Talk of the Devils: The Athletic FC's Manchester United show

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 Park. Rotated, not dropped, and Alejandro Garnacho deserved his chance to start.Erik Ten Hag's boyhood team, FC Twente, will be the visitors in Wednesday's Europa League opener: it's a match that absolutely doesn't matter given the format of this year's competition. Yet, after the Palace result, this one does matter, and Andy says we should target this trophy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Manchester where she'll have a news brief including coverage of United's women's team. It's been an eventful summer, one that has seen significant changes to the squad, and there are many questions to be answered as Marc Skinner's side prepare for the visit of West Ham on Saturday.Erik Ten Hag's men brushed Barnsley aside in the Carabao Cup and are growing in confidence with a trip to Crystal Palace coming up this weekend. The Londonders aren't in their best form, so one thing is pretty much guaranteed; it will be more enjoyable than the last visit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 planning. Laurie pressed a metaphorical glass against the wall and lets us know what he knows about the major talking points.Erik Ten Hag's squad will face Barnsley at Old Trafford on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup. Can they sell seven thousand tickets for the away end? Not at the advertised price, it seems.(TIckets to our live shows in Belfast, https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/talk-of-the-devils-live, and Dublin, https://www.nch.ie/all-events-listing/talk-of-the-devils-live/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 that, while there was strong support for INEOS and a big thumbs up for summer transfer business, expectation of results on the pitch aren't any higher than the end of last season.And, with mixed fortunes for United's international players, we take a closer look at how Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, and Matthijs de Ligt might be used in these next few games with so much at stake, plus a little bonus from Laurie's chat with Angel Gomes to mark his England debut. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 slack at the end of a busy transfer window, one that had looked very productive.Irish listeners will take some cheer from the news that our long-promised ticket update for the live show in Dublin has finally arrived, and we have also added an extra date in Belfast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 swap, would Raheem Sterling actually make sense, or might there be other players who would serve the squad better.And, with Liverpool making the short hop to Old Trafford this weekend, we use your memories of this fixture to get the fire burning. Hopefully, Erik Ten Hag can get one over on his compatriot, the more fashionable (?) Arne Slot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 were positives, and we promise to get into those as well.And with five days to go in the summer transfer window, a fee has been agreed with Napoli for Scott McTominay. Should the deal go through, maybe with a move for Jadon Sancho and some smaller sales, it could end up as a productive summer of outgoings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, the sale of Facundo Pellistri isn't thought to be enough to free up PSR breathing space.What about that game at the Amex Stadium. It's their first home fixture in the Premier League since losing 1-0 to... Manchester United at the end of last season. Ten Hag's men didn't play to their peak that day, and there's a very little margin for error this time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 outfit and a positive, if imperfect, performance from Erik Ten Hag's team.One man who wasn't involved was Jadon Sancho. A minor medical issue was the official cause, but with a fractious history between the player and the manager, there was inevitable speculation about another falling out or even a potential transfer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 as positive as we seem to be.With Fulham coming to Old Trafford on Friday night, we asked for your questions and you DID NOT disappoint. Here we go again!To buy tickets to TotD LIVE in Manchester, go to https://thelowry.com/whats-on/talk-of-the-devils-podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.