Racism in Football Round Table: Kate Abdo, Weston McKennie, Crystal Dunn, Tim Howard & Maurice Edu

The Premier League season starts this weekend, and we thought it would only be right to give you a full preview before it begins! With Sam and Dean away, Jack Collins (@jjwc) was joined by two BBC Sport legends - Nick Bright (@nickbright) and Reece Parkinson (@reeceparkinson) - to rank the entire league from top to bottom, including Nick's tips for relegation (11.26) and this season's top six (24.41). Instead of Hot Takes, we discussed who the big winners and losers of the Premier League season would be in a special game of Hot or Not, before we got onto the main ranking, including discussions about Aston Villa, Norwich City, Newcastle United, Harry Maguire and Nicolas Pepe. (03.17) Roulette finds the squad picking the worst stadium in the Premier League (41.04), which footballer we'd want as our number neighbour (42.35) and our favourite players of all time (45.44); before Jack rounds things off by ranking the Premier League managers who would make the worst rappers in this week's nonsense (49.41). To get involved, follow @brfootball on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #BRFootballRanks - and remember to join our FPL league! Get over to fantasy.premierleague.com and use the code tzl5nt to get involved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Aug 201954min

The new Premier League season is just around the corner, and that means that it's time you got your FPL team in order-so we thought we'd give you a helping hand! To get involved, get over to fantasy.premierleague.com and join the Rank Squad league, using the code tzl5nt. Jack Collins (@jjwc) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) were joined by Jules Breach (@julesbreach), host of the FPL Show and Premier League presenter for BT Sport, to talk through some of the hidden gems (16.08) and must haves for this season's game (24.03), as well as hints and tips as to how to get the best from your squad. In this week's Hot Takes, we discuss whether Liverpool's lack of business in the transfer market will cost them over the upcoming season (01.33), if a La Liga game in the USA might actually be a massive success, on the back of the Madrid derby in New Jersey last week, (06.45) and examine Arsenal's acquisition of Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid on a season long loan (11.45). Roulette finds the squad picking which trophies look the nicest (41.35), which rules we'd add to the Carabao Cup to make it more exciting (43.31) and just how good we are at kickups (45.59); before Dean rounds things off by ranking the non-football things that he searches for most on YouTube in this week's nonsense! (48.07) 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

31 Juli 201953min

We're on the road in New York to put football back in the correct order. Here's what we got up to in a special bonus pod: -Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger, double World Champions with the USWNT, rank the teammates they're looking forward to playing against this season (4:40) and walk us through the celebrations after their famous World Cup win. (6:30) -Sam talks two undiscovered players that we've unearthed in pre-season (17:30) -We talk to the #YankSquad and play Bleacher Roulette outside the Liverpool-Dortmund game in Notre Dame (22:40) -The squad wrap up the trip and Sam ranks the three things he doesn't understand about America (32:10)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Juli 201942min

The Rank Squad is in New York City for a crossover special! We teamed up with another Bleacher Report podcast dynasty, Stick to Football, bringing in host Connor Rogers for an in depth discussion on the football x football space. Sam ranked five footballers who could have made it in the NFL if they'd trained their entire lives for it, and Connor replied with three of his own from NFL who could go back the other way. Hot Takes this week included a discussion on how a 'Best Transfers XI' from this summer would get on in each of the top five European leagues and whether it's actually a good thing for Gareth Bale to go to China at this point in his career, before Connor asked his 'Burning Question': If a newbie was going to watch football in Europe this season, which team should they support for entertainment value? Still no roulette wheel (Thanks Heathrow) so instead we played a game: The Matchup, where Connor described the traits of several NFL teams and we gave them an equivalent in European football; before Sam rounded it off as ever, with nonsense: ranking his favourite skyscrapers of the New York skyline and comparing them to Premier League Clubs. As ever, get involved with the Pod using the #BRFootballRanks hashtag and follow us on Instagram and Twitter-@brfootball.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Juli 201957min

We're on the road in Chicago to put football back in the correct order. Here's what we got up to in a special bonus pod: -Divock Origi ranks his favourite ever moments, the funniest member of the Liverpool dressing room and we give him a new nickname (00.10) -Sam ranks his favourite experiences of the trip so far. (09.57) -We talk to the #YankSquad and play Bleacher Roulette before a Chicago Fire game in a tailgate. (14.43) -Mike Magee, MLS legend who played with David Beckham, Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard takes us for a traditional Chicago pizza and ranks his former teammates in Quick Ranks. (21.16)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Juli 201940min

The Rank Squad has a new member! Bastian Schweinsteiger joined Jack Collins, Dean Jones and Sam Tighe in Chicago to talk about the people that had influenced him most in his football career (17.00), where he has won the World Cup and the Champions League. Bastian also chatted about his life in Chicago (13.31), how he has moved to becoming a ball-playing centre-back in his time at the Fire and taught the squad about his homeland, by ranking the best things about Bavaria! (29.40) In this week's Hot (Fire) Takes, we discussed whether LAFC could survive in the Premier League (02.10) and the increasing standard of MLS; how Grizi and De Jong's additions at Barca could spell the phasing out of legendary Sergio Busquets in their midfield (05.58); and who was the most crucial of three searing USMNT prospects - Tim Weah, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie (08.44). The Roulette wheel got banned from our hand luggage, so it was Lucky Dip instead this week - discussing MLS style Penalty Shootouts (33.30) and who we think is the signing of the summer (35.14), before Sam ranks three things that Football could learn from Baseball in this week's special US Nonsense Rankings (40.00). As ever, get involved with the Pod using the #BRFootballRanks hashtag and follow us on Instagram and Twitter-@brfootball.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Juli 201946min

Certain players need moves, their clubs are open to selling them and the interested parties have the desire and funds to make it happen. Jack Collins (@jjwc), Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) took to the studio to rank the five transfers that make sense for everyone this summer, using a three tick system, and sorted out the world of football once again (14.47). In this week's Hot Takes, we take a look at how Gabriel Jesus' role at Manchester City this season after a brilliant Copa America for City's new No. 9 (02.24), why Matthijs de Ligt might be better off waiting for a move to Liverpool instead of heading to Turin (06.17) and examine AC Milan's summer, taking a deep dive on their new manager, their signings and how it's all going to fit into place for the Rossoneri next season (10.23). Roulette finds the squad picking their best and worst kits of the upcoming season (40.44), discuss where Ajax would have finished in the Premier League last season (44.12) and think about whether they'd love to be passionately divisive or vaguely loved by all if they were footballers (45.54); before Sam rounds things off in the Nonsense section by taking a quick look at which Hogwarts teachers would be the worst managers (47.45). 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

10 Juli 201951min

To put it bluntly, things are a bit of a mess at Stamford Bridge right now, and so we decided, with Frank Lampard's appointment as manager now a given, to look at the five biggest challenges facing him this summer, and how to fix them. Jack Collins (@jjwc), Sam Tighe (@brsamtighe) and Dean Jones (@deanjonesbr) were joined by Clayton Beerman of the Chelsea FanCast to shed some light on Lampard, Jody Morris, the loans, the transfer ban, and how to try and replace the gaping hole left by the departing Eden Hazard. (15.41) There's also an exclusive interview with Cleveland Cavaliers power-forward Larry Nance Jr., star in the NBA and massive Chelsea fan to boot, talking how he grew up as a football fan, what position he'd like to play and ranking his three favourite players that have played in the blue shirt. (35.46) In this week's Hot Takes, we take a look at how Manchester United's signings so far have been somewhat underwhelming (02.30), why Dani Olmo's performance at the U21 European Championships should have him on the radar of some of Europe's top clubs (07.38) and examine Roma's transfer window-taking a deep dive on the Giallorossi's new manager, players and style, and thinking about what they should do next (10.48). Roulette finds the squad picking footballing partners for high-level murder investigations (44.46) and discussing the best bits of supporting their respective football clubs (46.07); before Sam rounds things off by ranking the best vegan foods and comparing them, to come full circle, to current Chelsea players (49.20). Oh, and the gang announce their upcoming US Tour. 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

3 Juli 201954min