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

We're back after the international break and we are all aboard Kobbie's hype train! After the Carrington graduate bossed Belgium, it's time for the rest of the country to acknowledge what we already knew; Mainoo is the future. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and requests; we get to as many of those as we can, covering midfield options with or without Casemiro, the future at left-back, and our podcast roles as Man United heroes. Saturday evening sees Ten Hag's men make their first of two upcoming stops in West London. Brentford are this weekend's opponents, bringing back some ugly memories for manager, fans, and podcasters alike. *** Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie Whitwell returns to the pod to make it a full complement as we bask in the glory of a magnificent, dramatic, extra time victory over Liverpool in what is being called the greatest FA Cup win in Manchester United's history. There are so many threads to follow from a day packed with drama; the comeback, the supreme performances from young players, stories of redemption, and of course denying Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at least one trophy in his farewell tour. Enjoy this bumper edition as we go into a short break for the international window. When we return, Erik Ten Hag's team will make their final push for the Champions League and prepare to take on Mark Robins' Coventry at Wembley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a fresh looking line-up on Talk of the Devils as Mark Critchley and Jay Harris drop by to talk Jadon Sancho, money matters, and Liverpool with Ian and Andy. Sancho got his first goal back in yellow at the weekend and Jay was at Bremen to see the game and talk to various Dortmund figures about how the United exile is doing. With Antony also failing to fire in red, it could be an interesting summer for the two big-money signings. Critch, meanwhile, has had a much less interesting assignment; he seems concerned about his new status as our US finance correspondent. And, with a massive game against Liverpool coming up this weekend, the stakes couldn't be higher for Erik Ten Hag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once again, it wasn't pretty, but Manchester United got the job done. two-nil at home with Alejandro Garnacho winning two first-half penalties, scored by different players. The same questions remain, though. Casemiro's wasteful performance with the ball was the latest worrying midfield display and a huge performance was required by both centre halves, especially this season's unexpected hero Jonny Evans. One person who didn't enjoy Saturday's game is Evertonian Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. He joins us to discuss his role on a new task force of "decision makers" aiming to get the ball rolling on the redevelopment of Old Trafford and the surrounding area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The team have relocated to Hotel Football, overlooking a very famous waterway, not that Ian Irving would know. We're going in-depth today, first on Andre Onana, the subject of 'cautious optimism' and a detailed profile by Andy Mitten and Carl Anka. Slightly less optimistic, though not without hope, is the outlook for Manchester United's Women's team. They haven't been able to recreate the magic of last season having lost key players. Might they lose an even bigger asset in Mary Earps? ...and, with Everton coming to Old Trafford this weekend, there's no room for any sentiment with wins at an absolute premium. *** We’re asking you to fill out a quick survey about you and your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey24. Three lucky entries will win £/$100 worth of Amazon vouchers too. • Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcus Rashford would have been a huge talking point on Manchester derby day whatever happened after his op-ed for the Players Tribune. But, with less than ten minutes on the clock, he struck hope into red hearts with a lightning strike from thirty yards. Throughout the first half Erik Ten Hag's innovative selection had Pep and City frustrated, albeit they used the lion's share of possession and territory to carve out some decent chances, one in particular... But, Phil Foden turned the game on its head with two goals, and we were left wondering if this was a worrying indictment of United's status quo or if injuries were sufficient to justify the game-plan. *** We’re asking you to fill out a quick survey about you and your podcast habits by going to theathletic.com/survey24. Three lucky entries will win £/$100 worth of Amazon vouchers too. So whether you're a long-time listener or a new one, we want your feedback. • Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The awesome foursome are united once again on Monday morning after Manchester United scraped through to the FA Cup quarter finals at the City Ground. Casemiro's late run, late in the game, was just enough to edge out relegation-threatened Forest in a "scrappy" encounter, and Erik Ten Hag was in a scrappy mood himself, defending Bruno (who assisted the goal with inventive free-kick delivery). However, the Manchester Derby comes next and, with so many positional problems it's difficult to be bullish about this one. Will Andy's hearty rallying cry inspire the team, and the fans, to turn Manchester red again? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Monday morning full-house from the podcast team, but there's precious little positivity on offer after Manchester United lost at home to Marco Silva's Fulham. An injury to Rasmus Hojlund in training on Friday was a huge blow and it was alarming how much that unsettled the United attack. Our main concern, though, is how familiar many of the team's problems look. Erik Ten Hag bemoaned the inability to sign an additional striker over the last two transfer windows, but there's no doubting the pressure on the manager now to produce results; starting with the FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have, after an arduous process, completed their partial takeover of Manchester United and will now assume control of football operations. We'll hear from Sir Jim himself, speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon in central London. The Athletic's Adam Crafton was there, and he joins us to reflect on a wide-ranging discussion. From stadium development to corporate structure via player trading, FFP, and Monday mornings across Manchester, get the lowdown on the man who wants to take United back to the top. Producer: Ollie Bellwood Exec Producer: Adey Moorhead *** • Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manchester United won 2-1 at Luton's Kenilworth Road on Sunday night, and Andy Mitten was the happiest man in Bedfordshire. It wasn't all plain sailing, despite Rasmus Hojlund setting new Premier League record's for United's fastest goal and their fastest two-goal lead away from home. In fact, it became a bit of a chore. Partly because Luton showed their resilience, but also as a result of some tactical errors by senior pros. Thank Carrington, then, for Kobbie Mainoo who put in another calm, collected performance in midfield. Producer: Ollie Bellwood Exec Producer: Adey Moorhead *** • Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manchester United have identified Newcastle's Dan Ashworth as their primary target for the position of Sporting Director. With investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS nearing approval, a period of dramatic change seems inevitable. It's a fascinating time for us to be able to talk in depth with the club's Director of Academy, Nick Cox. In a wide-ranging discussion, we get into the realities of turning raw young talents into successful players and men. And, with a trip to Luton coming up this weekend, Ian, Andy, and Laurie are excited to see how Erik Ten Hag's men cope with the unique challenge that is Kenilworth Road. Producer: Ollie Bellwood Exec Producer: Adey Moorhead *** • Grow your business - no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/reddevils Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian, Carl, and Laurie are up bright and early on Monday morning in the hope that we can catch Andy Mitten has he passes through yet another airport. This time, it's India, where he enjoyed Manchester United's huge win at Villa in the company of a club legend. Scott McTominay earned that win with another late goal, prompting a magnificent stat from Laurie. We get into his unique role and a renewed determination from the team that left Erik Ten Hag in bullish mood. It was a great evening for Harry Maguire who dominated at set-pieces and Diogo Dalot had another good game as well. The pursuit of Champions League football feels like it's firmly back on track! Producer: Ollie Bellwood Exec Producer: Adey Moorhead *** • Grow your business - no matter what stage you’re in. 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 is sixty six years since the Munich Air Disaster and the death of Sir Bobby Charlton in October means all survivors of the crash have now passed away. Yet, in recent years attendance at services in Munich and at Old Trafford have grown. We discuss the crash's legacy, Daniel Taylor's articles on The Athletic, and how the anniversary is observed. Robin van Persie returned to Carrington this week to fulfil a requirement of his UEFA Pro License with the Dutch FA. Yet, rumours of an "Arsenal snub" are exactly that, if not worse. We get into the clickbait industry that has been built on modern football's super-clubs. Coming up next for Erik Ten Hag's team; a trip to Aston Villa. While recent performances have been encouraging, and quite a few fond memories at Villa Park, there's an air of concern with no margin for error in the Champions League race. Producer: Ollie Bellwood Exec 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