Talk of the Devils - A show about Manchester United
Host Ian Irving is joined by The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell, Carl Anka and Andy Mitten on the world's biggest Manchester United podcast. Subscribe for expert insight from inside the club, breaking news and two episodes every week.
Episodes
April 25, 2024 • 52 mins
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's most successful youth system.
We also have a brief update on developments at execut...
Mark as Played
April 22, 2024 • 39 mins
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.
So, from substitutions to celebrations, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and from...
Mark as Played
April 18, 2024 • 45 mins
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 Coventry. Swedish sensation Jesper Blomqvist joins us to remember one of the greatest s...
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April 15, 2024 • 50 mins
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. We've a full report on the match and rumours of a press conference spat involving the...
Mark as Played
April 11, 2024 • 50 mins
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 that brings. But, as Andy and Carl explain, things are rarely as straight-forward as th...
Mark as Played
April 7, 2024 • 44 mins
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 completely when Kobbie Mainoo recreated Federico Macheda's famous curler.
Sadly, Liverpo...
Mark as Played
April 5, 2024 • 50 mins
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 remarkable comeback, the Red Devils suddenly imploded to throw away all three points.
So, what...
Mark as Played
April 1, 2024 • 51 mins
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 drawn to the horror show at the same venue last season.
What price a win at Chelsea, the...
Mark as Played
March 28, 2024 • 47 mins
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 or without Casemiro, the future at left-back, and our podcast roles as Man United he...
Mark as Played
March 18, 2024 • 59 mins
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 players, stories of redemption, and of course denying Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at least o...
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March 14, 2024 • 49 mins
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 failing to fire in red, it could be an interesting summer for the two big-money signings...
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March 11, 2024 • 47 mins
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 halves, especially this season's unexpected hero Jonny Evans.
One person who didn't enjoy...
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March 7, 2024 • 47 mins
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 team. They haven't been able to recreate the magic of last season having lost key player...
Mark as Played
March 4, 2024 • 41 mins
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, albeit they used the lion's share of possession and territory to carve out some decent c...
Mark as Played
February 29, 2024 • 44 mins
The awesome foursome are united once again on Monday morning after Manchester United scraped through to the FA Cup quarter finals at the City Ground.
Casemiro's late run, late in the game, was just enough to edge out relegation-threatened Forest in a "scrappy" encounter, and Erik Ten Hag was in a scrappy mood himself, defending Bruno (who assisted the goal with inventive free-kick delivery).
However, the Manchester Derby comes next...
Mark as Played
February 26, 2024 • 46 mins
A Monday morning full-house from the podcast team, but there's precious little positivity on offer after Manchester United lost at home to Marco Silva's Fulham.
An injury to Rasmus Hojlund in training on Friday was a huge blow and it was alarming how much that unsettled the United attack. Our main concern, though, is how familiar many of the team's problems look.
Erik Ten Hag bemoaned the inability to sign an additional striker ove...
Mark as Played
February 22, 2024 • 51 mins
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have, after an arduous process, completed their partial takeover of Manchester United and will now assume control of football operations.
We'll hear from Sir Jim himself, speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon in central London. The Athletic's Adam Crafton was there, and he joins us to reflect on a wide-ranging discussion.
From stadium development to corporate structure via player trading, F...
Mark as Played
February 19, 2024 • 42 mins
Manchester United won 2-1 at Luton's Kenilworth Road on Sunday night, and Andy Mitten was the happiest man in Bedfordshire.
It wasn't all plain sailing, despite Rasmus Hojlund setting new Premier League record's for United's fastest goal and their fastest two-goal lead away from home.
In fact, it became a bit of a chore. Partly because Luton showed their resilience, but also as a result of some tactical errors by senior pros. Thank...
Mark as Played
February 15, 2024 • 52 mins
Manchester United have identified Newcastle's Dan Ashworth as their primary target for the position of Sporting Director. With investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS nearing approval, a period of dramatic change seems inevitable.
It's a fascinating time for us to be able to talk in depth with the club's Director of Academy, Nick Cox. In a wide-ranging discussion, we get into the realities of turning raw young talents into succes...
Mark as Played
February 12, 2024 • 43 mins
Ian, Carl, and Laurie are up bright and early on Monday morning in the hope that we can catch Andy Mitten has he passes through yet another airport. This time, it's India, where he enjoyed Manchester United's huge win at Villa in the company of a club legend.
Scott McTominay earned that win with another late goal, prompting a magnificent stat from Laurie. We get into his unique role and a renewed determination from the team that le...
Mark as Played
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