It's time for The Truth!

Today, Sam and Dougie are looking at where Arsenal find themselves right now - and whether there is complete faith in Mikel Arteta to make them take that next step to winning serious silverware.

After six and a half years in charge, there is no doubt that Arteta has raised Arsenal's floor to a point where they are in the mix every single year, and yet since that first half season, there are no trophies to show for the progress that the Basque has made with this team. Trophies aren't everything, but Arsenal are on a dangerous verge of being considered nearly men, and it means that next season, there may have to be some bang to go with the buck.

We examine Arteta's performances as a coach in the last few years, as well as the constant upward trajectory that Arsenal have been on, as well as peeking at the uncomfortable truths of modern management and the complications of squad planning when you're in charge of the entire operation.

So, is it as simple as win or bust next season for Arteta? Does it matter who comes in during the summer to help them challenge? Or is this simply a project which needs to be given more time given how things have gone so far? Well, 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?

Hello Rank Squad!

It's that time of the year where amidst all the trophies being handed out, thoughts turn to who are the frontrunners in the race for the biggest individual prize in the game - France Football's yearly Ballon d'Or.

Last year the award came with a whole thunderstorm of controversy, with Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony after Rodri won the top prize over Vinicius Jr. They probably don't need to worry that much this year - we'd be surprised if there were any Los Blancos stars anywhere near the podium - but the absence of both Vini and Rodri from the frontrunners opens up some interesting discussions.

We dive deep on where we think the current positionings are for the likes of PSG's Ousmane Dembele, Gigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi, as well as Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Pedri - as well as the individual pace-setters like Mo Salah, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane; before we also take a quick look at the Kopa Trophy candidates in Part Three.

Before that, there's a return for Things We Love, where Dean discusses a big summer ahead for Arsenal in the transfer market, and Jack takes a quick look at a wonderful season at Balaidos for Celta Vigo, under the stewardship of Claudio Giraldez.

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?

It's time for The Truth!

Today, Sam and Dougie are looking at how Hansi Flick's slightly surprising appointment at Barcelona last summer has turned into a masterstroke, and how the German has immediately brought the Blaugrana back to the top table of European football with a string of youngsters and some of the most exciting attacking football on the continent.

There were question marks about Flick after his ill-fated tenure with the German national team, but his record at club level speaks for itself. And yet, when he was appointed at Barcelona to replace Xavi last summer, there were plenty who felt that this could be a step in the wrong direction for a Barcelona side mired in debt and already one step behind fierce rivals Real Madrid, who had just won La Liga and the Champions League, and then gone out and signed Kylian Mbappé, who was widely considered the best player in the world.

But Flick took Xavi's possession-orientated philosophy and made it more direct, more streamlined; put his faith in the youngsters emerging from La Masia; and turned good players into superstars - all whilst staying true to his own brand of football and putting perhaps the boldest style of football in Europe on display for all to see.

So was this a stroke of luck that the players matched his philosophy, or has the former Bayern treble-winner worked his magic again on another squad willing to do whatever he needs for them to get to the very top? Well, 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?