Ranks FC - A Football Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ranking the Best Transfers of the January Window Feb 02, 2022

Show notes

Hello Rank Squad!

In our traditional first episode post any window we're taking a look at our five favourite deals of the window, which in this particular January, has been heavily skewed by South Americans moving around Europe! From Colombian tricksters swapping Porto for Merseyside, to Uruguayan registas making moves from Turin to Tottenham; and from long-term gems joining in summer moves to those we think will be making immediate impacts - we discussed it all here!

Things We Love includes Jack waxing lyrical about just how amazing Sunderland Fan TV was on deadline day, where they were the ones breaking news; Dean talks about Fabio Carvalho's move to Liverpool falling through and about smaller clubs holding out for the valuations they believe are fair; and Sam discusses the Canada MNT and how brilliant they have been in this year's CONCACAF qualification.

It's Ranks!

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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?

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Ranking the Biggest Deadline Day Storylines Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

We're coming to the end of the transfer window, Rank Squad; and so we're taking a look at the biggest names and clubs who still have plenty of work to do. We start at Spurs, who are looking to shift on three players and bring a couple in, before heading to Manchester United. Martial might have gone, but Van de Beek and Henderson are still looking for new homes, whilst Jesse Lingard is a man in demand.

Newcastle are on the hunt for anybody who could help them survive, and we discuss their approaches, whilst Dusan Vlahovic's probable move to Juventus might free up a whole domino chain of late switches across Europe - perhaps most interestingly, for Arsenal, who also wanted him earlier in the window.

We also discuss three players who need a move desperately - a Moroccan wideman in Seville, a former Barcelona starboy struggling for minutes under Mourinho, and Inter's backup CDM who could almost certainly start for 15+ teams in Serie A.

Things We Love focuses on Roy Hodgson's return to management at Watford (and a homecoming for his assistant Ray Lewington), Dortmund & Leipzig both on the charge in the Bundesliga, and Comoros' performance in the AFCON Round of 16 which won hearts all over the world, if not a place in the quarter-finals.

It's Ranks!

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Ranking the Best Things About Football Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

To paraphrase Patrice Evra, We Love This Game here at Ranks FC. And with Sam dropping out last minute, we had to spin things on a sixpence for today's ranking - so Dean and Jack sat down to talk about the things that make this game of football the best thing on earth. From Cup Finals to Stadiums, Rivalries to Last-Minute Winners; we broke down our favourite things about the ball game, whether you call it football, soccer, calcio or futbol.

There was also Things We Love, where we talked about some of the big Transfer Stories this week, from Erling Haaland to Dušan Vlahović to Wolves' new boy Chiquinho and just how good Nigeria have been so far at AFCON. Melon of the Week goes to a referee who picked up the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the Gibberish falls to Jack, who ranks his favourite Greek Gods.

It's Ranks!

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Picking Our 2021 Team of the Year with EA Sports Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Picking a Ballon d'Or winner is always tricky because it's done on a year-by-year basis - so we decided to make it 11 times more difficult and pick our Team of the Year across the whole of 2021 - in association with our friends at EA Sports FIFA 22.

We go through piece-by-piece to discuss the best of the last calendar year and every single position within a team, in the formation we thought best to try and squeeze them in!

There's also Things We Love, where Dean discusses Dortmund's new kit design competition, Sam sings about Dani Alves returning to play in Blaugrana and grabbing an assist, and Jack waxes lyrical about Francisco Conceiçāo's late winner for Porto and his celebrations with his dad, who also happens to be his manager.

Melon of the Week comes from the madness that happened at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend between Roma and Juventus, whilst the Gibberish sheds some light on the best things that happened at Sam's wedding last Friday. It's Ranks!

If you want to vote in the FIFA 2021 Team of the Year selections, the link is here!

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Ranking AFCON 2022: Favourites, Wildcards & Underdogs Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

It's the first episode of 2022 and kicking off a busy January of football across the globe is the latest edition of the African Cup of Nations, where Algeria will look to defend the crown that they won in 2019! We're joined by Joe Crann, football journalist and adopted South African who has spent some years covering the tournament, to talk about this year's movers and shakers.

We look at some of the favourites, including the holders and their nearest challengers, through some wildcard picks and into the underdog stories that you need to be looking out for as we get underway in one of the most exciting, unpredictable tournaments on the planet.

There's also time for Things We Love, where Dean gives us a Phil Jones love-in, Sam gushes over Wolves manager Bruno Lage and his post-match interviews, and Jack discusses the transfers of Jonathan Ikone and Michael Cuisance to Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Venezia respectively.

Finally, Dean drops his Melon of the Year for 2021 and Sam's Gibberish explains the three most arduous tasks he has had to do in planning his wedding, which takes place this Friday. It's Ranks!

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Ranking January's Biggest Transfer Stories Dec 29, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to silly season, Rank Squad; and welcome to the last Ranks FC episode of 2021. Dean Jones walks us through five of the biggest storylines heading into a slightly bizarre window for a lot of clubs. From the next movements of the upcoming batch of best forwards in the world to the strange situation manifesting at Newcastle United; Chelsea's contract dilemmas to Juventus' need to rebuild and some future-proofing at Real Madrid, there's a lot to discuss!

There's also time for a little Things We Love, where Sam discusses the latest reincarnation of Joelinton as a World-Class No. 8 and Jack sings the praises of brave little Rayo Vallecano, who end the year in 4th place in La Liga.

Dean's Melon of the Week goes out to a special national team performance in the Suzuki Cup, before Sam's Gibberish ranks the things he's most looking forward to in 2022, and Jack is allowed two minutes on why the Darts World Championship is so brilliant.

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Ranks Christmas Special: Giving Gifts to 5 Lucky Managers Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

It's the season, so Sam-ta Claus is dropping down the chimneys of five lucky clubs to give them a special gift under the tree that could turn around the second half of their seasons, or at the very least, improve things from where they are right now.

Sam and Jack are joined by Pet Berisha of the State of Play Podcast and Copa90 as the Rank God drops in to Manchester, London, Newcastle, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Barcelona to help out some of the managers who are not seeing things quite go their own way this season.

There's also Things We Love, where Sam discusses Jorge Molina's glorious hat-trick at 39 years of age, Pet talks about Gabriel Martinelli's wonderful winking habit and Jack brings up the brilliant Shelter 'No Home Kit' campaign tackling homelessness through football on Boxing Day.

There's also time for Dean to ring through a pair of Melons of the Week, and for Sam's Gibberish Rankings, which this week are about what Football could learn from Formula 1. Merry Christmas, Rank Squad!

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Ranking the Champions League Last 16 Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

16 teams remain in the Champions League, drawn (at the second attempt) into eight knockout ties that will take place in February. We examine each of them and how they rank in terms of winning Europe's top competition right now - from the favourites to the outsiders and everyone in between.

There's also a chance for Jack to wax lyrical about the other two competitions - the Europa League and the Europa Conference League - and to add in some mini-rankings about the most entertaining matchups and the best narrative prospects thrown up by the two other draws done on Monday by UEFA.

Then there's Melon of the Week, where there were no shortage of candidates for a second week running, and a Gibberish Ranking where Sam delved into the ins-and-outs of his Spotify Wrapped for this year. It's Ranks!

If you're looking to contribute to the relief aid for those affected by the Kentucky Tornadoes this week, the link, as promised, is here.

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Ranking the Biggest Bundesliga Stories with Jasmine Baba Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

So the Bundesliga, eh? Jesse Marsch gone at Leipzig, Marc van Bommel gone at Wolfsburg, Freiburg in 4th, Mainz in 7th and stories all over the place. We decided it would be prudent to bring back an expert on all things German football to enlighten us on what is happening across the board - so it's a glorious time to reintroduce Jasmine Baba, German Football Consultant.

Jasmine talks us through all the big stories mentioned above, plus the strange goings on at Borussia Dortmund and what's happened to last year's success stories Stuttgart, as we blitz through the good, bad and ugly of the first half of the Bundesliga season!

There's also time for Things We Love, where Sam talks about the chaos left in Champions League Matchday 6, Dean discusses the beauty of a perfectly timed volley and Jack waxes lyrical about why Empoli are one of the most fun teams to watch in Serie A. There's a first too in Melon of the Week, where a whole team are nominated, and the Gibberish Rankings threatens to derail Sam's impending marriage.

It's Ranks!

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Ranking The Most Interesting Player Roles in Europe Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Certain players play the same way their entire lives, whichever coach, manager, tactical setup or formation they're deployed in or by. Some though, are utilised in quirky and interesting ways, and it's those we're looking at today - from Julian Nagelsmann's use of Leroy Sane to Denzel Dumfries' position at Inter.

There's also Things We Love, where Dean discusses Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher's big punditry bust-up live on Sky, Sam talks about the brilliant madness of football in the snow and Jack waxes lyrical over Dries Mertens' two glorious goals as Napoli paid tribute to Diego Maradona on the weekend.

Melon of the Week has about eight contenders, but the winner comes to us from Norway where Viking went, well, Viking, and the Gibberish Rankings is about 'Things that wind Dean up.' It's Ranks!

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