Talk of 2021: the Year in Summary

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Not so much who came on as who was withdrawn.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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy is feeling a little low after his ambitions were thwarted in dramatic fashion in the Manchester Marathon. Unfortunately, Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United hit roadworks of their own at the Vitality Stadium. A draw, and they were arguably lucky to escape with a point, means the team's Champions League hopes are hanging by the finest of threads. We've a full report on the match and rumours of a press conference spat involving the manager. The FA Cup offers hope for Manchester United's men, and the women will head to Wembley for the final of their equivalent after they beat Chelsea for the first time since the team's reformation. HOST: Ian Irving WITH: Andy Mitten and Carl Anka PRODUCER: Ollie Bellwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie Whitwell is called away from the airport departure lounge to fill us in on his breaking story, that Manchester United's Football Director John Murtough has left his post this week. Promoted internally and given a subtly different job title to many of his supposed equivalents, he has been viewed as a Glazer man by some with all the baggage that brings. But, as Andy and Carl explain, things are rarely as straight-forward as they appear from outside. Meanwhile, it looks like INEOS are going for more of the same from the women's team, with Marc Skinner rumoured to be close to agreeing a new deal. Can they oust Chelsea in this weekend's FA Cup semi-final? We were delighted to hear from Federico Macheda on The Athletic this week, even if it does make us feel quite old... he was full of praise for Kobbie Mainoo after the youngster's identikit goal against Liverpool. What we'd give for a follow-up at Bournemouth! HOST: Ian Irving WITH: Andy Mitten and Carl Anka PRODUCER: Ollie Bellwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manchester United will finish the season unbeaten against Liverpool after another "silly" game at Old Trafford finished in a two-all draw. After an hour, Erik Ten Hag's men had achieved an xG of 0.01, yet they were level at 1-1, Bruno's magnificent 40-yard effort cancelling out the far-post finish from Luis Diaz at a corner. The game then swung completely when Kobbie Mainoo recreated Federico Macheda's famous curler. Sadly, Liverpool did square it up at the end via a Salah penalty, and the podcast team are now looking anxiously at the mid-table sides gaining ground as the run-in hots up. HOST: Ian Irving WITH: Carl Anka, Andy Mitten PRODUCER: Ollie Bellwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two crucial fixtures in West London in the last five days have yielded just one point for Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United. If that wasn't bad enough, they held the lead going into the 99th minute in both games. If Brentford was bad, this was an astonishing evening at Stamford Bridge. Looking fairly comfortable having put together another remarkable comeback, the Red Devils suddenly imploded to throw away all three points. So, what does this result, and the manner of the defeat, mean for Erik Ten Hag's future as Manchester United manager? HOST: Ian Irving WITH: Andy Mitten, Carl Anka, Laurie Whitwell PRODUCER: Ollie Bellwood Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead *** • Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may be Easter, but it feels a lot like a Monday as Ian Irving hosts Andy Mitten and Carl Anka to "pick over the carcass" of Saturday night's performance at Brentford. Such was the home side's dominance, it's easy to forget this finished a draw. But, after Mason Mount's late goal was cancelled out, it felt like a defeat, with comparisons even drawn to the horror show at the same venue last season. What price a win at Chelsea, then, and how will this squad look next season, with question marks over so many of the personnel in midfield and defence? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices