The Truth: Is Simone Inzaghi the Most Underrated Manager in the World?

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your late night delivery following the action - following the first legs of the new 'Playoff Round' in the competition, pitting the teams who finished 9th to 24th in the league stage against each other to earn places in the Round of 16.And it started with a bang, with a matchup between Manchester City and Real Madrid that we've seen multiple times in recent years, but not quite like this - and the game delivered, for the neutral at least. We discuss another City collapse late in a game, that tifo about the Ballon d'Or and Vinicius Jr's on-pitch response, the defensive frailties in both sides - but that were handled far better by Los Blancos, and all the rest. We also take a look at PSG's win over Brest and if the Parisiens are back in the conversation to win this thing; Juventus fighting off PSV in what should have been the USMNT-off; and why Borussia Dortmund are just much better in Europe than they are in the Bundesliga, as they hammered Sporting in Lisbon. Then in Part Two, we start with Bayern's trip to Celtic Park, where they won 2-1, but where their opposition caused serious problems for Vincent Kompany's side nonetheless; before moving on to look at managerless Feyenoord's victory against AC Milan; Atalanta falling to Club Brugge in controversial circumstances; and another win for Benfica against Monaco in the Principality. 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.

13 Helmi 56min

Hello Rank Squad! It's time for us to revisit a staple of the Ranks canon, looking at Europe's Big Seven leagues and examining where the most fun is going to be had in the title races at the end of the season. Some leagues look already done and dusted, others need reinvigoration very quickly if there's going to be any jeopardy, and a select few look like they could come down to the very last moments of the season for a Champion to be decided. We take a look at who sits where. Jack also gives some honourable mentions to some of Europe's less fashionable top leagues (shouts out Romania, where five teams are within a point and two goals in differentials after 26 games) and the promotion battles in a few of the second tiers, for good measure. Before all that, we have a discussion of the latest news that UEFA have signed a new deal with Relevant Sports in the US, opening up the conversation again that the Champions League final could be held in the United States. We discuss the pros and cons, in light of the recent Superbowl, and why the governing bodies should be a little bit careful about those plans. 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.

12 Helmi 1h 7min

Hello Rank Squad! The January transfer window has closed for another year, and Deadline Day threw up a chaotic bundle of stories to sift through as usual. We examine the final days, and the window as a whole to pull out the most intriguing deals that have piqued our attention for a variety of reasons, and discuss why. Then, we broaden the lens - taking a look at the most radical business, the most transformative window, and the most restorative action taken across the Premier League, before Jack rounds things off with a quick flick round some of the weird and wonderful things that happened in Europe more generally. 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.

5 Helmi 1h 10min

It's time for The Truth!If you look at the top of the Premier League table, you'll see a few of the country's most famous and recently successful clubs in the pack, but you'll also find a previously fallen giant - in the form of Nottingham Forest, and an upstart underdog - in the form of Bournemouth, going toe-to-toe with the big boys.  But how did they do it? What's behind the successes of the Tricky Trees and the Cherries this season, just a few years after promotion from the Championship - how did they turn themselves from relegation battlers or mid-table stalwarts into genuine contenders for European spots at the end of this season?We take a look at their differing strategies in both the transfer market activity and the tactical sense with which they play, examine which feels more sustainable, and hand out some very well-earned credit to two brilliant managers and two clubs doing things their own way. Is this a one-off, or is it a model that other clubs could use to find success? Are these high-flying underdogs showing a new way to go about things, or could they be just another one-season wonder? 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.

31 Tammi 53min

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your late night delivery following the action - after the first ever 'final matchday' of the new League Stage, which saw every single game taking place at the same time. We start with a look at Manchester City's Great Escape - coming back from 1-0 down (and surefire elimination) to win 3-1 against Club Brugge, and sneak into the Playoff round in incredibly dramatic fashion at the Etihad. Then we work our way through all the other games, including an end-to-end encounter as Aston Villa beat Celtic 4-2, PSG's blistering 4-1 demolition of Stuttgart, and a 2-2 thriller between Barcelona and Atalanta that might well have been the game of the night. In Part Two, there's a roundup of all the rest of the action - Ethan Nwaneri's Saka impression as Arsenal saw off Girona, PSV stunning a heavily-rotated Liverpool in Eindhoven, routine wins for Bayern and Real Madrid, Dinamo Zagreb's brave win over 10-man Milan that wasn't quite enough, and Sporting's squeaky point that saw them progress, as well as big wins for Inter, Benfica, Leverkusen, Lille, and Atletico. 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.

30 Tammi 1h 6min

Hello Rank Squad! With the end of the transfer window riding up on us quicker than anybody expected, and with nobody but Manchester City really getting the gears into action so far, there are a whole lot of stories building up to breaking point in the next few days. On today's show, Transfer Guru Dean Jones walks us through ten talking points about what deals are in the offing, and what to expect in terms of the market movers and shakers. We discuss potential swap deals, outgoings at Manchester United, Chelsea's plan to sign a forward, Tottenham's long-term ambitions, City looking to plug the midfield hole, Arsenal's eyes on a potential loan move for a No 9, and much more - as well as the potential futures for players such as Evan Ferguson, Ansu Fati, Alejandro Garnacho, João Félix and the rest. Before that, Jack runs through three things he loved at the weekend - including the chaos at AC Milan, Gavi's future-captain-turn on the sidelines for Barcelona, and Jota v3 returning to Celtic Park after a brutal spell away. 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.

29 Tammi 59min

It's time for The Truth!Borussia Dortmund parted company with head coach Nuri Sahin this week after a set of deeply concerning performances that have seen a giant of German and European football languishing in 10th in the Bundesliga, as well as falling out of the automatic qualification places in Europe. But the problems at the famous Westfalenstadion go far deeper than just a rookie coach seemingly out of his depth. Instead, they are endemic to the very fabric of one of the most well-known clubs in the world - issues with recruitment both on and off the pitch have led to this malaise, as well as failing to keep up with the changing times around them. We take a look at the decline of their league form, that was somewhat papered over by an excellent Champions League run last season, problems with getting the right kind of people in place to allow the club to flourish, and the 'keep it in-house' nature of the front office, all of which have contributed to this fall from grace. So can these problems be turned around? Or are Dortmund destined to be a fading force for more than just the immediate future? 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.

24 Tammi 43min

Hello Rank Squad!It's time for Champions League Takeaway, your late night delivery following the action - after another breathless week in the UCL that saw chaos reign across both days. We start with Wednesday's action, opening with a discussion of PSG's impressive comeback 4-2 win over Manchester City, which was a much needed European reprieve for Luis Enrique, and another difficult night for Pep Guardiola's charges, who now find themselves outside the qualification spots going into the final matchday. Feyenoord hammered Bayern 3-0 despite Vincent Kompany's men having nearly 80% of possession and 26 shots, and we look at why Bayern looked so lethargic in Rotterdam; as well as examining Arsenal's routine dismantling of Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates; and the show that Real Madrid put on to beat RB Salzburg 5-1 in fine style at the Bernabeu. There's a roundup of all the rest of Wednesday's football too - Leipzig getting their first UCL win this season against struggling Sporting, Shakhtar keeping their faint hopes alive with a win over surprise package Brest, Celtic finally getting over the line and securing qualification with a 1-0 victory against Young Boys; and wins for both Inter and Milan to push themselves firmly back into Top Eight contention. Then in Part Two, we're onto Tuesday's action, which begins with one of the craziest games you'll see all season - as Barcelona came from two goals down to win 5-4 at Benfica, in a game that had absolutely everything - madness, meltdowns, majesty, and all the rest. We talk a relatively routine win for Liverpool over Lille that maintained the Reds' perfect record in this competition and kept them top of the table; a vintage Atleti Dark Arts performance which saw them come from a goal and a man down to beat Leverkusen at a fizzing Metropolitano; and Villa's 1-0 loss to Monaco that saw them slip out of the Top Eight and miss a golden chance to keep themselves in the best shape to avoid the playoff round.Rounding things up, we discuss Bologna's win over Borussia Dortmund in front of an amazing display at the Renato Dall'Ara that saw Nuri Sahin lose his job as Dortmund manager, PSV crawling over the line in the snow in Belgrade as they beat Crvena Zvezda 3-2, five-star Atalanta's excellent display against hapless Sturm Graz, Stuttgart's resurgence as they beat Slovan Bratislava, and another draw for Juve - as they were held 0-0 in Bruges. 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.

23 Tammi 1h 13min