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

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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/)
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