Ranking Messi's Most Magical Moments

Spurs pull the trigger on Poch and replace him with Jose Mourinho, in a twist that few saw coming. Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) join host Jack Collins (@jjwc) to reflect on one of the biggest news stories of the year, examining why it happened and whether Mourinho is set up to succeed or fail in his new role. Then, with the International break done and dusted, we take a look at EURO 2020, and rank the five teams who are best placed to win UEFA's showpiece event next summer. We talk Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and France; as well as discussing Spain and England's chances, and also taking a theoretical look at where Brazil, Argentina, the USA and AFCON champions Algeria would finish if they were invited as the four guest nations. The Picks League returns, and there's a new player on the table, a 'monkey in a suit', to see if he can outdo the Rank Squad, before Sam rounds things off by ranking Premier League footballers who he would love to be the President or Head of State of their respective countries. To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

20 Nov 201956min

It's the big international break and so it feels like the right time to look back and assess the season so far! Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) join host Jack Collins (@jjwc) to take a look at the the whole 2019/20 club season in Europe, talking through: -Best clubs domestically (06:46) -Melons of the season up to now (10:50) -Standout players (15:14) 
-Surprise packages you need to watch (19:39) 
-Best teams in the Champions League (28:57) Roulette has an international theme this week, and asks us to pick a back four with only one player from each continent allowed (35:35); who would win the World Cup if nations could only pick players that player in their domestic league (37:28) and what the most competitive position in international football is (39:22); before we go into round two of the Ranks Picks League (43:56) and Sam rounds things off by ranking the worst times he's ever lost his house keys (it gets weird) (47:11). To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

13 Nov 201954min

Liverpool are six points clear at the top of the Premier League and flying ahead of the visit of closest challengers Manchester City. Is this finally their year, and can they prove it this weekend (02:46)? Sam Tighe, Dean Jones and Jack Collins are joined by John Gibbons of The Anfield Wrap to take a deep dive on Liverpool. We discuss Liverpool's MVP's (09:11), the opponents they want to beat most (13:17), as well as three key reasons they could win (16:04) and lose (17:35) this weekend. That's not all though, because across the rest of Europe there's plenty of other showstopper games taking place as well. We head next to Germany, where we spoke to Bundesliga expert Manuel Veth to talk through this weekend's Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, before taking a look at both their starts and who will be in the dugout for Bayern in such a big game (25:03). From there, we're off to Italy where Juventus take on AC Milan this weekend - in a clash of old vs new - and we speak to Calcio specialist Chloe Beresford to get her view on the game, before taking it back to the studio for a deep dive (34:05). There's a special theme to Roulette as well, as we take a tour of Spain. We talk about our favourite regions (40:11); which of Barcelona, Real or Atleti we would join if we were a hot prospect (43:01), and whether Atleti's system is holding back their attacking potential (44:33); there's a debut for our latest segment - the Picks league, where Dean and Sam will face off making predictions for the upcoming weekend (48:21); before Sam rounds things off by ranking London's worst tube lines, and comparing them to Premier League clubs (50:27). To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 Nov 201956min

There's a lot of pressure on the managers at some of Europe's top clubs right now - some justified, and some less so. Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) join host Jack Collins (@jjwc) to take a look at the coaches in the firing line and whether their clubs should stick or twist with Unai Emery (21:25), Mauricio Pochettino (27:39), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (32:21), Ernesto Valverde (36:17), and Zinedine Zidane (41:22). Hot Takes this week involve a discussion of whether Arsenal fans or Granit Xhaka find themselves more in the wrong after Sunday's bust up at the Emirates (03:34); thoughts on Sergino Dest's decision to pick the USMNT over the Netherlands national team (08:14); and a look at Leicester City after their demolition job on Southampton last week (12:38). Talking of Southampton, Dean hands out this week's Melon of the Week award... (17:46) Roulette asks if football was more entertaining ten years ago (45:35); whether we'd keep all or no technology in the game if it was a black and white decision (47:28) and who the best player we've ever played with was (49:14); before Sam rounds things off by ranking players who remind him of kitchen appliances, in honour of Jurgen Klopp nicknaming Fabinho as 'Dyson' (52:43). To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30 Okt 201957min

The Ballon d'Or shortlist is live and France Football have announced their 30 nominees for 2019. Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe), Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) and host Jack Collins (@jjwc) are joined by Marc Geschwind (@MarcGeschwind) to take a look at five players that should have been nominated for the list but aren't, and the five players that should drop out of the shortlist in their place (18:53). Hot Takes this week involve a chat about La Liga's proposed fixture taking place in Miami, and who it ultimately benefits (02:11), a discussion of whether Jordan Henderson's time in the Liverpool first team is coming to an end (07:40); and a deep dive into Juventus' unsung hero in midfield, Miralem Pjanic (11:42). This week's Melon of the Week is off to Madrid, to rest one the shoulders of a man at fault for their defeat to Mallorca at the weekend... (16:20) Roulette asks about our earliest football memories (41:57); which club we think will triumph in the MLS this season (44:39) and if we could swap shirts with a player, but never watch them again, who they would be (47:07); before Sam rounds things off by ranking Wayne Rooney's funniest tweets in this week's nonsense rankings (49:23). To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

23 Okt 201955min

Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) steps in to present this week, as Jack Collins gets a well deserved break. Current day football is throwing up scenarios that were simply unimaginable ten years ago, so Rank God Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) breaks down the duos that define the game as we know it today, while B/R Football's Joanna Kamenou (@joannakamenou) also joins the lads in the studio. In Hot Takes Dean discusses how Liverpool have never endured a Premier League season quite as bad as the one Man United are about to go through (02:38), Sam tells us why Borussia Monchengladbach are the best counter attacking team in Europe (07:48), and Jo tells the world why Romelu Lukaku needs to be considered one of the best strikers of a generation (12:20). From the Bleacher Roulette wheel this week, the Rank Squad discuss who will last longer in their job: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Zinedine Zidane (42:13), which flavour potato chips would suit superstar footballers (44:02), and which football villains they have a soft spot for (46.09). Sam rounds things off as usual with a nonsense ranking, this time on Reading's new manager Mark Bowen (48:20). You can get in touch on Twitter and Instagram by following @brfootball and using the hashtag #BRFootballRanksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

16 Okt 201952min

Some teams start well, and others start badly; but few start completely at odds with where they will end up. Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) join host Jack Collins (@jjwc) to take a look at three teams who are over-performing in their respective leagues this season, and three teams who are well below where we expect them to finish. Hot Takes this week involve a chat about how Maurizio Sarri's Juventus are already showing signs they might become the best ever version of Sarriball after their win over Conte's Inter in the Derby d'Italia (05:20), a prediction that Chelsea will become the lifeblood of the England squad by World Cup 2020 (09:10); and a look at Manchester City's loss to Wolves at the weekend (13:54). This week's Melon of the Week is given to a striker who missed an absolute sitter when his team needed him most to score... (19:08) Roulette asks which is the best stadium food we've had (47:56); whether Barcelona should retire the No.10 shirt when Leo Messi retires (49:37) and which Premier League club the Rank Squad think each other best represent (52:08); before Sam rounds things off by ranking the best things about building a fort to watch football in, in this week's nonsense rankings (53:31). To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Okt 201957min

We're back on the road in Munich to talk Bayern with two men at differing ends of the scale: Club legend, World Cup winner and original raumdeuter, Thomas Muller sits down to discuss his teammates, horses, Oktoberfest and musical exploits; before Canadian wonderkid Alphonso Davies told us about moving to Germany, why all footballers love Drake so much, and the reason that he puts one side of his kit on first! To get involved, hit us up on Twitter or Instagram, or use the #BRFootballRanks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Okt 201935min