The Truth: What Has Been the Comeback of the Season?

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? 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'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.

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together to take a look at some potential moves this summer which could come out of left field to shock the world this summer.  We wander through six names potentially on the move, or whose transfers would cause serious ripples in the market and the news over the course of the transfer window that's coming in. From the Premier League to Serie A, the Bundesliga to La Liga, and well beyond - it's a few madcap ideas and some deals that could annoy at the very least one fanbase under the spotlight today.  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! You know we've got to the business end of the competition when there's only one Champions League Takeaway a week, so here's your big double serving after the second legs of the semi-finals, which delivered less goals, but no less drama than the first legs, and where PSG and Arsenal booked their tickets to Budapest for the showpiece.  In Part One, Dean runs us through the 1-1 draw between Bayern and PSG which meant that Luis Enrique's men will have the opportunity to defend their crown after winning 6-5 on aggregate in a strange game at the Allianz, where Bayern appeared to be a little apprehensive about how they were going to approach this one and then they paid the ultimate price.  Then in Part Two, Jack takes us through another war of attrition at the Emirates, but one this time that Arsenal dominated for long spells, allowing the Gunners to reach just their second Champions League Final, and their first for 20 years. It was a sensational atmosphere at the Emirates, and one which carried the Gunners over the line, as much as it was Starboy Bukayo Saka who scored the goal that took them there.  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.

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together to take a look at two different clubs in very different situations, but who both do have decisions to make about who the man in the dugout is going to be at the start of the next Premier League season - Chelsea and Manchester United. Firstly, there's a little chat about Jose Mourinho's rumoured return to Real Madrid, and why we all think that it's a dreadful idea from everyone involved, before diving into the main course.  The Blues are in turmoil. After Enzo Maresca's outburst saw him dismissed at the turn of the year, Liam Rosenior came in from sister club Strasbourg, but lasted just 107 days in the role, so interim manager Calum McFarlane will see out the campaign, before they make a new man permanent in the summer. Chelsea are linked with three names in particular - Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva; but the lure of former player Cesc Fabregas remains as well, and they're not the only ones on the market either.  For United, things are more complicated in some ways, and less so in others. Michael Carrick was appointed as interim when Ruben Amorim parted ways with the club, and he has done a remarkable job steering the club back to the Champions League places, with 'league challenging form' since taking over. But do they appoint Carrick on a permanent basis, especially given next year dealing with squad rotation and UCL football will require more than just a steady hand on the tiller? Or should they turn to someone else - a Julian Nagelsmann, or perhaps even the Man in Black - Diego Pablo Simeone... What are the right calls? Who would lead these sides back to their former glories? And is one manager enough to overcome structural deficiencies when they're staring you in the face? 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! You know we've got to the business end of the competition when there's only one Champions League Takeaway a week, so here's your big double serving after the first legs of the semi-finals, which brought us two very different games, but with no shortage of drama or entertainment in either.  In Part One we head to the Parc des Princes, where PSG outgunned Bayern 5-4 in an incredibly entertaining encounter - one where both teams' ridiculous offensive firepower was given full licence to fire at will. We discuss one of the best games we've seen in quite some time, as well as questions over the defending, giving out some individual flowers in a game where you could have harvested a full crop, and looking ahead to a second leg where both managers are promising more of the same.  Then in Part Two, we chat through a very different, but no less dramatic game, this time between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal at the Metropolitano in Madrid; where there were some legitimate questions over some controversial decisions in the game, but that didn't overshadow a contest that was more attritional, but still had major swings of momentum and big opportunities for both sides - who will still both fancy their chances of making the final. 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.

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together to take a look at the big debate that's beginning to rage on social media, that of who is going to be awarded Manager of the Season this year in the Premier League?  The boys walk through each of the candidates, ranking them on where they would have placed them in the rankings if they were given the power to decide - especially in a year where neither title contender feels necessarily like they might naturally sweep the award. We discuss Arsenal's Mikel Arteta and Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, as well as Aston Villa's Unai Emery, Brentford's Keith Andrews, Sunderland's Regis Le Bris, Everton's David Moyes and Fulham's Marco Silva; and try to find some order in the chaos.  So, is there one correct answer? Do you judge this on individual brilliance, punching above your weight or expectation, or just a team winning silverware? 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 just a few games remaining in this season, there's still plenty to play for in so many different places - not just geographically, but at opposite ends of the spectrum as well. We take a look at the Premier League title race and relegation rumble, La Liga's incredibly chaotic survival scrap, some battles in the Bundesliga up and down the table, a potential history-shattering record for Bruno Fernandes and what that means for the Player of the Year conversations, and also the tussles for the title which look very tasty in both Scotland and France.  Before we get into all that though, there's time for a chat about Chelsea - who lost 3-0 to Brighton at the Amex on Tuesday and who find themselves in absolute freefall under Liam Rosenior; and some love for Real Sociedad, who won their first trophy in front of fans in 38 years in an incredible display of how local talent, a magnificent manager and a fanbase united can do wonderful things.  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.

It's time for The Truth! Sam and Dougie are back together in the studio to take a look at what's going on with Arsenal's creation and goalscoring numbers, which have nosedived in recent weeks. The Gunners are top of the table in the Premier League and into the final four of the Champions League, but a sense of unease has perpetuated amongst the fanbase - perhaps partly brought about by the fact that Mikel Arteta's side haven't scored more than once in a single game for a month, and look quite anaemic right now in those forward areas.  We dig into the context of it all - fatigue, injuries, pressure - as well as examining certain players individually, seeing what has changed from earlier on in the campaign, and looking at what Arsenal could do differently in this final stretch; a stretch that could be pivotal for their hopes of winning both domestically and in Europe.  So why are Arsenal struggling in these areas? Is it the overwhelming pressure of being on the brink of something historical? Are the injuries hampering them in a way that no side could deal with? Or are they being tactically set up to try and grind through the most difficult part of the campaign? 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! It's the second Champions League Takeaway of the week, looking back at Wednesday's action from the Second Legs of the Quarter Finals - where Bayern Munich and Arsenal booked their spots in the final four, albeit in very different manners.  At the Allianz, Bayern came out the right side of a 4-3 thriller against Real Madrid, that ended up with the Bavarians prevailing 6-4 on aggregate, but it wasn't as comfortable as that scoreline might suggest. Los Blancos took the lead after just 35 seconds, wiping out Bayern's first leg advantage, and in a topsy-turvy first half the game swung wildly from end to end. Bayern did calm things down in the second half, but it took a chaotic last 10 minutes for them to seal the deal - with Eduardo Camavinga sent off, Luis Diaz put Bayern ahead in the tie and Michael Olise finished things off with a beautiful last kick of the game.   In Part Two we head to the Emirates, where Arsenal held a 1-0 lead over Sporting coming into the second leg - and that's how it stayed, to see Arsenal through into the final four. It's history for the Gunners, who have made back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club's existence. Job done, but no more than that - this was perhaps not the performance that fans at the Emirates were looking for to soothe some of the nerves that have spread across the fanbase in recent weeks. Although, a clean sheet after some difficult defensive displays will no doubt be some tonic.  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.