Questions for Man United players after World Cup

We're live-streaming again for Manchester United's Champions League draw. No prizes for guessing the fixtures, sure you know them by know, but enjoy the ride as we discover exciting trips to Spain, Portugal, and Italy.In amongst the fun, we look ahead to a pretty important Premier League game against Ipswich at Old Trafford, and of course there are only a few days left until the summer transfer window 'slams' shut. Josh Zirkzee may be leaving, but who might come in to replace him?We also compare United's measured strategy to the money spent by other PL clubs in recent days. Is it by choice or necessity, and is it wise? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, that wasn't the plan at all... Manchester United were beaten 2-0 at Hull City on the opening day of the new Premier League season, and we have to launch ourselves into the new campaign with another post-mortem.Did Hull's leadership decode United's weaknesses from pre-season, especially the defeat to AC Milan, or were Carrick's men simply undercooked? The manager certainly pushed back on the idea that his side lacked passion but there were more questions than answers on Saturday despite a strong-looking bench.With Carlos Baleba's arrival pending final checks we talk about those left-back targets again, but... might a striker be higher on the list of priorities now? Whatever happens, United should have enough for Ipswich at home but we'll discuss that in more detail when we go live again for the Champions League draw on Thursday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talk of the Devils streamed live to the four corners of the globe for the first time on the eve of the 2026/27 Premier League season.The headline news is that a deal is progressing between Manchester United and Brighton for the transfer of defensive midfielder Carlos Baleba. The Athletic's David Ornstein reported 'amicable' negotiations on Wednesday, and Carl is happy, but will the transfer dealings end with an agreement for this long-term target.Baleba won't face Hull City with the rest of Michael Carrick's squad, we can be fairly certain of that, but there are high hopes of an emphatic United win as the Tigers return to the top tier for the first time in a decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pre-season is over, finishing with a slightly dispiriting 4-2 defeat to Ruben Amorim's AC Milan in Wroclaw, Poland, but overall the feelings are positive. So, what are Michael Carrick's priority issues as the start of the new campaign gets ever nearer?That also means it's time for our now-traditional season preview predictions... top scorer? ...player of the season? ...league finish? ...and, of course, Carl's bad take amnesty. We will keep the receipts and check back to see who was closest to the mark. The fixture list looks awfully hectic in comparison to last season. Will the start turn out to be as kind as it looks? How might that early derby go? And, which of United's rivals (if any) will be able to get their stuff together with so many clubs in a state of flux. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United's penultimate pre-season test ended in a penalty shootout victory over Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin.Following that, Michael Carrick sat down with the journalist pack to discuss the state of his squad, his vision for how he wants this team to play and whether more recruits could be on the way. With the opening day of the Premier League edging closer, what should we expect from United when the competitive action finally gets underway? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another week closer to the new season, and another successful workout for Michael Carrick's squad; 1-1 against PSG in Gothenburg saw Andrey Santos do well again; will he be part of Manchester United's starting midfield on the opening day?The remaining World Cup stars, including Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez, will now join up with the squad as they head to Dublin to face Leeds. There's still time for new faces, and Mason Mount's withdrawal got a few hearts beating, but will Newcastle's insistence that Lewis Hall is not for sale hold? Maybe an alternative target is required.There has been movement in the goalkeeping department, though. The debate over the fee agreed with Middlesbrough for Radek Vitek is an interesting one; could he end up breaking a transfer record of sorts?Click here to read Tom Burrows interview with Brandon Williams on The Athletic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a punchy question with the season still three weeks away and World Cup players yet to return to training, so in once sense no, Manchester United are not Premier-League-ready, but...With no fewer than nine clubs set to have a managerial debut on the opening weekend, including Liverpool, Man City, and Chelsea, are United now a model of calm as chaos reigns around them? Michael Carrick has been able to blood youngsters and slowly build the fitness of his squad in a measured way.Of course, the transfer market is only ever quiet on the surface. Lewis Hall continues to be the subject of speculation but we're working on estimates as to Newcastle's asking price; what price cover for Luke Shaw? And, with Mason Mount impressing his teammates in pre-season, might the recruitment team shelve plans for a third purchase in midfield? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seemed that Marcus Rashford's time at Manchester United had come to an end. However, with Barcelona making moves for two attacking players and no other obvious suitors, it now looks like he might be back at Old Trafford this season. We debate the pros and cons of a potential return.Rashford is the most famous graduate of Manchester United's academy but the 5-0 pre-season win over Rosenborg showed there is plenty of talent coming through... but breaking into the first team is as hard as it's ever been.It may get harder if another midfielder arrives, as well: we have a small transfer update and discuss the reaction to a club email sent to some season ticket holders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Cup is over and Manchester United's pre-season has begun, although neither has happened in quite the way we wanted... there are some interesting things to learn about Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford after they saw out contrasting 45-minute shifts over the weekend. Kobbie Mainoo didn't get a single minute from Thomas Tuchel... hopefully his back isn't too sore when he returns to Carrington.Over in Helsinki, United fan Sam Smith lived out a dream scenario as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 over the reds by Wrexham. There wasn't too much of note for Michael Carrick's team although we did get a first outing for Andrey Santos and Leny Yoro at right-back might be significant.Finally, we return to the transfer of Youri Tielemans having had a little time to reflect, and think about who the third midfielder might be should one arrive after Ederson signed a new contract in Italy.Get more information about Jere Virtanen's Manchester United museum in Helsinki here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does anything move faster than the Manchester United news cycle? Talk of the Devils ran a practical test today; when we started recording the deal to bring Ederson from Atalanta was still progressing with no new names in circulation. Twenty minutes later, things were very different!It isn't the first news story to break during a podcast recording, but the move for Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans has a massive impact on the summer transfer window and really changes the landscape for any potential third midfield target.Meanwhile, the World Cup isn't exactly overflowing with positive United stories; unless you're Mark Critchley, that is. And, there's been a fresh vision of the plan for a stadium to replace Old Trafford, with a possible revision of the target date. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.