Episodes
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The stats don't make for pretty reading after Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford, just as they did on their previous visit. In fact, United are setting all the wrong trends with Ruben Amorim's honeymoon period, if he ever had one, well and truly over.
The Marcus Rashford situation might not be exactly what fans are making of it, but after he was left out of the squad for a third time, it looks like it may take a little while longer before that's resolved.
And, with January on the horizon, Harry Maguire's contract will need addressing or he might leave on a free transfer in the summer. If he does stay on he will probably have to delay any holiday plans, with a tour to Asia mooted.
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Ruben Amorim rang the changes again as Manchester United tumbled out of the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage against Tottenham. Spare a thought, especially, for the goalkeeping coaches.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has responded to his recent non-selection by telling journalist Henry Winter that he is now looking for a 'new challenge'. But, many questions remain unanswered.
It's Bournemouth next; we're not scared of re-emphasising exactly how tricky that game could be against an eminently 'decent' side.
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Episodes manquant?
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Amad Diallo flipped a dismal derby on its head in the final ten minutes as Manchester United came from behind to win at the Etihad Stadium.
Ruben Amorim took a sizeable gamble by leaving Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad and, with Mason Mount injured after fifteen minutes, it looked to have backfired.
However, the young Ivorian won a penalty which his captain put away and then latched onto a Lisandro Martinez through-ball to finish from an acute angle.
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The Czech town of Plzen created a special beer to celebrate the visit of Manchester United, but after Andre Onana sold Matthijs De Ligt short, the Reds needed a Rasmus Hojlund double to round off the night.
After a turgid first half Hojlund, along with Ruben Amorim's other substitutes, injected pace and purpose bringing United level almost immediately and sealing the win late on.
To win away in Europe for the first time since March 2023 puts another positive spin on Sunday's derby at the Etihad Stadium against an ailing City side... but we're not getting carried away!
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After a tumultuous, albeit entirely precedented, weekend at Manchester United football club we break down two huge exclusives involving the team.
On Sunday The Athletic's David Ornstein, Adam Crafton, and Laurie Whitwell combined to reveal that Sporting Director Dan Ashworth would leave after just five months in the job. Meanwhile, Andy Mitten published a lengthy and wide-ranging conversation with club minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
We also take time, as everyone at Old Trafford did before the defeat to Nottingham Forest, to share tributes to the club's longest-serving staff member (perhaps ever), the much-loved Kath Phipps.
We just about found time to talk about some football, much of which wasn't great; but was it all that bad?
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Wednesday night's fixture at the Emirates stadium went roughly as expected, including the method of scoring, but was no less disappointing as a result.
Ruben Amorim made six changes to his starting line-up, with more alterations in-game, but he loses his impressive personal unbeaten run in the league.
Forest are no pushovers this season, we look at the threat they pose, and discuss a story from Adam Crafton about how and why the players abandoned a plan to wear jackets in support of the Premier League's Rainbow Laces campaign.
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Manchester United four, Everton nil. It's the type of result that shouldn't be as rare as it has become but we're happy with the scoreline and delighted with the performance of the team, despite a fairly unspectacular opening period.
Amad Diallo was the man of the match, a 'professional pest' and provider of the fourth goal. That was scored by Joshua Zirkzee, who himself put in possible his best showing at the club so far.
There was more unrest at ticket price hikes, including chants against Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and we reflect on your reaction to the news, plus a preview of Arsenal away (that's the league fixture, not the FA Cup third round!).
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Ruben Amorim's first home match in charge of Manchester United started with a bang and ended with a win over Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.
But, it wasn't all plain sailing; the visitors fought back to lead 2-1 after Garnacho's super-early strike (even quicker than Rashford v Ipswich) and the result wasn't assured until the final whistle blew.
A major talking point among those attending the game was the club's decision to disallow any concessions on tickets remaining for sale this season. This was taken without fan consultation, contrary to an agreed protocol between the club and fan representative groups, and has provoked significant anger.
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Marcus Rashford was on the scoresheet after just 81 seconds of Ruben Amorim's first game as Manchester United manager, rounding off a very encouraging move after good work from Amad Diallo.
Unfortuntately, that was as good as it got with Kieran McKenna's Ipswich fighting back to earn a point; perhaps a lesson for the Portuguese on exactly how competitive the Premier League is.
There was plenty to digest from that game, from positional play to passion and spectacular saves, and there's likely to be a fair bit more to come over the next few matches starting with a fascinating Bodo Glimt side on Thursday night.
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Premier League football returns after the November international break and the trip to Ipswich this Sunday(!) was on absolutely nobody's lips at Carrington on Friday.
That's because a sizeable press contingent had assembled to greet the club's new manager, or should that be head coach, Ruben Amorim.
Ian, Laurie, and Carl took part in said press conference with Andy listening in and we share our (mostly) first impressions of the Portuguese 39 year-old as he prepares his squad for Portman Road.
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The podcast team have returned from touring Britain and Ireland and we're wearing our fatigue heavily; well, some of us are... others are buzzing for Amorim's United. But, what's the right way to deal with the excitement?
It would be another huge boost to have Tyrell Malacia, a genuine left-back, returning to the pitch. He has been talking exclusively to Mark Critchley about the reasons behind his extended break with injury, and some of the crazier theories that emerged about why he was keeping a low profile.
And, we get to your questions on a wide range of subjects from youth team formations to the new coaches via european loyalty points.
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The lads are feeling a little bit worse for wear as we record in our hotel lobby after two nights on tour at Manchester's Lowry Theatre and the Limelight in Belfast.
It's a relatively quiet week at Manchester United with the new manager getting his feet under the desk amid a men's international break, but Laurie had a (short-lived) exclusive when we learned that Ruud van Nistelrooy has left the club.
We'll get into Ruben Amorim's in-tray next week, when we want your messages please, but we put down some early thoughts and glanced at a stuttering season for the Women's team, in contrast to the boys' U18s who are firing on all cylinders.
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The era of Ruud's interim Reds has come to an end, and it's been a near-perfect run. Three wins from four games, including Sunday's 3-0 win over Leicester, sees confidence much-improved since Erik Ten Hag left.
Ruben Amorim was due to start work at Manchester United on Monday 11th November, but visa friction may mean a slight delay. Nevertheless, we've got some fascinating material gathered by Charlotte Harpur as we try to get under the skin of the new man.
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Can a win be described as "routine" when it's your first in more than a year? If so, that's what 'Ruud's unbeaten interim Reds' achieved on Thursday night at Old Trafford.
Amad Diallo was the clear stand-out performer, first breaking the deadlock with a looped header from a searching Fernandes cross. He made the second himself with persistent pressing, a strong run, and a sharp finish. 2-0, job done.
That's not to say it was all plain sailing; van Nistelrooy was not pleased with the first-half performance and demanded better in the second. His time as manager will end with the Leicester game on Sunday but it remains to be seen if he will leave the club altogether.
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Ruben Amorim has been officially confirmed as the next manager, or 'head coach', of Manchester United. He will start work on Monday November 11th, coincidentally the day of our live show at Manchester's Lowry Theatre!
We're making sure, as we did with Ralf Rangnick, that we leave no stone unturned when it comes to learning how to pronounce Ruben Amorim. Is the media's very positive take on the Portuguese matched by fan sentiment?
One thing is for sure, he has a big job in front of him. The man who now has most influence on how big that job will be is Ruud van Nistelrooy. The caretaker followed a good Carabao Cup win with a dull draw at home v Chelsea, which must be followed by victory over PAOK on Thursday night.
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Laurie brings us the latest details from the negotiations between Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United with a deal apparently agreed for the release of Ruben Amorim to join the club. But, it won't be an immediate move and there are still elements to sort out including the transfer of some assistants and coaching staff.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, then, will continue as interim boss and things started very well for him as Leicester City were dispatched from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. His side led 4-2 at half-time and hit five in all, albeit not without a bit of luck here and there.
What next for Ruud; will he stay on under Amorim? We consider his future, answer a selection of your questions about an eventful week, and look ahead to a huge match against Chelsea (and, frankly, Cole Palmer) this weekend.
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As revealed exclusively for The Athletic by Adam Crafton and David Ornstein on Monday lunchtime, Manchester United have relieved manager Erik Ten Hag of his duties after the team's latest defeat in the Premier League at West Ham.
So, where did it all go wrong for the man who arrived from Ajax with a reputation for strict discipline and a winning track record. He did win two trophies, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but the team's form in the Premier League and European competition fell far below the standard required at Old Trafford.
And, following The Athletic's second huge exclusive of the day, Ian and Laurie make a late amendment to the podcast with a discussion of Ruben Amorim and why he has been identified as the man to replace Ten Hag.
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It's difficult to know what to make of Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United. We know they're not going to win the league, but can you honestly make a solid prediction beyond that?
In the Europa League, it'll be tricky to finish the first phase outside the top eight, but with three points from the first three games it's now not unthinkable. Strangest of all; at the end of ninety minutes in Istanbul, the happiest in the stadium seemed to be the one complaining about not getting a penalty.
West Ham at the Olympic Stadium next; not too many happy memories from that ground, or are there? Luckily, we do actually find our happy place precisely 20 years ago, when Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten run ran headlong into an immovable Phil Neville and the slice hit the man.
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The mood is "off the floor" after Rasmus Hojlund scored the winning goal in a game at Old Trafford against "decent Premier League side" Brentford. In fact, all the 'big' attacking players contributed, which is great news.
It could be important news as well, with a win in Europe long overdue and a trip to Istanbul up next. Jose Mourinho is not the only familiar face in the Fenerbahce camp, but they are a club with worries that might sound familiar to Manchester United fans as well.
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Manchester United have decided to terminate the contract of a manager, but it's not the current one.
Sir Alex Ferguson's role as a paid ambassador for the club will come to an end this summer, and it's a decision which has provoked a strong reaction, especially from some notable former players. Fans seem mixed, and our panel can certainly see both sides of the argument.
The women's team head to Brighton, the former club of red-hot striker Elisabeth Terland, with a 100% win record so far this season while Ten Hag's men face a tough test at Brentford. The first ninety seconds could be crucial in that one!
Donate to Andy Mitten's Kilimanjaro fundraiser for the Manchester United Foundation by clicking here.
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