Stay ConnectedHost 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.
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In an alternative universe where Michael Carrick's Manchester United have started the Premier League season on a hot streak, a 1-1 draw at Elland Road against a well organised, combative Leeds would be completely fine.
As it is, and despite an astute tactical shift from the manager, the enthusiasm from any positive developments was once again dampened by the final score and a drab second half.
A trip to the glamourous surroundings of Lake Como comes next for Carrick and co, and while there's less pressure from the Champions League table, the margin for error provided by a win would be more than welcome, grazie mille.
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It's almost 48 hours since Manchester United lost 2-0 at Atletico Madrid and the repercussions of Lisandro Martinez's post-match outburst have yet to be felt in earnest. We review our thoughts in light of his subsequent social media statement. What does his United future look like now?
Martinez has been criticised for speaking out but he has shone a spotlight on some very real problems, not least this summer's transfer business. Were his comments entirely fair, and how might leadership react?
Next up for Michael Carrick's United squad is a trip to Elland Road; can they shut out the noise, there will be plenty of it, and somehow carve out a result? With squad frailties exposed and Bruno yet to find his best form this season, Premier League-toughened Leeds will be looking to take advantage.
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As Champions League matches between European giants go, this one was more ordinary than some. Manchester United weren't expected to win, and they didn't, despite a performance that showed some positive signs.
However, the script was torn up shortly after the final whistle when defender Lisandro Martinez made a series of broadsides at the management of the club in his post-match interview with broadcaster Amazon Prime.
We consider the comments and how they will be received by fans, his teammates, manager Michael Carrick, senior executives including Director of Football Jason Wilcox and, of course, club ownership.
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After a lengthy break, and with a heightened atmosphere around Old Trafford, this wasn't the return that anyone would've wanted. Spurs dominated possession and territory in the opening half-hour and could have had a healthy lead.
Improvement came after half-time and, with a superb goal from Bryan Mbeumo followed soon after by a red card for Rodrigo Bentancur, hope and relief briefly flowed around the stadium. Unfortunately, with United, playing against ten men doesn't feel like an advantage these days... far from it.
Next up, it's a trip to Madrid and a genuine Champions League event. Diego Simeone's Atletico are a formidable force, especially at home, and it's the start of a quickfire series of tough psychological and physical tests for Michael Carrick and his squad.
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The Premier League returns after the extended international break and it's a chance for Michael Carrick to reset and get the campaign off on a better footing. If league form is anything to go by, Tottenham Hotspur SHOULD be a useful opposition in that regard, but before last season this fixture hadn't been kind.
There are several questions over fitness and availability going into Saturday's game. Will Carlos Baleba make his much awaited debut, what should we make of the various withdrawals from international commitments, and what can we expect from some of United's longer term absentees?
And, there have been several news stories away from the pitch as well, big, small, and huge. We update on those, of course, but the main thing is to see an uptick in league form; hopefully a massive international break is as good as a change for Carrick and co.
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It's the final countdown... the top five greatest Manchester United players of all time (according to Andy Mitten). If our previous episode was contentious, the decisions here are more straightforward, albeit the choice between two great midfielders is the one that wracked Andy's conscience more than any...
That aside the theme of influence, whether it be through leadership, longevity, strength in adversity, or even just powerful charisma, runs through this discussion. As with many of the top 25, there are controversial elements, too.
Whatever you think about the final list, there can be little argument about the vast contribution these five men have made to Manchester United. Knowing about Prefab Sprout, not compulsory.
Read more about Andy's choices:
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After a brief aside (!) we return to our discussion of Manchester United's greatest ever players, as adjudicated by Andy Mitten. If you thought the countdown from 25-11 was tough enough, we're into the top ten and it is not getting any easier.
This episode will see us count from 10 to 6 and, on footballing talent alone, it wouldn't be far off a top five. Fascinating characters who created some incredible moments, both on and off the pitch, and a mix of local talent with charismatic imports... causing arguments; it's what Manchester United is all about.
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It's taken eight years to arrive, but the verdict of the Premier League's independent commission has sent shockwaves through football, finding Manchester City guilty on almost all charges of financial misstatements and failure to cooperate with their investigation.
The Athletic's David Ornstein broke the story late last week, with statements following from the Premier League and its Chairman Richard Masters. City also made a statement denying their culpability and making clear their intention to appeal.
There are now so many questions; what will happen next? What is an appropriate punishment? Might the history books have to be rewritten? (of course, some things simply can't be retrospectively altered) Importantly for us, what will Manchester United's reaction be, and how will it affect football in its aftermath?
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Who are the greatest players in the history of Manchester United Football Club? And where would you even start if someone asked you to try and figure it out!?
Well, that's what happened to Andy Mitten when he decided not to go to the World Cup last summer. Luckily for us, he made a mighty fist of this titanic task with a series of articles for The Athletic.
In this first episode of a three-part special podcast series we'll talk about Andy's process, discuss the reaction (both from those chosen and those who missed out), and we'll begin the countdown with numbers 25 to 11.
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Financial results... not exactly a subject that gets the heart racing, but with Manchester United they do quite often raise the blood pressure. The Athletic's football finance expert Chris Weatherspoon joins us to analyse the latest numbers, which are more than a little worrying.
Inevitably, debt is a headline again, but is it now really starting to put pressure on the club's ability to compete? Perhaps Michael Carrick's performance should be put into context, here; a third-placed finish, it could be argued, was an over-performance when measured against the club's wage bill.
It's all a bit gloomy, so we look forward to a break, maybe a trip to the cinema, and to put aside arguments and petty differences with some special podcast episode's on Andy Mitten's all-time Top 25 MUFC players... hmmm.
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