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

Benjamin Sesko is so hot right now; the six foot Slovenian has been scoring regularly and impacting games. Is it time for Michael Carrick to hand him a start against an ailing Crystal Palace at Old Trafford?Having made club history by winning the FA Cup and the Community Shield, Palace are now in a bad way; the squad has been decimated by departures and injuries. Manager Oliver Glasner (tipped by some as an outside bet for the Manchester United job) has fallen out with his board over recruitment and, having decided to leave this summer, has also lost his rapport with the fans.We also have a brief update on Manchester United's finances with Q2 results incoming, Andy's got exciting plans for the weekend, and Ian has some serious statistics on substitutions before we dive into the Champions League qualification run-in.

After a fortnight off, Manchester United returned to Premier League action at Everton's Hill Dickinson stadium and, while the match didn't live up to our heightened expectations (heightened for all sorts of reasons), the team pulled off a big win with composure and inspiration in key moments.The composure and calm came from the back; Harry Maguire and co were in sufficiently combative mood, repelling the physicality of David Moyes' Everton, but it was goalkeeper Senne Lammens who really shone, taking the man of the match award with a commanding display....The young summer signing at the other end of the pitch is also producing the goods. Six goals in seven appearances qualifies as prolific form for the big Slovenian and he was used from the bench again, rounding off a dynamic counter-attack with a cool finish.

Manchester United will return to Premier League action on Monday evening after thirteen days without a game; Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Carl Anka took advantage of the break with trips abroad but Andy is energised by an upcoming trip to Everton's nearly new Hill Dickinson Stadium.In on-pitch matters, the women's team made serene progress to the Champions League quarter finals by beating Atletico Madrid 5-0 on aggregate; The Athletic's Megan Feringa drops by to tell us about another Jess Park masterclass. There are now high hopes of success for Marc Skinner's team this season albeit Chelsea, Chelsea, and Bayern will provide stiff opposition in the cups.In a packed show, we also review United's progress to another quarter final; this time in the FA Youth Cup at Oxford with Chris McKenna watching on. Andy has more on his article about the club covering the cost of fans' coach travel to Bournemouth, and we try to answer Eric Steele's trivia question from this week's TotD Extra.

Eric Steele was Manchester United goalkeeping coach for five years under Sir Alex Ferguson. Talk of the Devils is delighted to welcome him to our studio for a wide-ranging discussion with a man who has coached some of the best goalkeepers in football.From his own slightly unorthodox arrival at the club to the scouting, transfer, and management of David de Gea as Edwin van der Sar's replacement, he oversaw a fascinating time for keepers at Old Trafford.He also worked alongside current interim head coach Michael Carrick, of course, and was a colleague of Carrick's assistant, Steve Holland, in the England setup. There's a strong Geordie connection with Carrick as well, and many more stories from an incredible career in the game.

A weekend without Premier League football and, with Manchester United out of the FA Cup, we were expecting a quiet few days. Unfortunately, the club has been in the headlines more than ever, and not in the way most fans would want.In an interview with Sky News at an industrial conference in Antwerp, co-owner and figurehead Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave a view on UK politics and his comments on immigration, most notably his use of the word 'colonised', have sparked a media furore.Ratcliffe offered an apology for offence caused by his choice of language but there has been a strong response from politicians, fan groups, and others. We consider the ramifications for the club and round up some of the news closer to football matters.

Michael Carrick's 100% record as interim Manchester United manager (in this spell, at least) has come to and end. It was a disappointing game when compared to the four wins so far, of course, but how badly should we feel?Let's not forget, it should have been a defeat. Benjamin Sesko rescued a point in Stratford with an innovative finish deep into injury time. Does Sesko have qualities that are useful against this sort of opposition, should he be starting more games, and should he have been introduced earlier?Coming up this weekend... nothing. Well, not for the men's team anyway. We talk about what we'll do with a little extra spare time on our hands and catch up with some interesting correspondence.(Michael Cox on cat/dog defenders can be found here https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1909441/2020/07/06/caglar-soyuncu-jonny-evans-leicester-city/)

MUFC's fourth consecutive win continued Michael Carrick's perfect start as Manchester United manager. OK, Spurs held their own until captain "Cristian" Romero was dismissed for a tackle on Casemiro, but the team is growing in confidence and the gap to third (and second) is narrowing.Our Bry found the corner after a neat set-piece routine and the evergreen, ever-prolific, Bruno sealed the win in the second half (albeit not before a few Andy Mitten nerves). In truth, there was very little jeopardy as they wrapped up a nice, easy victory.West Ham away next, a rare midweek fixture, and despite the Hammers spending most of the season in the relegation zone this could be a tricky one. Stratford has been the site of some stinkers recently and Nuno's team have a glimpse of hope after some decent results.

Lads, it's Tottenham. It's a well-worn phrase for a team that shouldn't be taken seriously; but what to make of this current Spurs team. They remain firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League table and fans are on the edge of mutiny, yet they have sailed through to the last 8 of the Champions League. And, let's not forget, they beat Manchester United four times last season.Instead of that four, let's think about how Michael Carrick can make it four wins in a row. Will he stick with the Fulham line-up, a hungry Cunha and Luke Shaw included, or will he give matchwinner Benjamin Sesko a starting berth?On the pitch, things are looking up. Off it, however, the football performances may have started to feed into commercial performance. Record revenues may mask a less competitive outfit with Liverpool and Manchester City both overtaking United in the Deloitte Football Money League. We look at some of the questions facing business leaders behind the scenes.For more information about Munich memorial services, please consult the club website.

Premier League journalists have been able to put their feet up during January with only 33 'first-team' transfers taking place. For Manchester United that number is zero, with management deciding the squad they have in place is sufficient for the fixture list that lies ahead.In this TotD Extra podcast, we'll ask how much of a gamble it is to keep the powder dry, how close the club were to securing the signature of Antoine Semenyo, and round up the deals that did happen at youth level.All this means we're expecting significant activity in the coming summer. Once again, central midfield is the main area of vulnerability, doubly so with Casemiro heading for the exit. Can United afford to lose Bruno and/or Harry Maguire as well, and who are the most likely targets to beef up the squad?