No Question About That - a Manchester United podcast

#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...

#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...

#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 ne...

*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 ar...

#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, an...

#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 Manche...

#1056 |  Ed and Daniel pick through Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham, a game United led until the 92nd minute but in which they played badly for most of the 90. The first half was as poor as anything this season, with Spurs running through United’s midfield at will. One side was moving, the other standing still. Carrick’s changes on the hour briefly changed the game, including a positive cameo from Carlos Baleba. But after Spurs were reduced to 10 men, United went into their shell and produced some more comedy defending. 

Where does Michael Carrick go from here, especially with T...

#1055 | Ed and Dharnish talk about Manchester City's cheating three weeks on from the verdict and with the appeal under way. City's “it was government money” defence falls apart when the government, the sponsors, and the owner turn out to be one family. With club and fan denial hardening, the likeliest exit is a sale, or a vote to expel if City keep fighting.

There's some chat about why Financial Fair Play was created in the first place, Andy Burnham and the UAE’s investments in the UK, and what Guardiola knew.

Then it’s back to the f...

#1054 | Ed and Paul pick through the fall out from City’s guilty verdict and conclude this is a geopolitical story more than football. The outcome might well owe more to diplomacy than to Premier League rules. Andy Burnham's situation and UK ties to Abu Dhabi suggest where the pressure is coming from.

There’s a long look at the City fanbase: why will so few will engage with the evidence or a reasonable discussion about what’s happened? How did a club that was once the punchline become the vehicle of a state?

There’s the dama...

#1053 | Daniel joins Ed to make the case that this was never really a football story: Manchester City's ownership is Abu Dhabi's ruling family operating through the exact same statecraft logic they apply to war, espionage and geopolitics. And that family’s refusal to ever hear the word "no" from anyone. It’s the instinct that produced the fraud itself.

Trace the money and the politics: Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth, the family network tying the state, the investment vehicle, the sponsors and the football club into one entity. Then there’s Andy Burnham's startlingly weak public response, read agains...

#1052 | Jamie's latest Substack note gets the deep dive treatment: United's newly published loan documents show a real, dated path to finally clearing the $550 million Glazer-era LBO debt. The new notes are repayable at par with no further interest from 10 June 2029, but only if it's tied to a "stadium financing event," with a matching change-of-control clause built to let INEOS take a majority stake without triggering repayment. It’s complicated but clear.

Jamie's model puts the realistic cost for a new stadium closer to £3.2 billion once a typical overrun is applied to the headline £2 billion figu...

#1051 | Ed and Adam use the City verdict to talk about reputation rather than punishment mechanics: City's for organising the fraud, the Premier League's for taking eight years and letting itself be outmuscled by lawyers, and Pep Guardiola's, since virtually everything he won at City was built on financial cheating he spent years publicly denying.

There's an awkward political dimension: City are owned by the UAE, a UK security and investment partner, and there’s scepticism that the other 19 clubs would vote for expulsion given how many owners have their own business ties to the Gulf. Given that, ho...

#1050 | Ed and Dominic discuss a momentous day. Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League, after a process that's run more than three and a half years, during which City won six trophies. The charges centre on disguising owner funding as sponsorship income and refusing to cooperate with investigators; no punishment has been decided yet.

Expect a long appeals process before anything is actually handed down. 

So what is the proportionate punishment? Points deductions, transfer restrictions, even expulsion are all discussed as genuine options, though retrospective title-stripping  seems un...

#1049 | Manchester United's full-year financials landed the same week as defeats to City and Brighton and a draw at Fulham. Ed and Jamie's read is that the numbers tell a positive story: record revenue of £677.6 million, operating cash flow more than double what United generated the previous year, and a smaller real interest bill than the eye-catching accounting figure implies.

The episode works through where the financial resilience came from: ticket price rises, strong retail performance offsetting lost sponsors.

There's the £63.5 million spent on stadium land as the first sign of what United plan to do wi...

#1048 | United Women are three games into new manager Eva Olid's reign: defeat to London City Lionesses, hammered by Chelsea, then a much-improved 1-1 draw at Arsenal, undone by a 95th-minute equaliser.

Ed and Andy assess Eva Olid's start given the circumstances, a very late appointment, barely any pre-season, no marquee signings.

There were some interesting changes at Arsenal, with Andrea Medina's shift into midfield the standout tactical call and performance of the three games so far.

Then there's some winnable fixtures ahead: Sheffield United in the League Cup and West Ham in the...

#1047 | Another week another crisis? After United’s draw at Fulham, Ed and Dharnish push back on the reaction, arguing the underlying picture (29 shots, nearly 3 xG, more shots and box touches than any team in the league this season) suggests better times ahead. Shifts in fine margins turned this game into a mediocre week rather than a crisis.
The real issue is a press that keeps failing because Bruno and Rashford aren't suited to it. Carrick keeps asking them to do it anyway. 
In possession, the double false-nine setup leaves progression looking attractive, but nobody is actually in the...

#1046 | United walked away from Fulham with a draw, Mateus Cunha's equaliser cancelling out Lisandro Martinez’ own goal. Fulham were there for the taking though. United had 29 shots, 57% possession, and somehow still seemed very passive when it mattered. No disaster, but yet more points leaking away.

Ed and Wayne look back on a performance that felt very familiar. The same tactical patterns are playing out. And the same weaknesses in the squad are evident too. The international break offers a moment to reset.

We end with a check-in on Wayne's new book. Ferguson, The Lost Tapes.

#1045 | Ed and Dharnish discuss United’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup. United’s heavily rotated side led 2-0 before collapsing, with an increasingly ugly atmosphere at Old Trafford on display. 

Shea Lacey's goal and a well-worked press that teed up Mount for the second were the rare bright spots in an otherwise chaotic performance from United.

There’s already a bigger question: are United’s results this season down to bad individual performances, or something wrong with Carrick's actual game model? There’s no easy answer, especially given how comfortably this same group won g...

#1044 | Daniel and Dharnish review United’s 0-1 defeat at home to Man City. City were down to 10 men for most of the second half after Foden's red card. The goal itself should have been ruled out: Enzo Fernandez was offside and interfering with Martinez in the build-up. VAR waved it all through. 

United had spells of real control, especially with the extra man, but rarely looked like scoring without Sesko on the pitch as an actual centre-forward.

The biggest frustration is Carrick's team selection: leaving Sesko out for tactical reasons left nobody occupying the box. Tak...

#1043 | The transfer window smashed Premier League spending records. The real story is how incestuous it all was: clubs buying from each other, squeezed by the same rules and looking to square their own books. United funded their window through a revolving credit facility and not player sales. They sold precisely nobody all summer.

Ed and Jamie dig into why, including a wage bill that is about to jump with three new signings, Rashford’s return and Champions League bonuses. 

Then a full tour of the league's finances: City and Chelsea both bankrolled by...

#1042 | Ed and Tom discuss United's return to the Champions League, which was a comfortable 4-0 win over Sabah, with the game effectively dead by half-time. It was about all we could ask from an opener like this. Sesko and Dorgu both impressed in changed roles up front and at left-back, reopening the debate over their role in the team.

Mainoo and Tielemans continue to look like United's best midfield pairing, with Tielemans's passing already taking pressure off Bruno and Mainoo demonstrating his all round game. 

There's also a word for the youth team's own win a...

#1041 | Ed and Dharnish dig into United’s draw with Everton. The buildup through Mainoo and Tielemans was as good as it's looked in years but Carrick’s side lacked any real box presence, with Cunha and Bruno both dropping deep. 

Defensively, United's press still isn't working, and disconnected lines left gaps that led directly to both Everton goals.

How can Carrick fit all his in-form attackers together without sacrificing the buildup that's making United so watchable?

Then there’s a preview of a huge week ahead: the Champions League opener against Sabah, then City at...

#1040 | United led twice away at Everton through Mbeumo and Sesko only to do a very good job of chucking it away late on Merseyside. Ed and Dan dig into the tension between United's new possession-based approach and a back four that isn't built for a higher line. And there are questions about Cunha's role as a false nine again. Then there's a look ahead to the Champions League opener against Sabah in midweek.

The episode closes with author Dan Williamson, talking about his new book on United's 1991 Cup Winners' Cup win, If I Hadn't Seen Such Riches.<...

#1039 | United's transfer window closed with Dominic and Ed landing on a mixed verdict, somewhere around a six out of ten. United made three good midfield signings, but no left-back and no backup centre-forward. 

Who's going to fill the gap?

How much financial headroom was there to spend more?

And why were United cautious?

Deadline day itself produced a bizarre five-way standoff between United, Everton, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Monaco over Zirkzee, Camara and Balogun that ended with nobody getting what they wanted.

The pod then moves on to Everton, where t...

#1038 | Ipswich made a real go of it for a half, evading United's high press by exploiting isolated full-backs.

Once Lisandro Martinez started dictating United's patterns of possession into midfield, the game opened up completely and United ran away with it.

Ed and Dharnish dig into why United's press still isn't functioning, how much of the transformation in build-up play comes down to Martinez specifically and how well Mainoo and Tielemans dovetailed.

They also look at Cunha and Bruno rotating as false nines, question whether it costs United a real box presence and close...

#1037 | United trailed to Ipswich for a moment, but a hat-trick from Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire’s deflected effort and a Bryan Mbeumo goal turned it into a 5-2 win. It was a complete response to the opening-day defeat at Hull.

Ed and Dan dig into the bigger picture: how well the Tielemans-Mainoo midfield pairing worked, the ongoing debate over Marcus Rashford's role, and the club’s search for a new left-back.

The pod closes on the transfer window with two days left: there’s scepticism about Villa's reported £40 million interest in Amad and a general sense th...

#1036 | Ed and Dominic analyse United’s Champions League return. It’s a tough-looking draw with Bayern, Roma, and RB Leipzig at home. Then some cracking away ties in top European travel destinations.

From there it's on to the run-in to transfer deadline day, where the expectation is that a left-back arrives. Probably not the marquee name everyone's been hoping for. There’s also a wider question about why United never seem to be able to sell anyone for a decent fee.

There's a proper rant about the ex-United pundit circuit and how relentlessly negative it's become...

#1035 | Ed and Dharnish break down United's 2-0 defeat at Hull on the tactics show. Some of this was physical. Four starters had played one 90 or fewer all pre-season, and the lack of sharpness showed. But a lot of it was tactical too. 

There’s a cautiously optimistic loo...

#1034 | Ed and Jamie look at Jeff Bezos buying into Liverpool, a deal that values the club at around £5.5 billion for a consortium stake of just under 40%. Why is Bezos getting involved now? Can an Amazon-owned media empire buy into a Premier League club without creating a conflict of interest for future TV rights deals? And how does it compare to United's own ownership structure? On United specifically, spend so far this summer sits at £135 million gross. What does that mean for United's SCR position? And why loaning Marcus Rashford out doesn't actually help United's finances despite the noise around it...

#1033 | Ed and Wayne react to United's 2-0 opening-day defeat at Hull. United's poor performance breaks down into three causes: a tactical selection that didn't suit the game, a fitness gap after a staggered pre-season, and basic failure to finish chances or clear the two set pieces Hull scored from. Then there are the players. Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw remain trusted by Carrick but is their time in the team now coming to a natural end? A wider structural problem persists too; every forward likes to tuck inside, leaving nobody offering width except from full-back, which is a problem...

#1032 | Ed and Dharnish preview the season with a focus on how United’s tactics are evolving under Michael Carrick. The pattern in pre-season has been more possession, more central possession, and an emphasis on third-man runs. 

Where Carlos Baleba fits is still unclear: he's more carrier than passer, so the assumption is someone else, Kobbie Mainoo or Youri Tielemans, drops in to start moves while Baleba operates further forward. 

The bigger worry is pressing. Pushing fullbacks and forwards higher creates gaps between midfield and defence, and neither Bruno Fernandes nor Marcus Rashford presses well enough to c...

#1031 | Ed and Adam talk about United's move for Carlos Baleba, a deal likely to land in excess of £65 million. It’s the right profile for United, even if Baleba’s poor season last year presents a risk. He's a front-foot, ground-covering midfielder that should combine well with United’s other midfielders and solve some specific problems.

The deal takes United's spend on midfielders this summer to around £150 million across Tielemans, Santos and Baleba. It’s a strong midfield rebuild even if United are still a bit short elsewhere. Left-back remains the outstanding piece of business b...

#1030 | Ed and Wayne are back for the season preview after a mixed pre-season: two wins from six and a 4-2 defeat to Milan in the last match. Neither is panicking about that result specifically, but it exposed problems that were already there. The defence is the biggest concern. Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire remain first choice and neither has the legs for a higher, more front-foot approach, while Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt can't be relied on for fitness. Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro have the potential to solve those problems but it’s a big ask for tw...

#1029 | A manager out, a manager in, and a word the club would very much like everyone to start using? Ed talks to Andy Slater of the Barmy Article fanzine about Marc Skinner's exit and Eva Olid's arrival at United Women.

What's Skinner's legacy after 5 years? A first major trophy in the 2024 FA Cup, four cup finals and a Champions League quarter-final, all on roughly the fourth biggest budget in the league. Also plan A football with no plan B, and a personality that split the fanbase down the middle.

Olid arrives with just four weeks...

#1028 | A new head coach, a new fan zone, and a transfer market on hold? Ed and Wayne talk about United's new Women's team coach, Eva Olid, who has joined after Marc Skinner's exit. What is Skinner's legacy after 5 years at the club? He achieved Champions League qualification and won the FA Cup, despite restrictions on the club's budget. And yet, there won't be too many tears shed for a manager who rubbed a lot of players and fans up the wrong way with his personality.

Olid arrives on a deal to June 2028, fresh from a first-ever SWPL...

#1027 | Ed and Dom pull three stories into one. FIFA wants to privatise itself, United want fewer season ticket holders and £100m no longer seems like a lot of money in the transfer market. Gianni Infantino's plan was to privatise FIFA's commercial entity and sell a stake to private equity. If he gets his way we'll see World Cups and Club World Cups every summer. Old Trafford's crackdown on season ticket holders is part of the same movement. United are cancelling season tickets over what the club calls touting. Fans say it's nonsense. Fewer season ticket holders, and dynamic pricing o...

#1026 | Ed and Dharnish talk about the evolution of United’s tactics this season. What evidence have wee seen after two pre-season games, albeit with continuing player absences after the World Cup?

What impact has Andrey Santos on the side, what does Youri Tielemans capture mean, what changes are likely to United’s in-possession game as a result?

Then the gaps: why do United need another midfielder, can the club strengthen at fullback, and if Marcus Rashford returns, what impact might it have?

00:00 The Tactics Show

00:26 Intro and Preseason 

#1025 | Adam and Ed pick over United’s pre-season defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki. Can we learn anything from 45 minutes of action? At least there was a first look at new signing Andrey Santos. Then an XI made up of reserves played out an entertaining second half without finding the net.
Then there’s a crazy match for third place in the World Cup, with England beating France 6-4. Kobbie Mainoo was injured and didn’t feature. The only outfield English player not to get any minutes at the tournament.
Finally, with Morgan Rogers moving to Chelsea for an eye...

#1024 | Ed and Daniel pick over the wreckage of England's World Cup, and neither is in a forgiving mood.

The charge is that Thomas Tuchel did not just lose the semi-final, he threw it away. From the squad he built for one way of playing, the ball-players left at home, and a midfield of athletes with nobody to control a game, which is why the calls for Kobbie Mainoo only grew louder all tournament. 

On the match itself, England managed the first 55 minutes well and shut Messi out before Tuchel took off his g...

#1023 | Ed and Dharnish react to Manchester United signing Youri Tielemans for around £35m, praising the club’s stealthy, leak-free approach. Tielemans offers outstanding value given his versatility, progressive passing and decent defensive work. 

How will Tielemans and Andre Santos fit a more controlled, central build-up style? And do United  still need a third “ground-eater” midfielder? 

The conversation then shifts to the World Cup: ticket price chaos, England’s exhausting win over Norway, and a preview of England vs Argentina and France vs Spain in the semis.

00:00 Tielemans Signs for United

02:28...