Ranks FC - A Football Podcast

Hello Rank Squad!

Here's the second of our four World Cup preview shows, where we look through the next three groups and give our thoughts on each of the four teams in each. Jack Collins is joined by Austin Miller of the extraordinary World Cup After Dark Podcast to keep things ticking over. 

Starting in Group D with a look through the expectations and reality associated with the USMNT ahead of the tournament as well as their strengths and weaknesses, we also take a look at an exceedingly solid Paraguay unit, a fun Türkiye who might just become a neutral's favourite, and a hard-nosed Australia side who absolutely will not. 

In Group E, we talk through whether Julian Nagelsmann's Germany are being overlooked or overrated, before discussing Ecuador - who come in as many people's dark horses, a returning Cote d'Ivoire side who had an outrageous qualification record, and newcomers Curaçao, who might be the best story of this tournament but could also end up as this group's whipping boys. 

And then in Group F, we reach the Netherlands, who are incredibly difficult to predict given the level of talent and the lack of goals, as well as a slightly underpowered but very cohesive Japan, Graham Potter's Sweden, who have two absolutely incredible strikers and...not much else; and Tunisia, who feel like they might have come to spoil everybody else's fun and try to draw 0-0 a lot. 

Keep an eye on this feed for the next two previews, check out our Groups A-C preview with Dougie Critchley, and there's plenty more to come too, over the course of the World Cup. 

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?

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Hello Rank Squad!

With the domestic season in Europe all wrapped up, it's time to completely lock in to World Cup mode - and so here's the first of our four World Cup preview shows, where we look through the first three groups and give our thoughts on each of the four teams in each. Jack Collins is joined by the brilliant Dougie Critchley to get things started. 

Starting in Group A with one of the host nations Mexico, we also take a look at a stuttering South Korea, hard-nosed Czechia, and an underdog South African side looking to bloody some noses again. 

In Group B, we talk through a deeply efficient Switzerland side who will fancy themselves as group favourites ahead of Jesse Marsch's intense Canada, also playing on home turf, a Bosnia & Herzegovina team with an interesting mix of experience and young talent, and previous hosts Qatar. 

And then in Group C, we get to Haiti - returning to this competition for the first time since 1974, as well as 2022 semi-finalists Morocco - who look even stronger this time out, a Brazil side who might just be let off the leash under the watchful eyebrow of Carlo Ancelotti, and the Tartan Army of Scotland, back at the World Cup for the first time this century, but who look a little light up top. 

Keep an eye on this feed for the next three previews, and plenty more to come over the course of the World Cup. 

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.

Hello Rank Squad! 

We thought with the Champions League done and dusted, after PSG beat Arsenal on penalties to retain their crown and become just the second club in the modern era to go back-to-back, it was a good time to give you a little taster of what we get up to on the Patreon feed - where every Monday we answer questions on the action from the weekend just gone, and sometimes far beyond. 

This is a segment from the part of the show where the Champions League final was the main topic, that we thought was a good indication of what we do, so if you want to help steer the conversation and the talking points during the upcoming World Cup and beyond, it's a great time to come and join us. 

You get a minimum of three extra podcasts every week with no ads, you can ask questions about anything in World Football and get them answered week in and week out on the Postbox and the Patter, you get Dean's live and fresh reaction from the headlines on The Guru Speaks, extra drops regarding transfers during the summer window, and a wonderful footballing community to get involved with for good measure. We'd love to have you along. If that sounds good, the link is below - we'd love to have you on board!

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?

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It's time for The Truth!

Sam and Dougie are back together for one final time to take a look at the first names off the rumour mill this summer which have seriously taken the world of football by storm in the opening week since the domestic season finished. 

We take a look through a number of players to get things going, starting with the deal bringing Newcastle's Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, which looks very much like it'll go through imminently, their reported interest as well in Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez as the Robert Lewandowski replacement, wondering where that leaves Marcus Rashford ahead of the summer, looking at Manchester United's interest in Ederson of Atalanta, and wondering whether Aston Villa might need to sell Morgan Rogers for financial reasons, and if Arsenal might be the great beneficiaries of that deal.

So are these early ones deals or steals? Is there legs in the rumours or are they damned as 'what-if's?' As ever, 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.

Hello Rank Squad! 

With the Champions League Final now just around the corner, we take a deep dive into the European football's showpiece event in Budapest, where Mikel Arteta's newly crowned Premier League Champions will take on the reigning European Kings, Luis Enrique's PSG. Starting with the challengers, we examine both teams and where they find themselves ahead of the big game in Istanbul. 

After that, we take a little look back at recent Champions League final history, and what that might mean ahead of this game, to round things off. 

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.