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

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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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/

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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 growing confidence in the air.

So, what is left to do in the transfer market, who will Ten Hag put his faith in this season, and is the 'Mitten-standard' for success enough to satisfy us this time around?

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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 gets underway, we look at potential recruits to strengthen the squad (and cover for frustrating injuries).

We've also got a couple of exciting announcements with the news of a new Manchester United whatsapp channel from The Athletic and two Talk of the Devils live shows.

To buy tickets to TotD LIVE in Manchester, go to https://thelowry.com/whats-on/talk-of-the-devils-podcast/

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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 players (and one or two hopefuls).... but, there is some worry after injuries forced Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro off before half-time.

Closer to home, literally, and Laurie has been writing about an ambitious plan for a new one-hundred thousand seater stadium next to Old Trafford. What that means for the current stadium, and the surrounding area, is not clear but it is an intriguing development in what is already something of a saga.

And, of course, we catch up with developments in the transfer market, with right-back seemingly the position of most interest.

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