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

Manchester United will host Brentford in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Monday night. The Bees are still in with an outside chance of a top-five finish and Champions League football, but Carrick's men may be able to seal it in this game if other results go their way. However...

Today is all about summer transfers on Talk of the Devils. Laurie Whitwell has returned from paternity leave, dropped a big-read on Super Coaches (featuring no mention of Josep Guardiola)... now he's delivered a detailed update on who the club will be pursuing to boost their ranks for next season.

Two midfielders are still the priority and there's a long long-list. Budgetary matters are dependent on the time and nature of departures, not least Marcus Rashford whose Barcelona career has stuttered recently. An additional defender is also tipped, with Tottenham's Micky van de Ven having several useful qualities.

You can read Laurie's full transfer analysis here.

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A man who needs no introduction, least of all to Man United fans, Captain Marvel Bryan Robson joins us in the studio for a jam-packed hour of great stories!

From his playing career, almost 900 games of it (what injuries?!), winning his first major trophy with Man United, and a few more, European glory, and, of course, the celebrations…

We ask him about the current United side as well. What does he make of Bruno, Kobbie, and Casemiro (and who might come next)? And how is former midfielder Michael Carrick doing as manager?

Bryan also tells us about advising young sports stars on money matters via his new venture and there’s the matter of his toughest ever leadership gig, dragging Andy away from the microphones and up Kilimanjaro.

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It's almost done, then. United defied a defensive *crisis at Stamford Bridge to keep their first clean sheet since February and Matheus Cunha delivered the killer blow to see off Chelsea... we don't even need to tell you who provided the assist.

Ayden Heaven was, eventually, partnered by Noussair Mazraoui at centre half and, with Luke Shaw and the returning Diogo Dalot either side (and Kobbie in front), they looked fairly comfortable despite a slightly rocky start. Chelsea had the ball and the territory but losing Estevao was a blow and Alejandro Garnacho struggled in his place.

All that matters in the end is that two more wins are needed to guarantee Champions League football next season, Bruno is on course for records and awards, and Michael Carrick has settled the nerves again.

Good news from Old Trafford as well, where the U18s set up a Manchester derby FA Youth Cup final by beating Crystal Palace with a goal from JJ Gabriel and an extra-time winner from Chido Obi.

*opinions may vary

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Manchester United head to Stamford Bridge for a Saturday night Champions League six-pointer with Chelsea but there's a good chance it won't match up to the all-guns blazing shootout that was Real Madrid at Bayern in this season's quarter final.

It has now been confirmed, at the eleventh hour, that Harry Maguire will miss the Chelsea game having had his red card ban extended for an FA charge of abusive language. It's also unlikely that Lisandro Martinez will feature after he was sent off against Leeds, so Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are expected to be Michael Carrick's centre half partnership. Add in uncertain form from United's attackers, and there are question marks there.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are adrift after a series of poor performances and results. Fans are showing open hostility to both the owners and the manager and they have attacking problems of their own having failed to score in four of their last five games. Surely, United can take a great stride toward Europe's top table with a win...

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Manchester United had three and a half weeks without a competitive fixture and it looked like longer as Leeds swarmed them in the first half at Old Trafford.

Harry Maguire was a big miss on the night as United's unfamiliar back four struggled and the Yorkshireman may yet miss the trip to Stamford Bridge. Lisandro Martinez almost certainly will after his controversial red card for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair.

What does this result tell us about United's squad depth, the mentality of the fringe players, and Michael Carrick's game management (particularly his reluctance to make changes)? Most importantly, will there be a reaction when the team head to West London next weekend?

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It's been 84 years... well, 24 days actually, but it's felt like years. While Manchester United versus Leeds United is no longer the titanic struggle it has been in the past, it's a huge game as Michael Carrick's men close in on the Champions League.

Just seven games remain in the Premier League season and, with a fifth UCL spot guaranteed and a seven-point cushion between themselves and a misfiring Chelsea, it's looking more and more likely that United will return to Europe's top table.

United have been preparing for the game against Leeds at a training base near Dublin and they will return to Ireland during an exclusively European pre-season schedule which will also included fixtures in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Poland.

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We're in the deepest stretch of the gaping chasm that is Manchester United's March/April Premier League hiatus and we have a very special collaborative episode of Talk of the Devils for you to enjoy.

Hosted by Bobby Faghihi of the excellent Career We Go podcast, it's a Man United quiz with Andy and Critch teaming up against Carl and, a very competitive, Ian to find out who really knows their stuff.

Play along while you listen and let us know how you got on but prepare yourselves for a nail-biting finish in our battle of brains, and nerves!

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Michael Carrick's second spell as Manchester United manager has gone about as well as could have been expected. After our three-part assessment of United's summer transfer objectives, you asked if he is likely to be in charge next season, whether that affects the transfer plans, and if he's a big enough name to attract the right players.

Harry Maguire, along with Kobbie Mainoo, returned to international duty this week but Thomas Tuchel appeared to talk down Maguire's chances of making his World Cup squad. We briefly review a stop-start game against Uruguay and outline why, whatever happens with England, he's important to Manchester United and deserves a new contract.

Marc Skinner's future with the club is being questioned again in some quarters after a disappointing week for Manchester United's women. A spirited performance was spoiled by naive errors in the Champions League and they were thoroughly dismissed by City in the derby. Megan Feringa returns to fill us in on the details.

Read more about Brian Peat's flags here.

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The third, and final, discussion in our trilogy of summer transfer previews is a boutique affair, certainly by our usual standards, as the panellists (with one exception) don't expect much business to be done in this area.

Whether that turns out to be the case could depend on what happens to Joshua Zirkzee. Other than a few fleeting moments, the young Dutchman hasn't got airborne at United and, with potential interest in Italy, a move might open the door for another forward to come in.

And then, of course, there's the matter of how all this is going to be funded. Rasmus Hojlund and Jadon Sancho are almost certain to depart, with Marcus Rashford's move to Barcelona less sure. Could there be other sales?

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It's part two of our early look into summer transfer business, and the first parting of the ways on opinion. Everyone agrees midfield is the highest priority, but how important is it to bring in defensive reinforcements?

The club has been well stocked with centre backs for quite a while now, not least because the team was playing with three of them under Ruben Amorim. Now that the formation requires only two, all is well, right? Spoiler alert: yes, but...

Fullback is where things start to get interesting. Tyrell Malacia is expected to leave and Patrick Dorgu has been employed further forward by Michael Carrick. That means a long-term replacement is needed for Luke Shaw, but how urgently? And then there's the matter of competition/support for Senne Lammens. Plenty to discuss!

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