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to look at which clubs are best at scouting in certain positions - not just good at picking off the best in the world for huge fees, but opening up that pathway for the biggest guns in the football world.  We work through each position, leaning heavily on Sam's article for ESPN as he works us through his thought process for each selection, whilst suggesting alternative options and the evidence for each.  So, can you be just a general scouting colossus or is it worth focusing in on one position to make your own? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It was nice to get back to thinking about the football itself on Wednesday, as the action on the pitch returned to centre stage. Dean and Jack are back together to discuss the four games that rounded off the first legs of the Playoff Round, before looking back at Tuesday's action. We start with Newcastle's 6-1 evisceration of Qarabag after their 2000 mile trip to Azerbaijan, and Anthony Gordon going second in the Champions League scoring charts with his four-goal poker; before examining a brilliant game in Belgium between Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid that ended 3-3. In Part Two we look at Bodø/Glimt continuing their incredible fairytale run in the competition with a 3-1 win over last season's finalists Inter in the Arctic Circle, as well as taking a peek at Leverkusen's impressive 2-0 win in Piraeus as they beat Olympiacos in their own back yard. Finally, in Part Three, we take a quick look at Tuesday's action - Real Madrid's overshadowed 1-0 win over Benfica, holders PSG coming from behind to beat fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco 3-2, Galatasaray's huge 5-2 win over a Juventus side who might just be spiralling into a bit of a crisis, and Dortmund seeing off Atalanta 2-0 with perhaps their best Champions League performance this year. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello gang,Sometimes the events in games are overshadowed by more insidious ones that dominate the headlines. This is one such occasion, and so it didn't feel particularly right to talk about the football after the scenes in the Benfica game, where Vinicius Jr walked off the pitch following comments made to him by Gianluca Prestianni. What was said, we don't fully know, because Prestianni pulled his shirt up to cover his face whilst saying it, which is pretty suspect in itself. But it was enough to spark some very heated confrontations, and for the referee to instigate the racial abuse protocol. After the game, a variety of Real Madrid players spoke out; as did Jose Mourinho - perhaps unwisely so - on an evening where the football became secondary. This is, therefore, a pretty short episode - we'll talk about the other games on Wednesday's Champions League Takeaway, but the situation has overshadowed what should have been a glorious return to Champions League action and the knockout stages, and in full truth, just left me feeling pretty sad.We'll be back tomorrow, but for now, stay safe, stay kind, and look after one another.  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 The Truth!Sam and Dougie are back in the studio to look at the proliferation of set pieces across the entirety of the Premier League's clubs this season, and the impact that it is having on games and entertainment value. We discuss the direct nature of games this season, the rise of better organised defensive units and the fact that set pieces offer a tangible way to crack tight games open, as well as the fact that football tends to turn in cycles - with a famous quote from a game in 2005 that could just as easily be applied to certain games this season. So, is this just the cyclical nature of the footballing wheel taking another turn, or the harbinger of something more worrying within the game? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! The Rank God is back in the building (literally in this case) and today Sam joins Jack to take a look at some of the most underrated players in the Premier League. That's a difficult concept to define, so the main ranking takes a deep dive of three players who are often derided for something they regularly showcase or a mistake they made at one point, and examines why they should be given more respect; before we do a quickfire run through 11 more players in Part Three. Before we get into that though, there's time for Things We Love; where Sam talks about the resurrection of Kobbie Mainoo's Manchester United career under Michael Carrick, and Jack looks at the incredible relegation battle currently taking place in La Liga. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth!Sam and Dougie are back in town for 2026 and after an extended winter break that has included no little change in the footballing world, the boys are starting up again with an examination of the big questions that will define the rest of this season. There's discussion of the Premier League title race, the resurgence of Manchester United under Michael Carrick, Chelsea under new boss Liam Rosenior, the Thomas Frank question that's not going away at Tottenham Hotspur, whether Aston Villa can continue their lofty position in the table, and who stands in good stead to win the Champions League this time around.There's plenty of split opinions on all of these, but as usual, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!The January Transfer Window has finally come to a close and whilst it wasn't the most explosive window in recent years, it still threw up its fair share of interesting and intriguing deals - for better and for worse. Today we break down some of our favourites, some of those we can't quite get our head round, and some of those that have slid under the radar, to try and work out the good, bad and ugly of the nigh-on 600 deals that happened across the Top 5 Leagues (and a little beyond). We also take a look at some of the big stories of Deadline Day - Jorgen Strand Larsen to Crystal Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta's AC Milan deal falling through, and the curious (and genuinely sad) case of Dwight McNeil. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's time for your final Champions League Takeaway of the League Stage for 2025/26, with the 36 team battle culminating in a blitz of chaos and craziness, eliminations and ecstasy, in an 18-game bonanza that delivered more drama than we thought possible. In Lisbon, Jose Mourinho downed his protege Alvaro Arbeloa and former club Real Madrid, with a last minute headed goal from the Benfica goalkeeper sending them through to the Playoff stages, whilst Real Madrid slipped out of the top eight; meaning they could meet again in just a couple of weeks time. In Paris, Newcastle came from behind to hold PSG, nearly break Parisian hearts, and end up dooming both sides to a stint back in the chaos of the Playoffs, in a game where the momentum swung wildly between both sides with the sound of the half time whistle. In Naples, Chelsea came from behind to ruin the dreams of former manager Antonio Conte and Napoli thanks to a João Pedro brace, despite the magical storyline of local lad Antonio Vergara scoring his first goal for his boyhood club...after doing a Maradona spin at the Maradona. Poetry and pain. In Bilbao, Sporting ruined Athletic's fun with a last minute dagger from Alisson Santos - the Brazilian boy beating the Basques in their backyard - and in the process sent themselves into the Last 16, finishing ahead of Manchester City, Real Madrid, PSG, Inter and a whole host more. Not bad for a side who lost their star striker and superstar manager in the last year and half or so. And that's just four games from a cast of 18, plenty of which threw up huge storylines of their own. Liverpool hit six, Arsenal made it eight from eight, Spurs continued their Jekyll and Hyde form from domestic to European matters, Barcelona did some chaos, Atleti lost at home to Glimt, Brugge battered Marseille, Pafos scored the goal of the night, Villarreal were a joke, and there was plenty more besides. We break it all down. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's the belated second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at the games from Wednesday night, as well as taking a step back to see what the League Table means after seven matchdays - examining the dominance of the Premier League teams across the competition's higher ranks and also how that might play out in the knockout stages.  It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the seventh Matchday of the League stage. We start at San Siro, where Arsenal made it seven wins from seven and guarantee themselves a top two spot in the competition with a very impressive 3-1 win over Inter; before heading to the Arctic Circle, where Manchester City fell to a shock 3-1 defeat to Bodø/Glimt, who put in a performance for the ages to down Pep's reeling charges.  In Part Two we head to the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid hammered Monaco 6-1 with a special show from Vini Jr to abate the crowd who had been baying for blood at the weekend; and also to North London, where Spurs gave Thomas Frank a stay of execution with perhaps their best performance under him as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0. In the final part, we round up all the rest of the action -  Sporting CP picked up a famous victory over reigning European Champions PSG with a smash and grab in Lisbon; Villarreal's dreadful run in the competition carried on with a 2-1 loss to equally struggling Ajax; Club Brugge and Olympiacos kept their playoff hopes alive with wins over Kairat Almaty and Bayer Leverkusen respectively; and Napoli drew 1-1 with 10-man Copenhagen as their campaign teeters on the edge of failure. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's another DJ special for the final time before Jack returns from his extended wander around the footballing heartlands of South America, and today we're looking at some clubs who have it all to do in the second half of the season if they're to fulfil their pre-season expectations. Dean opens up the pod with a debate about managerial decisions, and whether some of the big guns have all downgraded for no logical reason.In the main segment, we look at five clubs on the verge of crisis… or perhaps already in it. Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, West Ham and Tottenham’s seasons are all analysed.In the final segment, it’s the return of the nonsense rankings as Dean chats about life in San Diego.It's Ranks!   And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!With Jack away, it's time for a vintage Ranks combination back in full force as the Rank God Sam Tighe returns to the main episode to talk all things football with Dean Jones. In Part One, the boys discuss the fallout from the departures of Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim - and debate which side finishes higher in the table from here. In the main segment, Sam rolls back the years as he gives us his 1-5 on the best signing of this transfer window so far. West Ham feature heavily - though not really for the right reasons. And if you’re a fan of Endrick it’s worth a listen after his move to Lyon. In the final part, we check in on a few of the stranger storylines for January with a focus on Newcastle United and also one of the more bizarre Real Madrid rumours you'll hear.It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It’s another year in the books here at Ranks FC and we round things off with a special episode involving the Rank Squad.We got our patrons to send in their hot takes for a New Year episode that will have you laughing … while also ruffling a few feathers along the way!One guy thinks Bukayo Saka sucks, there’s a debate about the level of Morgan Rogers, someone else thinks Villa have the best support in the league… and one member is slating his own fanbase!Thank you for all your support in 2025 - Happy New Year, and we'd love to have you with us on Patreon in 2026...the link is below! 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 The Truth!Today, in the final episode of 2025, the boys have picked out three players each who are either in demand or in need of a move ahead of the January Transfer Window - examining the reasons for them being where they are, and where some good landing spots might be for them to either kick on or rediscover their potential. This will be the last episode of the Truth for a couple of weeks whilst Jack takes a little time off for his honeymoon, but we'll be back in mid-January with more attempts to cut through the noise and find the elusive middle ground in the ever-polarised football conversation. Happy New Year, gang - and in 2026, remember that as ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! With the festive period in full swing, we've decided to let our hair down a little bit this week and have a bit of fun, riffing on the idea of what managers from some of the biggest clubs in the world would want beneath their Christmas Tree this year - whether that be new players, new contracts, or something a little bit more outlandish. We work through 16 clubs - a few from the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga, as well as a couple from across the rest of the continent as well, to drop off the gifts that we think they'd be after in an ideal world, for a bit of festive fun. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth!Today, the boys are discussing Real Madrid, given the events of the last couple of weeks. Xabi Alonso, who was brought in to replace Carlo Ancelotti in the summer - is reportedly still on the brink, despite a couple of positive results in the last few games. We walk exactly what the situation looks like - why there's pressure, what can be changed, who could do a better job - and perhaps most pertinently, what Los Blancos actually want to be in this modern era of football, and whether going back to the old normality would be a step forwards or a step backwards given so many sides are now in a situation where they want to play system-based football. So, do Real Madrid still hold a position where they can just get by with the best players in the world and a whole lot of vibes? Or do they need a manager like Alonso to help try to manoeuvre them into a world which feels particularly based on systems and structures?  As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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! We're back with another transfer ranking, as the window draws ever closer - and today Dean wanted to get stuck into the stories that could be seismic in the January window - not just in terms of picking up the headlines, but in terms of defining the careers of certain players and managers. We look through five Premier League stories in the main ranking - ranging from the major outgoing sagas of Mo Salah and Kobbie Mainoo, to the threat of Thomas Frank's dismissal hanging over Tottenham Hotspur's plans in January, and the next steps for forgotten men at their clubs - Raheem Sterling and Harvey Elliott. Before that we talk about Things We Loved over the course of the weekend - where DJ goes all in on the chaotic Liga MX Final where Toluca outlasted Tigres in a madcap penalty shootout, and Jack waxes lyrical about the form of the Prince of Corwen - Harry Wilson - who FPL players are discussing bringing into their teams after this incredible hot streak. Finally, we take a look at a few burgeoning stories in Europe for you to keep an eye on over the course of January and beyond, to wrap things up. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth!Today, the boys are discussing the teams outside of the traditional 'Big Six' who are in the conversation right now for finishing in the top five in the Premier League - and, we assume, picking up a Champions League spot whilst they do so? We walk through the fortunes of Aston Villa, Everton, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United and see where their strengths and weaknesses are - assessing their major plusses and also looking at where there are potential issues might lie in the second half of the season, in order to come to a conclusion about how serious these claims are on qualifying for the biggest stage of them all!So, are any of these contenders going to press their claim as genuine Champions League contenders, or are the powers that be going to come screaming back into the conversation over the As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the sixth Matchday of the League stage. We start at the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso's woes deepened with a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City - could that be the end of the line for the beleaguered boss? We also check in on his former side, Bayer Leverkusen, who drew 2-2 with Newcastle United in an incredibly topsy-turvy encounter. In Part Two we head to Belgium to look at Arsenal's 3-0 win over Club Brugge which featured a sensational solo strike from Noni Madueke - just the tonic that Mikel Arteta's men needed after suffering their first defeat in ages to Aston Villa at the weekend; as well as looking at Juventus' 2-0 win over Pafos which looks routine on paper, but saw the shift in the system that we've been hoping for from Luciano Spalletti since he took over in Turin. And in the final part, we round up all the rest of the action -  Ajax finally getting their first win on the board in the competition with a spirited 4-2 fightback win over Qarabag in Azerbaijan; Villarreal falling 2-3 to Copenhagen at El Madrigal as the bizarre difference between their domestic and continental form continued; a 2-2 draw in the all-yellow affair between Borussia Dortmund and Bodø/Glimt - with a celebratory milestone for Julian Brandt; Benfica's very impressive 2-0 win over Napoli in Lisbon; and a 0-0 draw between Athletic Club and reigning champions PSG that left much to be desired from both sides. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's the first Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Tuesday's action from the sixth Matchday of the League stage. We start at San Siro, where Liverpool, came out victorious over Inter Milan thanks to a controversial late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty to quieten the noise in what has been a hectic week for the Reds; before heading to Camp Nou, where Barcelona had to rely on unlikely hero Jules Koundé to bail them out with a brace against Eintracht Frankfurt on their return to European action in their spiritual home. In Part Two we head to Bergamo, where Atalanta came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 and add to Enzo Maresca's recent rotational woes; and also to North London, where Spurs made it back-to-back home wins with a positive 3-0 win over Slavia Prague to show their own learning curve. In the final part, we round up all the rest of the action -  Atletico Madrid beating PSV 3-2 in a corker in Eindhoven; wünderkind Lennart Karl burning brightly for Bayern again as they dispatched Sporting in Munich; a chaotic encounter between Union Saint-Gilloise and Olympique Marseille in Belgium that OM came out on top of 3-2; hard-to-pin-down AS Monaco beating Galatasaray 1-0 in the Principality; and Olympiacos ending an awful away run in the competition by beating Kairat 1-0 in the early kick off in Kazakhstan . It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth!Today the boys are discussing the Premier League title race - and if there's one about to explode into live. We're all in agreement that from the evidence in front of us this season, Arsenal are the favourites - some bookmakers even have them as short as evens to win the title for the first time since 2003/04. But is this a procession for Mikel Arteta's men or are there some strong contenders for them coming up on the outside rail?We take a dive into Manchester City and Chelsea in particular - who have emerged either in contest or in league position as the two teams that seem the most likely to make a back-straight dive for the crown. We look at the strengths and flaws in both of their teams, and whether they're strong enough to derail what feels like a pretty well-rounded bid for Arsenal to claim the big one in England once again. There's a quick look at reigning champions Liverpool, as well as in-form Aston Villa as well, although we're pretty comfortable suggesting that neither of those two are probably going to trouble the three ahead of them in the long run. So, are Arsenal a shoo-in for their first league title in over 20 years? Or are there some gigantic twists and turns to come as the season revs into the back straight? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!In the latest episode of Ranks FC we're digging your Transfer Guru back out of his hiatus to talk all things January Transfer Window, so Dean is on hand to walk you through the latest that he has heard on what might be possible in the winter spending window and which clubs could be tempted into splashing some cash. DJ splits his ranking into two parts - starting with what clubs in the Premier League might be the most interested in doing business in January and why - looking at Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in particular; before moving on to five players who are already attracting interest and could well end up being the big storylines of the window if someone decides to make a move for them. Before that, Jack talks about El Gran Derbi in Things We Love, waxing about a really impressive win for Betis in the Frying Pan of Spain, whilst Dean eulogises a little bit about the end of San Diego's incredible expansion season, where the Chrome and Azul put together one of the most immaculate freshman years that we've ever seen in MLS, but came up just short when it came to the crunch in the Western Conference Final against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who move on to play Inter Miami in MLS Cup. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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 The Truth!Today the boys are discussing the emerging generation of superstar midfielders. We've had the £100m transfers in recent seasons of Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, as well as a number of other big money moves - so which players are in the conversation to become the next stars in the middle of the park?We discuss some of the main contenders, starting with Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton from the Premier League; moving to the Bundesliga to discuss RB Leipzig's Assan Ouédraogo and Eintracht Frankfurt's Can Uzun; chat through Como's Nico Paz and Juventus' Kenan Yıldız from Serie A; as well as a couple of others - including Porto's Victor Froholdt and Wolves' João Gomes, who is linked with a January move to Manchester United. So, are these players destined for nine-figure transfers or should we not be getting excited too early? As ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle... And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? 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!It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the fifth Matchday of the League stage. We start at the Emirates, where Arsenal downed Bayern Munich 3-1 in the battle of teams previously perfect; before heading to Anfield, where Liverpool's woes continued with a harrowing 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven that continues to leave Arne Slot with more questions than answers. In Part Two we head to Paris and discuss the holders PSG beating Tottenham Hotspur 5-3, in a game that saw an improvement from Spurs, but not quite enough of one; and also to Piraeus, where Kylian Mbappé scored four goals as Real Madrid held off Olympiacos' comeback to triumph 4-3 in a much-needed win for Xabi Alonso. And in the final part, we round up all the rest of the action -  a late 2-1 win for Atletico Madrid over Inter at the Metropolitano, extending their exceptional home record; Atalanta getting the Palladino era underway with a good win over Eintracht Frankfurt away from home; Sporting's dominant 3-0 win over Club Brugge that saw some wonderful goals; Pafos' late goal to earn a point in a 2-2 draw at home against AS Monaco; and Copenhagen hanging on for a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty at Parken. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.