The Last Ever B/R Football Ranks

Knockout competitions are one thing, but it's league titles that show a team's supremacy best over the course of a longer period. Football writer Tom Williams joined Dean and Sam to talk through how Europe's finest teams this season would get on if they were in a 20-team, 38-game season; and who would come out on top. There's plenty of debate and disagreement as Sam places teams from across the continent from 1 to 20, and who doesn't even make the cut. It's another 10-minute special for Roulette-we talk we talk football tech, Sam's influence on actual match outcomes and how to get into football journalism; before Sam finishes things off with his nonsense rankings of which reality TV shows he'd be best and worst on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Feb 202059min

Fantasy PL is one of our favourite things, but it provides some real pain to us all on a regular basis. The latest member of the Rank Squad is Rambo, host of the Premier League's official FPL YouTube show, 'FPL FYI', who joins us to discuss some of the worst things that can happen to you as an FPL manager. We start, as ever, with Hot Takes. We discuss Manchester City's rebuild as Dean gives us the lowdown on City's transfer targets for the summer; revisit our interview with Bayern's Alphonso Davies as Sam names him one of the most exciting full-backs in Europe right now; and give some love to the Serie A Title Race as Jack names Lazio-Inter as the game you absolutely cannot miss this weekend. We name a special Melon of the Week, and answer Roulette Questions about Neymar's birthday and the best upcoming managers in the game; before Sam ranks meat and booze combinations in an especially weird version of Nonsense Rankings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Feb 202057min

Liverpool have taken 100 points out of the last 102 available in the Premier League. They have lost 2 games this season, one of which was whilst playing a youth team. This team, frankly, looks unstoppable. But can they be halted in their tracks by a team who they have still to play? We take a look at how teams should set up to try and best the Champions-in-waiting. We start, as ever, with Hot Takes. We discuss whether Real Madrid are potentially the most long-term prepared team in Europe, if Spurs' victory over Man City papers over some deeper issues between club and manager; as well as talking just how good Erling Haaland's start at Dortmund has been We hit a special number on Roulette which triggers a new game - how many listener questions we can answer in 10 minutes. We talk All-Star games, NBA style-penalties, new Premier League signings and half-time shows; before Dean takes over nonsense for the week to talk the best and worst jobs he's ever had.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Feb 202058min

Which clubs are in trouble as the window draws to a close? The Rank Squad take a look at some of the teams across Europe who look right now that they might have some real problems going into the second half of the season, from those desperately in need of signings, to those desperately in need of some leadership, to those desperately in need of a soul. Hot Takes includes a discussion on Josip Ilicic, the man on fire in Europe right now; where Krzysztof Piątek could end up if he leaves the red and black half of Milan this window; and a debate on if Jurgen Klopp is right to not be in attendance for Liverpool's FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury, including a Reds view from John Gibbons of the Anfield Wrap. Deano gives out another Melon, we talk the most exciting leagues in Europe and the wildest moments of the window in Roulette, and Sam talks the most difficult everyday tasks in this week's Nonsense Rankings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Jan 202059min

It's the January Transfer Window and to many that means wasted money, desperate bids, and deadline day madness - but it doesn't have to be so! Jack, Dean and Sam take a look at some of the best January transfers to go down in recent years, from those who have flipped a huge profit on sensible recruits, to the players who have gone on to be the bedrock of their teams, leading them to new heights and glories. We start with a good old game of Who Am I? Before launching into Hot Takes, where we discuss Ole's future at Manchester United and how the club are planning to go about their business in this window and the next, Riqui Puig's introduction in Setien's first Barca game and what that means for both fans and for other La Masia graduates, and some of the chaotic storylines across Europe that you might have missed - namely Theo Hernandez and Leon Bailey. Roulette contains a discussion of whether it would be better for Liverpool to go Invincible or smash the PL Points Record, who we'd vote for as our PFA Player of the Year and which club are the favourites for the title in the newly returned Bundesliga, before Sam talks football rules that he would add to spice up the season in his Nonsense Rankings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Jan 202054min

Barcelona have themselves a new manager, Quique Setien, and he's a man well liked around these parts. Sam Tighe and Jack Collins give you the lowdown on what to expect from the new man in the Nou Camp hot seat and how he'll impose his style of play on a side who many feel have not reached their potential under Erneste Valverde. Our favourite comedian, Rhys James, joins us for his hat-trick appearance on the show, and as a Tottenham fan, we give him a therapy session on how he has coped with adjusting to life under Jose Mourinho and the absence of Mauricio Pochettino in his life. With that done, we move onto Rhys' main ranking-things he doesn't understand about the modern game, ranging from VAR decisions to how new football chants get off the ground in the terraces. As you'd expect, there's a lot of laughs. Dean rings in from Michigan with his Melon of the Week, before Sam rounds things off by ranking his favourite numbers. It's raucous. It's rough and ready. It's Ranks. 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

15 Jan 202053min

New Year, New Predictions. With a new calendar on the go, Sam Tighe, Dean Jones and Jack Collins take a look to the 12 months ahead to see what the big stories are going to be. We talk Gabriel Martinelli's rise to stardom, whether Leeds can return to the big time in England, Kylian Mbappe's goalscoring feats, Kalidou Koulibaly's future and who will be lifting the Champions League trophy in May. In a revamped Hot Takes, we discuss James Maddison's future amid speculation Manchester United have made an offer for him, new Juventus man Dejan Kulusevski and how he'll get on in Turin next season, and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal after their win over Bielsa's Leeds in the FA Cup. Roulette returns with a discussion of Soyuncu and Maguire, the most disrespected player in the Premier League and the worst transfers from the summer transfer window, before a certain Portuguese manager is named Melon of the Week and Sam talks New Year's Resolutions in his Nonsense Rankings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Jan 202059min

Happy New Year Rank Squad! We're back for 2020 with a corker, a Dean Jones special ranking of the five biggest transfer storylines that you'll hear in this January Window. We discuss Christian Eriksen, Gareth Bale, Lucas Paqueta, Edinson Cavani, Wilfried Zaha and Jadon Sancho and where their respective futures may lie. Hot Takes are renamed Haaland Takes for one week only as we look at Dortmund's new signing, working out whether he's made the right move, if the price tags add up and if his arrival makes Dortmund Bundesliga title favourites. The Roulette Wheel returns, bringing us questions about if Mikel Arteta will improve Arsenal and who United should be looking at signing this month, before Dean names his melon of the decade and Sam ranks his best and worst Christmas presents. To get involved, hit us up on Twitter or Instagram, and use #BRFootballRanksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Jan 202059min