No Question About That - a Manchester United podcast

#1066 | Manchester United beat Roma, lost to Chelsea and face Aston Villa at the weekend in what could be Michael Carrick’s last game. Ed and Dharnish break down all three. What worked in the first half at Chelsea, with United overloading midfield and finding space behind Chelsea’s new full-backs. Why do Carrick’s full-backs keep pushing so high while the team is in crisis? And why did that leave United two down against Roma’s man-to-man press? Then the turnaround. What changed after half-time against Roma: Cunha central, United overloaded the right, Shea Lacey committing defenders. With Baleba injured, who plays in midfield now? And how do United cope with Villa’s physicality and Emery’s mid-block? 0:00 Roma, Chelsea and a Villa test
 1:00 What worked against Chelsea
 2:10 Overloading Chelsea’s midfield
 4:04 Red card, implosion, Amad’s end product
 5:25 Pressing high in crisis mode
 10:32 Roma: how United went two down
 16:07 Old Trafford comeback 4:02 Villa preview: midfield battle Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter Instagram BlueSky Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1065 | Manchester United finally won, beating Roma 3-2 after nine games without a victory. Ed and Daniel pick through the comeback from two goals down. There are plenty of issues to discuss.  Although United started the game poorly, was it the first time all season the team looked balanced? Tielemans played a part in the winner, how will Baleba’s injury impact the team and has Leny Yoro made a case for a place at centre-back? Is Amad’s spot now Lacey’s to take? Can Cunha build on his goals when confidence has been short this season? Then the conversation widens. A green and gold balloon protest opened the night. Do protests change anything with owners who rarely face the public?  With Aston Villa on Sunday possibly Michael Carrick’s last game, who might replace him: Emery, Nagelsmann, Conte, or Eddie Howe? And with United 17th in the Champions League table, what do they need to reach the playoffs? 0:27 Victory over Roma 2:25 Comeback and Team Balance 5:34 Centre Back Issues 7:57 Amad vs Lacey 11:22 Midfield Problems 15:34 Pressing and Penalties 26:21 Ownership, Protests 49:03 Villa Preview Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1064 | United lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, with a promising first half turned into another second-half collapse. Ed and Wayne react to yet another defeat. Was Lisandro Martínez’s sending off the act of a player who wants out? Should he ever wear the shirt again? And how much falls on Michael Carrick, who picked the same two centre-backs and watched them part like the Red Sea for Morgan Rogers? Then the conversation moves up the chain. Is riding out two transfer windows with Carrick the only way to force accountability from this squad? Why do Ratcliffe, Barada, and Wilcox face so little scrutiny?  The split cap table leaves United’s owners unwilling and unable to inject capital, even though Ratcliffe could write the cheque tomorrow. With no new money, there’s no relief on the horizon. Could a new manager do anything different in the circumstance? 0:00 Nine games without a win 2:12 Second-half collapse at Stamford Bridge 4:09 Martínez: he should never wear the shirt again 15:13 It starts at the top: the owners 17:33 Summer window gamble 23:48 Accountability and riding out two windows 28:22 Ownership structure and the money 47:26 Solskjær precedent 56:19 Eddie Howe question 1:00:56 Boycotts, tickets and what the club means Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1063 | Manchester United have given Michael Carrick more time, with no date, no number of games and no target attached. Ed and Dharnish look at what has to change in the meantime. The press comes first: a half-press in which players arrive late, leaving United’s back-four exposed. The build-up has lost its triangles and possession dominance that offers no control.  United’s defence is disorganised and the most experienced centre-backs are built for a deep line, which limits how aggressively Carrick’s team can press.  Then there’s a look ahead to Chelsea at the weekend, a team that scores freely but with a questionable defence. And ahead to the midweek game against Roma’. Gasperini’s team likes to press man-to-man. The verdict is that not all of United’s problems is tactical, but the rest is out of Carrick’s hands. 0:00 Intro: Carrick gets more time 4:08 What’s gone wrong with the pressing 8:32 How Carrick could fix the press 14:19 Buildup and central progression 18:13 Defensive frailties and the rest defence 21:33 Meltdown mode and managerial patience 23:51 Platforming players: picking the XI 27:26 Chelsea preview 30:52 Roma and Aston Villa 35:26 Wrap-up Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1062 | Michael Carrick looks set to be sacked after a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, coming off the 4-1 loss at Como. Ed and Daniel go through the game and the week around it. If this is the end, Carrick went out with a statement: Bruno Fernandes criticising the staff in public then sitting on the bench without being used. Then the disintegration of Carrick’s time at United, with the manager increasingly reaching for odd solutions as the season fell apart.  With the squad giving Carrick very little in recent weeks, the conversation turns to the owners and executives who decide what happens now. The same guys who picked Ten Hag and Amorim and Carrick decide who’s next, with Eddie Howe probably the favourite.  In the short term United need to manage the crisis, but with a summer of expiring contracts and more investment needed than is likely, does a new manager really change anything? 0:00 Match Reaction 3:47 Bruno vs Carrick 11:08 Team Selection & Tactics 16:35 Season in Freefall 19:09 The Owners 23:56 Who’s Next? 34:59 Eddie Howe 51:09 What Happens Next? Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1061 | Manchester United were beaten 4-1 at Como in the Champions League. Ed and Dominic try to make sense of it.  United’s pressing does not work; the players asked to lead it cannot do it, and Como passed through United at will.  Carrick’s vision for the team is slipping by the week. How much is that on Carrick and how much on a club run by the same people who hired and fired ten Hag and Amorim, with a squad that was barely improved in the summer?  Carrick probably won't go yet, though the November break and the January window are the usual moments for change.  There there's Bournemouth at Old Trafford this weekend and a manager running short of options. 0:00 Intro: United spanked by Como 4:02 United’s press isn’t working 15:31 Sponsor break 16:50 Ownership 27:21 The game itself: the goals 30:15 Squad and recruitment 40:55 Bournemouth preview 51:18 Wrap-up Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1060 | Michael Carrick changed the system at Elland Road and United came home with a 1-1 draw. It was closer to a street fight than a football match for much of it. Ed and Dharnish go through United’s approach and performance, including a back three and Bruno Fernandes pushed out wide. It wasn’t very pretty but at least United matched Leeds for physicality before the second half slipped away. The point leaves United on two wins from 10 across all competitions this season. The question on everybody’s lips is how long Carrick has? More defeats over the next few weeks will increase the pressure on club and manager. Then, what does a growing injury list mean for United’s trip to Como in the Champions League. 0:00 Carrick changes the system 0:46 Leeds away: a proper scrap 2:46 What’s going on with Bruno? 6:37 Fight and physicality, but no football 17:22 Should Carrick be sacked? 26:03 Does Bruno need a rest? 33:24 Preview: United vs Como 42:26 Final thoughts and sign-off Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*Apologies for the dodgy audio on this week's episode* #1059 | Ed, Dharnish, and Daniel open in meltdown mode. Manchester United have two wins from nine and the latest crisis is the fallout from Lisandro Martinez’ criticism of Jason Wilcox. The tactics tell the story. United conceded after 50 seconds at Atletico with five players in one zone and nobody closing down. They had used a 4-4-2 mid-block against Spurs and were pulled apart anyway. The diagnosis is a team caught between pressing high, sitting deep, and dominating the ball. Masters of none. From there, we work through questions around Yoro, Maguire, Martinez and De Ligt at centre-back. Then there’s Leeds’s 3-5-2 to deal with at the weekend and what Como will ask of United next week. 0:00 Meltdown mode 1:35 Pressing problem vs Atlético 5:24 High press or mid-block? 7:51 Spurs: the 4-4-2 falls apart 9:58 Squad building and Carrick’s vision 14:57 Centre-back questions: Yoro, Maguire, De Ligt 18:29 Ball dominance isn’t working 25:00 Predicted XI vs Leeds Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1058 | Ed and Dominic pick over United’s 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid. It was better than the scoreline but still leaves Michael Carrick under pressure. United opened with another defensive blunder but grew into the game, creating some decent chances before losing Leny Yoro to a dubious red card. But defeat is defeat and the noise around Carrick is likely to grow, especially if the run of Leeds, Como, Bournemouth, and Chelsea goes badly.Then post-match, as we were recording, Lisandro Martinez dropped a bombshell! 0:27 Intro: another defeat in Madrid 1:15 Team news, formation, and that opening goal 7:44 The noise around Michael Carrick 15:39 If not Carrick, then who? 21:17 VAR, the disallowed goal, and the red card 25:33 Midfield: Santos, Baleba, and the trade-offs 31:38 Martinez calls out the board: recruitment and finances 50:20 City, PSG, and the cheating debate Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#1057 | Ed and Andy catch up on four straight wins for United Women, which have turned the mood around after a difficult start to the season. 10-1 against Sheffield United, a narrow victory over West Ham, 5-1 against Durham, and a single goal victory over Liverpool. The team’s personality is becoming clearer under Eva Olid.  The conversation widens to goalkeeper depth and how a youth-heavy squad is developing.  Then there’s a preview of the games in the coming week. Charlton in the WSL, a second meeting with Liverpool in the Players Cup, and the Manchester derby. Read the Barmy Article 0:26 Intro 1:40 New momentum: four wins in a row 5:22 Aggressive press 10:50 Goalkeeping depth 16:38 Crowds, marketing, and the fanbase 19:12 Young players coming through 26:39 WSL picture and City’s charges Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices