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Nobody has sacked Manchester United manager Michael Carrick yet, but the shortlist is already leaking. There's some bookies' favourites we can rule out - Emery, Fabregas, Tuchel, Southgate, Pochettino. Then there's some requirements the club probably has for its next manager: work with the squad as it is, pull together a fractured dressing room, work with the structure, and deliver Champions League football year after year. Do these five candidates meet the spec? Conte, Nagelsmann, Hürzeler, McKenna and Howe. Any of the five inherit the same club, so the real question is who could survive contact with United? 0:00 Intro: The shortlist 1:21 Who’s not coming to United 3:10 The job spec 6:15 Conte 8:33 Nagelsmann 11:31 Hürzeler 13:34 McKenna 15:28 Howe

Bruno Fernandes says United should be pressing man to man. Carrick says they half pressed at Como and conceded. After the 4-1 defeat, Ed and Dharnish work out what each of them means and whether the problem is the principles or the execution. Pressing too late, players marking men without ever stepping out to win the ball, and a captain who sprints a lot without getting near. Then, why the intensity against Leeds vanished in Italy and why Bruno chose to go public a week after Martinez? They pick a team for Bournemouth, and wonder whether it could be Carrick’s last game. 0:00 Intro: Bruno vs Carrick 1:12 A Shameful Night in Como 2:21 What the Pressing Means 5:51 Principles vs Execution 10:15 Why Bruno Went Public 13:22 Leeds Intensity vs Como Apathy 22:53 Bournemouth Preview and Line-ups 29:31 Next Manager?

Within minutes of the 4-1 defeat at Como, Manchester United’s captain and manager had publicly blamed each other. Bruno Fernandes pointed at the staff and the club living in the past. Michael Carrick pointed at the players’ effort. What does this mean a week after Martinez went after the technical director.? The argument over pressing is only the backdrop. The real story is discipline, and a club that has stopped having its arguments in private. Upstairs, the people who will choose the next manager are briefing against each other. A sacking looks close, but no new manager fixes this from the dugout. The fish rots from the head down. 0:00 A Lack of Discipline 1:44 What Bruno Said 3:32 Pressing in Two Minutes 6:06 Martinez, Then Bruno 8:05 Carrick Hits Back 9:38 Carragher Has His Say 10:36 Upstairs 12:00 Nagelsmann 13:18 Who Picks the Manager? 14:49 Let’s Take a Step Back 15:41 Is This What a Sacking Looks Like? 17:40 The Fish Rots From the Head

#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 the November break and the January window are the usual moments for change.  There there's Bournemouth at Old Trafford this weekend and a manager running short of options. 0:00 Intro: United spanked by Como 4:02 United’s press isn’t working 15:31 Sponsor break 16:50 Ownership 27:21 The game itself: the goals 30:15 Squad and recruitment 40:55 Bournemouth preview 51:18 Wrap-up Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester United’s Champions League trip to Como comes with a story: a club that went bust twice, was bought for next to nothing, and now has a World Cup winner in the dugout. But there's also a story people will leave out. There’s the town on the shore of Lake Como, the stadium a few yards from the water and the Indonesian family money behind the club. And the €350 million spent since promotion, the rising ticket and shirt prices, and a season ticket that gets cancelled after three missed games. The club’s pitch is to be a destination rather than a local team has more than a little of Ratcliffe’s plans for United in it. Cesc Fàbregas is both an owner and the coach. It is a club like no other, with some familiar problems. A very good story, just not much of a fairytale. 0:00 Not a Fairytale 1:42 The Town: Lake Como 2:25 Clooney and the Stadium on the Water 3:25 One Club and Two Funerals 5:07 Cigarette Money 7:13 Fàbregas, Henry and the Third Tier 9:20 Money on the Pitch 11:39 Ask the People Who’ve Always Gone 13:15 Isn’t This Ratcliffe’s Plan Too? 13:30 Enjoy the View, Don’t Buy the Fairytale

#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 next few weeks will increase the pressure on club and manager. Then, what does a growing injury list mean for United’s trip to Como in the Champions League. 0:00 Carrick changes the system 0:46 Leeds away: a proper scrap 2:46 What’s going on with Bruno? 6:37 Fight and physicality, but no football 17:22 Should Carrick be sacked? 26:03 Does Bruno need a rest? 33:24 Preview: United vs Como 42:26 Final thoughts and sign-off Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carrick changed something at Leeds. United earned a draw and a point. It looked different to a lot of United games this season. United went to a back three on the ball and a 4-4-2 mid block off it. Plenty of square pegs all over the pitch. It was ugly and short on real chances, but it was a point at a ground where many visitors will leave with nothing this season. So was this Carrick being pragmatic in a difficult fixture or a manager trying not to get sacked? Carrick’s possession-heavy vision wasn’t on display for this one. So has the manager gone back to a more pragmatic style or was this a one off to match Leeds intensity and shape? We’ll find out whether this was a foundation, as Carrick called it, or just a new floor. 0:00 Quick reaction
 1:45 Carrick’s vision
 4:00 Today’s system
 5:17 Leeds’ pressing
 6:40 Pragmatism, not progress
 7:50 Squad problems
 9:18 Pragmatist or death spiral? 
11:58 Looking ahead 
13:14 Martinez speaks out 
14:31 Foundation or floor?

It has been reported that United’s transfer plan is one area of the pitch per window: defence in 2024, attack in 2025, midfield this summer, and defence again next summer. Who thought this was clever? Every other club buys where it’s weakest and takes deals when they appear, rather than telling the market in advance what it needs. Advertising a left-back and centre-back shopping list pushes prices up. So who is will be left into United’s back four next season and how many deals can United actually do in a window? This sounds like a transfer strategy built for a PowerPoint slide. 0:00 Three summers
 6:24 The phased plan
 8:07 Who else buys like this? 
9:29 It increases the price, surely
 11:33 United’s defence 
15:25 How many deals can United do? 
18:48 Champions League or bust
 20:17 Some of this isn’t INEOS’s fault 
21:29 One area a year, really?

*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 around Yoro, Maguire, Martinez and De Ligt at centre-back. Then there’s Leeds’s 3-5-2 to deal with at the weekend and what Como will ask of United next week. 0:00 Meltdown mode 1:35 Pressing problem vs Atlético 5:24 High press or mid-block? 7:51 Spurs: the 4-4-2 falls apart 9:58 Squad building and Carrick’s vision 14:57 Centre-back questions: Yoro, Maguire, De Ligt 18:29 Ball dominance isn’t working 25:00 Predicted XI vs Leeds Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lisandro Martínez’s tunnel interview after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid have made headlines worldwide. He expected more investment from Manchester United and from the technical director, Jason Wilcox. Don't we all. Martínez defended the manager, Michael Carrick, took responsibility for the players' performances, and named check Wilcox. Explosive stuff. The video covers why it was Martínez, why two interviews with the same message point to a decision among senior players. Amad’s Snapchat post and a Guardian report that teammates widely share Martínez’s view only add to the drama. United started without a striker or a left-back, a gap that was obvious in September and costing the club right now. Harry Maguire asked for starters in pre-season, and Bruno Fernandes has no new contract, with reports that talks are stalling over United's lack of ambition. So what is Wilcox’s role? And is Martinez calling him out and not the owners? We shouldn't let the players off the hook either: United conceded in the first minute and have won just two of their last 10. That's on them and the manager too. 0:00 Martínez calls out Wilcox 1:56 What he said 3:55 Two interviews, one message 8:12 Squad on paper: no striker, no left-back, crocked centre backs 10:29 Six weeks ago and Maguire in July 14:28 Bruno Fernandes and the unsigned contract 16:31 Who is Jason Wilcox? 18:09 United’s players were bad too

Lisandro Martinez used a post-match interview in Madrid to call out United’s recruitment and Jason Wilcox. Ed, Dan and Dharnish try and work out how the f**k we got to here from Champions League qualification in May? Martinez is right, of course. The delivery was cold, prepared, and almost certainly backed by others in the dressing room. The open questions are why now and whether the club sanctions him given how Amorim’s exit played out? And whether Carrick can turn the anger into aggression on the pitch? The conversation moves on to Leeds and the run of Como, Bournemouth, and Chelsea to come. Then there’s the January window and who would want to run into this burning building? If the club is willing to spend. 0:34 Martinez calls out the board
 2:27 Was it calculated ?
3:14 A wasted summer in the market 
7:03 It affects the dressing room
 15:09 Will the club sanction Martinez?
 20:18 Can Carrick galvanise them? 
21:49 Leeds and the run of fixtures 
30:35 January window
 35:39 Rebuild and budgets
 38:40 Wrap-up

#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, and that opening goal 7:44 The noise around Michael Carrick 15:39 If not Carrick, then who? 21:17 VAR, the disallowed goal, and the red card 25:33 Midfield: Santos, Baleba, and the trade-offs 31:38 Martinez calls out the board: recruitment and finances 50:20 City, PSG, and the cheating debate Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#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 Manchester derby. Read the Barmy Article 0:26 Intro 1:40 New momentum: four wins in a row 5:22 Aggressive press 10:50 Goalkeeping depth 16:38 Crowds, marketing, and the fanbase 19:12 Young players coming through 26:39 WSL picture and City’s charges Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Socials Twitter - https://x.com/nqatpod Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nqatpod/ BlueSky - https://bsky.app/profile/nqatpod.bsky.social Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/nqatpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#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 Tuesday’s trip to Atletico coming up fast, and a very difficult schedule ahead. Nobody at the club wants another manager change but we’ve seen this film before. 0:00 Match reaction: United 1-1 Spurs 2:15 Squad building and transfers 8:25 Tactical analysis: pressing and intensity 15:50 Accountability and selection 24:15 Baleba 31:10 Red card 40:30 Manager future and fixtures 53:20 Atletico preview and sign-off Sponsor Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today. Claude.ai/NQAT Hate the ads? Want more NQAT? For ad-free listening and our weekly bonus show, find us on Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carlos Baleba took 14 months to reach Manchester United, and his first appearance came in a game that finished with a late Spurs equaliser. How did Baleba end up at United, and why did it take so long. From Brighton's price tag United couldn’t meet, a refused January bid, a manager change, Casemiro’s exit, to a £70m deal in August. Then came half an hour against Spurs in which he changed the shape of the game. What is Baleba bringing to United, where he fits in the team, and should Carrick start him at Atlético on Tuesday? 0:00 Baleba: 14 months of waiting 0:54 Spurs cameo 2:18 Douala to Lille 3:16 Brighton years 4:54 Why United waited a year 7:41 What he brings 10:59 Breaking down his cameo 13:51 Tuesday in Madrid 15:10 Final thoughts