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

Hello Rank Squad!We wanted to share with you an excerpt from our Monday Postbox episode on Patreon, on which we take questions from our community to look back across all the action from the weekend just gone. This is the segment on the Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, where Virgil van Dijk's late header got Jurgen Klopp's farewell trophy tour off to the perfect start. We discuss the difference between the two sides, the importance of club culture and buy-in, where Pochettino got his in-game management wrong, the performances of VVD, Kelleher and Wataru Endo, and much more. The full episode is here!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.

26 Helmi 202431min

Hello Rank Squad!Champions League Takeaway is back with a bang, as we take a look at the second set of First Leg Round of 16 fixtures across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Porto - discussing the significance of Porto's gameplan halting Arsenal's goal rampage, the remaining question marks over Arsenal's comparative infancy back in the competition, and Wenderson Galeno making up for a horror miss with a wondergoal; as well as Napoli's 1-1 draw with Barcelona - talking two teams that are both lacking confidence and spark, the impact of the big-name Number 9s who both got on the scoresheet, and the size of the job that new manager Francesco Calzona has on his hands in Naples. Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – looking at PSV's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund through the lens of a slightly fortunate penalty call for the hosts, the impact of Donyell Malen against his former club, and PSV's chances and fluidity in attack; before finishing with a discussion of Inter's 1-0 win over Atleti via the relentless nature of this Inter side, why Atleti need to be braver in midfield if they want to turn this around, and how Inter are probably the form team in the competition right now and should be classed as one of the favourites. It’s Ranks! 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.

21 Helmi 202435min

Hello Rank Squad! This week, we've decided enough time has passed for us to examine the deals that took place in the summer, and see which clubs made the best value signings before this season started. We kick things off in England, where Dean discusses a midfielder who ended up at West Ham United, Tottenham's goalkeeping sensation, and the man who makes it all tick for Aston Villa, as well as some other honourable mentions. Then it's off on a roadtrip around Europe - a brisk journey through Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal and the Netherlands to dive into the deals that maybe have slipped under your radar - but very much the ones where the player's value is far greater (or has the potential to be) than what their new clubs paid for their services. And finally, in Part Three, it's a bit of a different twist on Guru Wisdom. We've received a distress call from Chris in New Jersey, who is a football fan, but hasn't settled on what teams he wants to attach himself (and his partner) to. With a strict list of requirements, we do our best to help Chris in his quest for a club. It's Ranks! 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.

21 Helmi 20241h 3min

Hello Rank Squad!MLS is back this week, and we wanted to pay homage to that fact by dropping a special preview show as a bonus episode. Ranks FC MLS Correspondent Owen Murray joins Jack live from the West Coast to give you a brief lowdown on what you need to know ahead of the season beginning on Thursday. We discuss the teams who have made the smartest moves in this off-season, as well as those who might stagnate this year after a lack of movement, before giving a snapshot of the outlook from the beginning of the campaign, our favourite signings across the league in the transfer window, and finish with a little chat about some of the best kits that will grace pitches across the States in 2024. It's Ranks! 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.

19 Helmi 202440min

Hello Rank Squad! Champions League Takeaway is back with a bang, as we take a look at the first Knockout games of the season - across both Tuesday and Wednesday nights!We start with Wednesday’s action, looking at Bayern's loss to Lazio - talking Lazio's defensive doggedness giving them a real chance, Bayern's lack of ability to get their most crucial players into the game, and why regardless of league form, a loss here could be the end of Thomas Tuchel's tenure; before discussing PSG's win over Real Sociedad through the lens of PSG's incredible strength in depth, La Real's toothlessness in front of goal of late, and how PSG's midfield is exceptional when they can dominate games.Then in Part Two, we take a look at Tuesday – talking Real Madrid's win over Leipzig - touching on why Leipzig can count themselves unlucky, how Aurelien Tchouameni is in danger of being permanently relocated to centre-back, and the magic that Brahim Diaz possesses when he's given the creative keys to the team; as well as City's win over Copenhagen - looking at how the winter break affected the Danish side, why Bernardo Silva somehow still remains criminally underrated, and why City aren't perfect yet, but edging closer.It’s Ranks! 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.

14 Helmi 202443min

Hello Rank Squad! There's a few big managerial vacancies opening up this summer - Barcelona and Liverpool in particular - and there's also signs that there could be openings at Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Juventus and more. So we decided to take a look at five managers who have had impressive campaigns, and who might be on the wishlists of a few of Europe's giants - Sebastian Hoeneß at VfB Stuttgart, Thiago Motta at Bologna, Michel at Girona, Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP, and Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverksen - to see how they've become so in-demand, and which potential destinations are suitable for what they're trying to do. Before that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses this weekend's game between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, whilst Jack waxes lyrical about the joy of AFCON 2023 and the narrative arc of Côte D'Ivoire's Zombie Elephants campaign, where they came back from the brink to be crowned Champions of Africa. And in Guru Wisdom, Dean ruminates on a tweet he saw recently which has been stuck in his brain, examining the potential for a TV series that puts an internet theory to the test. It's Ranks! 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.

14 Helmi 202459min

Hello Rank Squad! The January window has been and gone, and it's time to turn our attention to the return of continental European football - with the Champions League returning next week. We break down our rankings of every team in the competition and their chances of lifting that famous trophy in May, starting with outsiders Copenhagen and working our way through to the big hitters - holders Manchester City, record winners Real Madrid, beaten 2023 finalists Inter, and German powerhouses Bayern Munich, as well as discussing the best of the rest - PSG, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Barcelona, Dortmund, Napoli, Porto, Real Sociedad, RB Leipzig, Porto and Lazio. Jack also gives you a little nudge in the direction as to which games are the ones you shouldn't be missing, whilst before we dig into the UCL, we have a discussion about the announcement of 2026 World Cup venues and the utter madness that is going to unfold over the summer across the USA, Mexico and Canada. And finally, Dean gives us a little update on his temporary solo parenting situation; and Guru Wisdom revolves around the lessons he's learned over the past few days. It's Ranks!  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.

7 Helmi 20241h 4min

Hello Rank Squad!The January transfer window has SLAMMED SHUT, so we thought it was an opportune time to take a look back through the deals that went down, even in a quiet window; and pick out our favourite ones. Dean picks three deals from the Premier League - Gio Reyna to Nottingham Forest, Timo Werner to Tottenham Hotspur, and Claudio Echeverri to Manchester City ; whilst Jack heads to the continent to discuss Borja Iglesias to Bayer Leverkusen, Yerson Mosquera to Villarreal, and Arthur Vermeeren to Atletico Madrid. It's Ranks! 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.

2 Helmi 202436min