The written word from the Ranks FC gang - Sam for the analysis, Dean for the latest transfer news, and Jack for the narratives you didn't even know you needed; plus some friends of the Rank Squad will be popping up here as well!
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Finally, the most anticipated tournament of this fall has arrived. The intrigue, mounting storylines, intricate tactical battles, and flat-out chaos will envelop multiple nations over the course of a month. For some clubs and players, it’s their first time on the merry-go-round of knockout football. For some seasoned veterans,…
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By Owen Murray The second of two massive derbies in England this weekend saw Manchester City beat their rivals Manchester United by a staggering scoreline of 6-3, featuring dual hat tricks from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, City’s first in the derby for over 50 years. A second consecutive…
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Data viz courtesy of the Twenty3 Toolbox; start your free trial here. 3. BELLA-KOTCHAP’S BIG DAY Lisandro Martínez was officially named Man of the Match in the Premier League’s early kick-off between Southampton and Manchester United, but if you remove the outcome bias, the best player on the…
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Data viz courtesy of the Twenty3 Toolbox; start your free trial here. 3. KVARADONA Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Remember the name (if you can). It’s tough to spell, it’s even harder to say, but he’s an easy, easy watch in this kind of form. ✨…
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By Owen Murray Data viz in this article is courtesy of the Twenty3 Toolbox San Diego. London. Almelo. And now, Vigo. United States international midfielder Luca de la Torre is arriving on the Iberian Peninsula as a breath of fresh air into a Celta side that…
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(Preferred qualifications: lots of money and a city that needs a team) By Owen Murray To establish a top-tier sports team in modern day America, the land of marketing and stock market teams, everything needs to go right. A combination of reliable front-office staff, financial backing, fans, good on-field performance,…
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As Robert Lewandowski continues his open courtship of Barcelona despite Bayern Munich’s desperate attempts to hold onto their star with public statements claiming his presence is guaranteed next season, a miniature crisis is unfolding. If Lewandowski indeed leaves the club, the sole remaining out-and-out striker in the squad is…
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With ten minutes to go against Empoli on 24 April 2020, on Matchday 34 of the Serie A season, Napoli were 2-0 up and looking comfortable against an Empoli side sitting in lower-mid table and who hadn’t won a league game since December. Then, in a calamitous collapse of catastrophic…
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What a season. We’ve seen it all. Title races down to the wire, great escapes pulled off in the dying seconds, glory, grief, and genius. The season is done (and what a season it was!), and without any major (Men’s) international tournaments this summer ahead of the November World Cup…