Hello Rank Squad!

Dougie's in for Dean today and with all the managerial news over the last few days it felt like a very good time to maybe take some stock of some of the biggest stories surrounding some of the biggest jobs in world football changing hands.

We start with the reports that Pep Guardiola is on his way out at Manchester City after one of the most successful eras we have ever seen in the Premier League, with Enzo Maresca lined up to replace him. It's been an incredible decade where Pep has won 20 trophies, including four-in-a-row Premier League titles for the first time ever and just the second treble ever achieved by an English club. Can anyone genuinely hope to succeed with the bar so high, and why have City gone for their former assistant at this moment?

Then in Part Two, we turn to Xabi Alonso's appointment at Chelsea. Perhaps the opposite question is being asked here from the football world - not why would Chelsea want him, but why would he say yes to a project that looks like it's currently on fire? We examine the rationale and what the assurances that he's been given are, as well as what he could do with a number of these Chelsea players, and whether an emotional detachment might just be something he's looking for after being burned by a 'home court' at Real Madrid.

Finally, we turn to Alonso's former employers, Real Madrid, who look set to reappoint Jose Mourinho as their man in the dugout, in what seemed an impossibility just months ago. There's plenty of discussion here too - which players benefit most, what Florentino's motive is in the appointment, whether this is a hard reset on the current project, and if anyone could succeed with this level of chaos against what seems like a very smooth Barcelona machine under Hansi Flick right now. Will bringing Jose back work? No idea. Will it provide drama? You bet.

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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It's time for The Truth!

Sam and Dougie are back together in the studio to take a look at those players who have had a bounceback in a big way this season, with their careers rejuvenated in one way or another.

We wander through six names from across some different leagues, although with a weird Aston Villa thread linking many of them, including two former Carrington graduates, one of whom remains at United and the other who has flown the nest, a Roma striker on absolute fire, an Argentine No 10 having a merry old time in the Europa League, Manchester City's right back situation seemingly having been resolved, and Inter's star of the show on the left.

Which of these have had the most improvement, and the biggest return to grace? 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?

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Hello Rank Squad!

We're under a month from the World Cup, and the big showpiece is starting to occupy serious mental space for so many of us. There are only a few squads released so far though, so full previews are going to have to wait a few more weeks; but we thought it was a good time to take a look through some of the favourites and the hosts, and plot out potential routes to the latter stages of the competition. We look at the USMNT, Canada, Mexico, holders Argentina, France, Spain, England, Brazil and Germany and see what they might run into.

Before that though, we dive into the ever-evolving chaos at Real Madrid, where Jose Mourinho seems to be locked in to being the new manager at the Bernabeu, and Florentino Perez has announced a Presidential Election. What does the route forward look like, and is the Special One the man to take Los Blancos back to the top of the footballing pyramid?

There's also a quick look at a huge final day at the bottom of the Bundesliga where any of the bottom three, all on the same points, could escape into the relegation playoff on the final day.

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.