The lads are feeling a little bit worse for wear as we record in our hotel lobby after two nights on tour at Manchester's Lowry Theatre and the Limelight in Belfast. It's a relatively quiet week at Manchester United with the new manager getting his feet under the desk amid a men's international break, but Laurie had a (short-lived) exclusive when w…

The era of Ruud's interim Reds has come to an end, and it's been a near-perfect run. Three wins from four games, including Sunday's 3-0 win over Leicester, sees confidence much-improved since Erik Ten Hag left. Ruben Amorim was due to start work at Manchester United on Monday 11th November, but visa friction may mean a slight delay. Nevertheless, w…

Can a win be described as "routine" when it's your first in more than a year? If so, that's what 'Ruud's unbeaten interim Reds' achieved on Thursday night at Old Trafford. Amad Diallo was the clear stand-out performer, first breaking the deadlock with a looped header from a searching Fernandes cross. He made the second himself with persistent press…

Ruben Amorim has been officially confirmed as the next manager, or 'head coach', of Manchester United. He will start work on Monday November 11th, coincidentally the day of our live show at Manchester's Lowry Theatre! We're making sure, as we did with Ralf Rangnick, that we leave no stone unturned when it comes to learning how to pronounce Ruben Am…

Laurie brings us the latest details from the negotiations between Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United with a deal apparently agreed for the release of Ruben Amorim to join the club. But, it won't be an immediate move and there are still elements to sort out including the transfer of some assistants and coaching staff. Ruud van Nistelrooy, then, w…

As revealed exclusively for The Athletic by Adam Crafton and David Ornstein on Monday lunchtime, Manchester United have relieved manager Erik Ten Hag of his duties after the team's latest defeat in the Premier League at West Ham. So, where did it all go wrong for the man who arrived from Ajax with a reputation for strict discipline and a winning tr…

It's difficult to know what to make of Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United. We know they're not going to win the league, but can you honestly make a solid prediction beyond that? In the Europa League, it'll be tricky to finish the first phase outside the top eight, but with three points from the first three games it's now not unthinkable. Strangest of…

The mood is "off the floor" after Rasmus Hojlund scored the winning goal in a game at Old Trafford against "decent Premier League side" Brentford. In fact, all the 'big' attacking players contributed, which is great news. It could be important news as well, with a win in Europe long overdue and a trip to Istanbul up next. Jose Mourinho is not the o…

Manchester United have decided to terminate the contract of a manager, but it's not the current one. Sir Alex Ferguson's role as a paid ambassador for the club will come to an end this summer, and it's a decision which has provoked a strong reaction, especially from some notable former players. Fans seem mixed, and our panel can certainly see both …

Jonny Evans rolled back the years to provide Manchester United's defence with a vintage performance and a clean sheet. Sadly, Ten Hag's attackers couldn't find the net again. The game was goalless, and provided very little by way of entertainment or clues as to the future of Erik Ten Hag. Who better to put a spring in our steps (especially Andy, we…

There's a hint of crazed laughter in the voices of Ian Irving, Carl Anka, Andy Mitten, and Laurie Whitwell as they dissect the latest madcap entry in Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United soap opera. Twenty minutes in, two-nil up and cruising, the team once again snatched chaos from the jaws of victory as they conceded twice before half-time, went behin…

There's a question mark in the podcast title, but there isn't much doubt in our camp. The first half against Spurs at Old Trafford on Sunday was the most disjointed, mistake-ridden performance we've seen since Erik Ten Hag became manager of Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes red card was harsh, there's agreement there as well; but, by then, much of…

Ian Irving, fresh from the stands at Old Trafford, holds court with Carl, Laurie Whitwell, and Mr Mitten as we cast judgement over another disappointing performance in Europe. FC Twente, despite a rich history (one which features Erik Ten Hag in three spells), have the lowest UEFA coefficient of any of United's opponent's in this season's Europa Le…

The performance of Erik Ten Hag's side at Crystal Palace was, according to Laurie Whitwell, the most complete of his tenure. Yet, in order to be actually complete, the team need to put the ball in the net. Who's going to stick their hand up? Marcus Rashford might have been high on your list of names there, but he was named on the bench at Selhurst …

Andy Mitten secured an exclusive interview with Gary Neville this week, one which was reported widely (and sometimes inaccurately) by the press. We get his take first hand as the Old Trafford task force prepares to gather opinion from fans and local residents. The WSL returns this week, and The Athletic's Charlotte Harpur has just arrived in Manche…

Nobody's underestimating the achievement of a win on the South Coast but, despite a hairy opening half-hour, Saturday's three points at Southampton were won in relatively routine fashion... we're taking it. Meanwhile, Manchester United's senior executives have assembled on the riviera in Barcelona where they have been discussing strategy and planni…

The band are back together as the international break draws to a close and we're looking ahead to a Southampton game which feels like it has a lot riding on it; for Manchester United, of course, but also for Erik Ten Hag with fan opinion split down the middle on his future. The Athletic FC's recent survey of all their Manchester subscribers showed …

Arne Slot's Liverpool came to Old Trafford and won in second gear in his third game in charge; a damning indictment of Manchester United in the Premier League under Erik Ten Hag. It all feels horribly familiar as we ask many of the same questions on the first "Monday inquest" of a new season. Is there a case for giving the manager and the squad any…

The summer transfer window is coming to a close and, albeit with several loose ends yet to be tied up, it looks like Manchester United have done what many fans have long hoped for and moved on several fringe players. One of those loose ends is the uncertain future of Jadon Sancho. With rumoured interest from Chelsea seemingly reliant on a player sw…

Another defeat to Brighton (bogey status confirmed), another late goal conceded (inverse Fergie Time pending), another problem defending a set-piece. This game had a worryingly familiar feel. We're also worried about goalscoring in general, and specifically Marcus Rashford's form (even if he didn't justify all the criticism he got). However, there …

It's that rarest of beasts, a relatively quiet week in the existence of Manchester United. Despite that, there's a host of interesting questions as Erik Ten Hag prepares his squad for a trip to Brighton. Listeners were eager to know more about potential recruits at left-back and in midfield, but with barely a week left in the summer transfer window…

Joshua Zirkzee might not be the most high profile signing of the summer but he got his club career off to the perfect start with a goal on his home debut. A goal that, finally, broke the deadlock and proved to be decisive. Immediately after the final whistle at Old Trafford, Ian, Andy, and Laurie reflect on an encouraging win over a decent Fulham o…

It's the eve of the new Premier League and Manchester United, bolstered by the confirmed signings of De Ligt and Mazraoui, had more good news in the shape of a new contract for club captain Bruno Fernandes. Yet another muscle injury for Luke Shaw did take the shine off things a bit, and according to The Athletic's fan survey, fans are nowhere near …

The full podcast squad assemble at Hotel Football, overlooking Old Trafford, to look ahead to the new Premier League season which starts with the visit of Fulham on Friday night. Defeat, via penalties, to City in the Community Shield had us feeling low at the weekend. But, with time to reflect and reinforcements arriving from Munich, there's growin…

Third time's the charm; it's our summer comeback number three as Ian Irving, Andy Mitten, Laurie Whitwell, and Carl Anka review Manchester United's US tour and look ahead to the Community Shield and the Premier League season. The warm-ups are done and, with the small matter of a Wembley showdown against Manchester City before the Premier League get…

Ian and Carl in normal surroundings, Andy and Laurie living it up on the West Coast. Talk of the Devils returns (again) for a dip into the US pre-season tour and a round-up of the latest news back in Manchester. A 2-1 defeat to Arsenal didn't concern us much, with the result an afterthought and positive performances from established first team play…

An episode of your favourite Manchester United podcast... in July! We're really spoiling you with a midsummer catch-up amid a hive of activity at Carrington and throughout the club, including significant staff cuts as anticipated earlier in the year. Maybe that should read Midsommar... with Ten Hag's early pre-season squad (and Andy Mitten) in Tron…

It's the least surprising emergency podcast in history: Erik Ten Hag will continue as the manager of Manchester United into the 2024/25 season. Nevertheless, the podcasters have assembled at short notice; breaking away from holidays, tours, Euro preparations, and a haircut, to get into some of the questions... and there are many. How was the decisi…

Ian, Andy, Carl & Laurie gather to reflect and an incredible performance from United to win the FA Cup at Wembley! How did Erik ten Hag mastermind victory and is that his final game in charge? There is discussion and analysis from the game and behind the scenes from a memorable day to end a very forgettable season. The lads also detail the latest o…

So, here it is, the season finale. Unfortunately, the Premier League has not ended as we would have liked, and Erik Ten Hag's men will need to win the FA Cup final if they want to play in Europe next season. Under normal circumstances, that would be a good distance short of what is expected from a Manchester United manager and he would be seeking e…

Manchester United's men beat European rivals Newcastle in their last home game of the season to rekindle hope of European qualification via the Premier League (for a few days at least). After Chelsea won at Brighton, though, the only route to the Europa League is by winning the FA Cup. Manager Erik Ten Hag delivered a rousing speech to the crowd af…

A podcast very much in three parts for you on a stormy Sunday night in May with Andy and Ian braving the Manchester rain and Carl looking nervously out of his twentieth floor window... Arsenal did what was expected of them at Old Trafford, winning for just the second time in seventeen attempts, despite a slightly brighter performance from Ten Hag's…

Another full house but we're a bit more relaxed now, a few days after that chastening result at Selhurst Park. One member of the team has even been brave enough to watch the game back again! Now that everyone has calmed down, we have a more measured look at where Erik Ten Hag stands as Manchester United manager, whether there are any threatening ca…

It's another unwanted inquest on Talk of the Devils with Laurie Whitwell back in the UK and Manchester United back in the mire. In fact, the whole podcast team are on hand as we dig into some heavy questions prompted by Crystal Palace's dismantling of a depleted United side. The biggest of those is whether the performance was bad enough for Erik Te…

It looks like Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS team have really taken the rudder at Manchester United, and the latest in a series of changes at executive level demonstrate just that. But, with many football clubs close to the edge of their budgets, a quiet summer of transfer activity is expected and that means recruiting players will be challenging. We as…

Another Monday podcast, another day trying to defy the gloom after Erik Ten Hag's men made it one win in six games in the Premier League with a draw at home to relegation candidates Burnley. We're actually talking about the performance, especially the first half, in fairly positive terms. Does that tell a story of lowered expectation? Is the Premie…

Ian, Andy, and Carl are all feeling a bit better about Manchester United, football, and life in general after Bruno Fernandes inspired a 4-2 home victory against Sheffield United. There was a landmark moment during that game as Ethan Wheatley became the 250th academy graduate to feature for the first team; we get into the nitty gritty of the world'…

How can an FA Cup semi-final win at Wembley leave fans feeling empty, if not despairing? That's the conundrum we try to unravel on this podcast. Recorded late on Sunday evening, in a state of serious fatigue, it's a riddle that tests our panel to their limits. What turned this performance from a stroll in the park into a near-catastrophic collapse.…

We're looking for positives today on Talk of the Devils, and not just from Real Madrid. The U18s won their league this week and there's plenty of talent coming through. We also saw the first meeting of a new committee charged with planning the regeneration of Old Trafford. And, of course, it's Wembley this Sunday for an FA Cup semi-final against Co…

Andy is feeling a little low after his ambitions were thwarted in dramatic fashion in the Manchester Marathon. Unfortunately, Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United hit roadworks of their own at the Vitality Stadium. A draw, and they were arguably lucky to escape with a point, means the team's Champions League hopes are hanging by the finest of threads. …

Laurie Whitwell is called away from the airport departure lounge to fill us in on his breaking story, that Manchester United's Football Director John Murtough has left his post this week. Promoted internally and given a subtly different job title to many of his supposed equivalents, he has been viewed as a Glazer man by some with all the baggage th…

Manchester United will finish the season unbeaten against Liverpool after another "silly" game at Old Trafford finished in a two-all draw. After an hour, Erik Ten Hag's men had achieved an xG of 0.01, yet they were level at 1-1, Bruno's magnificent 40-yard effort cancelling out the far-post finish from Luis Diaz at a corner. The game then swung com…

Two crucial fixtures in West London in the last five days have yielded just one point for Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United. If that wasn't bad enough, they held the lead going into the 99th minute in both games. If Brentford was bad, this was an astonishing evening at Stamford Bridge. Looking fairly comfortable having put together another remarkabl…

It may be Easter, but it feels a lot like a Monday as Ian Irving hosts Andy Mitten and Carl Anka to "pick over the carcass" of Saturday night's performance at Brentford. Such was the home side's dominance, it's easy to forget this finished a draw. But, after Mason Mount's late goal was cancelled out, it felt like a defeat, with comparisons even dra…

We're back after the international break and we are all aboard Kobbie's hype train! After the Carrington graduate bossed Belgium, it's time for the rest of the country to acknowledge what we already knew; Mainoo is the future. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and requests; we get to as many of those as we can, covering midfield options with…

Laurie Whitwell returns to the pod to make it a full complement as we bask in the glory of a magnificent, dramatic, extra time victory over Liverpool in what is being called the greatest FA Cup win in Manchester United's history. There are so many threads to follow from a day packed with drama; the comeback, the supreme performances from young play…

It's a fresh looking line-up on Talk of the Devils as Mark Critchley and Jay Harris drop by to talk Jadon Sancho, money matters, and Liverpool with Ian and Andy. Sancho got his first goal back in yellow at the weekend and Jay was at Bremen to see the game and talk to various Dortmund figures about how the United exile is doing. With Antony also fai…

Once again, it wasn't pretty, but Manchester United got the job done. two-nil at home with Alejandro Garnacho winning two first-half penalties, scored by different players. The same questions remain, though. Casemiro's wasteful performance with the ball was the latest worrying midfield display and a huge performance was required by both centre halv…

The team have relocated to Hotel Football, overlooking a very famous waterway, not that Ian Irving would know. We're going in-depth today, first on Andre Onana, the subject of 'cautious optimism' and a detailed profile by Andy Mitten and Carl Anka. Slightly less optimistic, though not without hope, is the outlook for Manchester United's Women's tea…

Marcus Rashford would have been a huge talking point on Manchester derby day whatever happened after his op-ed for the Players Tribune. But, with less than ten minutes on the clock, he struck hope into red hearts with a lightning strike from thirty yards. Throughout the first half Erik Ten Hag's innovative selection had Pep and City frustrated, alb…