Ian Irving is on great form, unlike last time, and the whole team are feeling pretty upbeat about Manchester United's prospects going into the new year.
Join us as we look back at twelve months that started so brightly, with Erik Ten Hag and his squad winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley, before subsiding badly going into the new season.
But, as we said, we are an optimistic lot, and we're expecting at least six points over Christmas, plenty of improvement from the men in 2024, and for newly crowned SPOTY Mary Earps to tell Arsenal what she told Jenni Hermoso after that penalty.

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The End of the Year Show: Roll on 2024, ASAP!

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.

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It looks like Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS team have really taken the rudder at Manchester United, and the latest in a series of changes at executive level demonstrate just that.
But, with many football clubs close to the edge of their budgets, a quiet summer of transfer activity is expected and that means recruiting players will be challenging.
We asked for your priorities and used the answer to go through the current squad to try and shed some light on which players are likely to leave and who will be key to next season's campaign.
PRODUCER: Ollie Bellwood
EXEC PRODUCER: Adey Moorhead
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Squad Audit: transfer priorities for a 'difficult' summer

Another Monday podcast, another day trying to defy the gloom after Erik Ten Hag's men made it one win in six games in the Premier League with a draw at home to relegation candidates Burnley.
We're actually talking about the performance, especially the first half, in fairly positive terms. Does that tell a story of lowered expectation? Is the Premier League proving, literally, too strong for this squad to excel?
Ten Hag's substitutes drew some ire in the stadium as well. Not so much who came on as who was withdrawn. If the team are to qualify for Europe, and that's no given, then they'll be playing a LOT of games next season, so squad depth will be essential.
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Old Trafford disappointed again as Burnley earn battling draw

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 executive level, look at the 17/19 rule on season tickets, and the race to Europe with a trip to improving Burnley up next.
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United back up to sixth after Bruno blunts Blades

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 Mongolia to Manchester, we cover plenty of ground trying to get to the bottom of a crazy day.
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United sneak into FA Cup final on penalties

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 semi-finals in the history of the competition, 25 years ago.
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The End of the Year Show: Roll on 2024, ASAP!

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