No Question About That - a Manchester United podcast

Epizode

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  The Geopolitics of City's Corruption 01.10.2026 53min

  #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 against his own history with City-linked land deals in East Manchester and the UK's broader security and investment ties to the UAE.  Pep Guardiola is linked in the same way. His public advocacy on Gaza and Catalan independence is impossible to square with total silence on his own owners' role in Sudan. His City trophies cannot be separated from dirty money and the questions of doping that have followed his career since Barcelona. This is potentially the biggest scandal in the history of sport, precisely because of the geopolitics layered underneath it. 0:00 Intro: City found guilty 2:30 From anti-competitive to human rights 4:39 Statecraft, sovereign wealth and sportswashing 6:58 Paper trail and the defence 14:55 Andy Burnham and Manchester politics 23:36 Punishment, lawsuits and a forced sale 37:48 Guardiola's hypocrisy and his legacy 47:52 Biggest scandal of all time? Wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  United Inc: Financing Old Trafford, Path to Ending Glazer Debt 30.09.2026 57min

  #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 figure, funded through some mix of club debt, owner equity, and external partners. Personal seat licences could plausibly raise several hundred million pounds on its own. The pod opens with City with Ed and Jamie still processing last week's guilty verdict and the Premier League timeline that could produce a sanction within months. Jamie's note mentioned in the pod: https://spgoals.substack.com/p/can-ineos-clear-manchester-uniteds And for my take on last week's finances: https://nqatpod.substack.com/p/uniteds-new-cash-machine 0:27 Intro 2:38 City verdict and timelines 6:15 What punishment fits the breach 12:14 Premier League credibility and expulsion 15:45 United's refinancing note explained 26:17 Ineos' path to majority ownership 29:26 Stadium cost and funding options 42:31 Squad budget and wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Pep's Rep 29.09.2026 1h 5min

  #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, how might any punishment be constructed and what might be just?  On Pep specifically, they trace a pattern running from his playing days through Barcelona to City. His legacy is now inseparable from the fraud that funded it. Then there’s the broadcasters who’ve pretended non of this was happening. Shame on them.  0:27 Intro: 114 of 115 charges 2:32 Reputations in the toilet 4:52 Why spending limits exist 9:27 Can City rebuild their reputation? 14:17 Nation-state ownership and the UAE 19:36 Would clubs vote to expel City? 27:00 What punishment actually fits 32:57 Charge stacking and precedent 38:28 Getting the owners out 39:24 Pep's legacy 45:30 Sudan, sportswashing and silence 47:50 How the media will cover it 55:04 Fan reaction and the weaponized fanbase 58:04 What happens next 1:00:06 Wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Emergency Pod: City Found Guilty on 114 Charges 25.09.2026 35min

  #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 unlikely. There's a longer, more uncomfortable question too: how do you separate City's sporting achievements from the financial fraud that funded them, and what does that mean for Pep Guardiola's legacy specifically, given how directly his trophies depended on money the club lied about. 0:26 Guilty on 114 of 115 charges 5:10 What the charges actually were 12:21 Can titles be stripped? 14:46 What punishment fits the crime 18:38 City's PR machine and the media 21:45 Everton, Forest and precedent 24:26 City before the 2008 takeover 27:33 Pep's legacy and the asterisk 30:32 Wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  United Inc: Full Year Financials 23.09.2026 50min

  #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 with the extra cash, and an explainer of INEOS's own complicated, heavily leveraged business, useful context for anyone hoping Jim Ratcliffe can simply write a bigger cheque.  The episode closes on ownership: the price floor on a new buyer lifts in 2027, but with almost nobody left in the world both able and willing to pay Glazer-level prices for the club, don't expect a takeover any time soon. 0:27 Welcome and what's coming up 3:15 Full year financials: headline numbers 5:28 Matchday, ticketing and commercial revenue 10:04 Profitability and cash flow 14:43 Debt, interest and the stadium land 23:14 Guidance 28:50 INEOS explained 35:10 Ownership, the 2027 price floor and potential buyers --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  MUWFC Show: Parking the Bus at the Emirates 22.09.2026 35min

  #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 league, both real chances to record a first win. 0:00 Welcome, Andy 1:05 Draw with Arsenal 6:28 Assessing Eva Olid 13:02 Season expectations 24:01 League Cup 26:35 West Ham preview 28:34 WSL title race 31:18 Wrap-up -- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Tactics Show: Pressing, Possession, Performance 21.09.2026 40min

  #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 box when it matters. This needs fixing before results turn even worse. They also take apart the widely shared running-stats graphic, arguing it reflects a possession-heavy style rather than laziness, using City's own numbers as the comparison. --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- 0:27 Intro: another United draw 2:38 Is it really that bad? The xG case 5:12 Pressing issues 10:12 Midblock or press? Personnel and compromise 12:50 In possession: breaking down in the final third 16:44 Attacking dynamics and Bruno's role 27:08 Running stats 33:05 Wrap-up If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Fine Margins, Same Mistakes 20.09.2026 1h 3min

  #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. --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- 0:00 Introduction 1:05 Team selection 15:45 Defence, build-up and player profiles 22:56 Carrick's game model 27:31 Ownership, finances and transfer strategy 35:15 Martinez's own goal 47:14 Verdict on Carrick 50:23 International break 55:07 Wayne's new book and sign-off If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Banter Club is Back 17.09.2026 1h

  #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 games last season doing something much simpler. There's also a discussion of the JJ Gabriel contract saga, with both urging caution about how much scrutiny a 15-year-old should be under. But scepticism that his camp's version of events reflects what United would realistically have offered. They close by previewing Fulham this weekend. --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- 0:00 Introduction: 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton 1:31 Reaction: anger at Old Trafford 4:13 Positives: Shea Lacey 7:00 Yoro and Heaven 12:16 Midfield, Mount and Sesko's night 20:19 Is something fundamentally wrong with Carrick's game model? 31:55 JJ Gabriel contract saga 48:02 Fulham preview 55:30 Wrap If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  No Question About That Offside 14.09.2026 55min

  #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. Taking Tielemans off after the goal made things worse by removing United's only real tempo-setter.  There's a more uncomfortable argument too: that Maguire and Martinez's lack of pace makes Carrick's front-foot style impossible. One of Yoro or Heaven has to take over.  Finally, a look ahead to Brighton in the League Cup and Fulham before the international break. --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- 0:27 Intro: United 0-1 City 1:40 Team selection 5:46 Carrick's tactics: clogged middle, forced wide 24:01 VAR decision: goal that wasn't 40:51 Maguire, Martinez, Yoro and Heaven 47:07 Looking ahead: Brighton and Fulham 51:35 Wrap If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  United, Inc: Economics of a Record Transfer Window 11.09.2026 48min

  #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 relentless trading, Villa turning their squad over for a tidy profit, Everton and Crystal Palace both looking primed for a sale and Spurs spending like a club that's given up on ever being bought.  The pod closes on the outlook: United's transfer debt clears over the next 12 months, creating real flexibility next summer, just as Maguire, Shaw and a stack of big contracts come up for renewal. --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- 0:28 Intro 2:29 Transfer market: money cycling in the Premier League 5:57 How United funded the window 8:48 United's wage bill 11:39 Why United didn't sell 15:11 Manchester City 16:05 Chelsea's player trading machine 20:58 Aston Villa 24:08 Everton 27:35 Crystal Palace 29:09 Spurs' spending spree 33:45 Liverpool 37:08 Looking ahead to next season 43:00 Wrap-up If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Sabah Ranks as Fine Champions League Victory 11.09.2026 1h 2min

  #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 and 15-year-old JJ Gabriel's UEFA Youth League debut hat-trick. The pod closes by previewing a much tougher test: Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.  --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- 0:28 Introduction 1:58 United 4-0 Sabah: the verdict 6:14 Team selection 11:19 Left-back debate: Dorgu vs Shaw 16:21 Cunha, the front line and Carrick's system 23:47 Midfield: Mainoo and Tielemans 42:49 Youth team victory 45:40 Manchester City preview If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Tactics Show: Stop the Press? 07.09.2026 31min

  #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 Old Trafford, where sitting deeper and playing on the counter looks like the best plan. 0:00 Intro: Everton 2-2 United 2:07 Buildup and central progression 5:10 Box presence and the final third 8:01 Picking the best XI 11:59 Pressing problem 15:39 Goals conceded and game management 19:02 Substitutions and Carrick's decisions 21:51 Champions League draw and the derby --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Two Bangers 07.09.2026 1h 12min

  #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. 0:00 Introduction 2:31 Everton 2-2 United: the verdict 5:06 Structural problems and United's new style 8:17 Team selection: Cunha, Bruno 18:56 Goals and defensive errors 23:08 Substitutions and game management 25:02 Bigger picture 28:25 Sabah preview, Champions League 36:02 1991 Cup Winners' Cup memories 39:45 Interview: Dan Williamson If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  No More Dumb Money 03.09.2026 47min

  #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 the fanbase is angry and the manager is on their side. United should be favourites, but how will the visitors shape up after last week’s victory? 0:00 Introduction 1:45 Verdict on United's window 3:55 Costs and financial headroom 9:23 United's left-back problem 16:35 Zirkzee-Camara-Balogun standoff 21:11 Loans out 29:48 Everton preview 41:28 Wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Tactics Show: Brilliant Mainoo, Problems with the Press 31.08.2026 33min

  #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 with a positive verdict on Ipswich as a team for the rest of the season. 0:00 Intro: United 5-2 Ipswich 3:46 Today's talking points 4:29 How Ipswich evaded United's press 9:59 Martinez transforms the buildup 13:42 Mainoo and Tielemans in midfield 19:30 Cunha and Bruno: two false nines 24:43 Verdict on Ipswich and the wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Oh, You Feel Better, M*therfuckers? 31.08.2026 52min

  #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 that United’s could have been more ambitious than a net spend that trails Coventry and Ipswich. 0:00 Introduction
 1:06 Reacting to United's 5-2 win
 5:39 Midfield: Tielemans and Mainoo
 14:40 Marcus Rashford's return
 17:46 Front three, fullbacks and squad balance
 22:58 Defence concerns: Maguire, Martinez, Shaw
 25:04 Bruno's hat-trick and Maguire's 'goal'
 27:20 Pressure, tactics and pressing
 29:28 Transfer market: Amad bid and left-back hunt
 39:44 Baleba, Sesko and squad depth
 43:22 Net spend and club ambition
 44:37 Sign-off --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Back in the Champions League 28.08.2026 55min

  #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. It’s to the detriment of the club not its benefit. The pod finishes with a preview of Ipswich at home and why this one matters more than it should after Hull. 0:00 Intro 0:52 Champions League draw circus 2:19 United's opponents: Bayern and Atlético 5:40 Sporting, Villarreal and the rest of the draw 13:00 League phase maths 15:25 Tactics: possession vs counter-attacking 18:29 Left-back search 27:03 Why United can't sell players 35:05 Ex-United pundit machine 40:45 Ipswich preview and team selection 50:01 Outro --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  The Tactics Show: Aerial Problems and Too Many Crosses 24.08.2026 30min

  #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.  Why was Bruno under-par and has the reaction been over the top? How do Tielemans and Bruno better dovetail in future? What were United doing with their possession game? How did Hull force United wide and into playing aimless crosses? Why are United having problems with physicality and aerial duels? There’s a cautiously optimistic look ahead to Ipswich: trust the system, cut down the aimless crossing and give the new midfield time to settle.  0:00 Intro and agenda 1:28 First reactions: bullied by Hull 3:43 Bruno Fernandes' performance 9:28 Hull forcing United wide 17:28 Solutions: overloads and switches 20:53 Aerial duels and United's size problem 23:06 How much should we panic? 25:59 Outro --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  United Inc: Bezos, Liverpool and the Transfer Market 24.08.2026 1h 2min

  #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. The second half of the pod covers the wider transfer market: Tottenham's spending after two bottom-third finishes, Chelsea's need to sell under their settlement agreement, and a longer discussion of whether the squad cost ratio is fair on clubs like Newcastle and Villa. The answer, broadly, is that it isn't as unfair as often claimed. 0:00 Intro2:13 Bezos Liverpool consortium10:16 Amazon, media rights and conflicts of interest16:16 United's transfer spend and SCR position22:31 Rashford's future27:35 Big-six spending across the league39:54 Is SCR anti-competitive?45:51 Salary caps, owner-funding, potential exits49:34 EFL losses and the Premier League deal55:21 Ticket prices and the pyramid56:22 Wrap-up --- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/NQAT --- If you are interested in supporting the show and accessing a weekly exclusive bonus episode, check out our Patreon page or subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Supporter funded episodes are ad-free. NQAT is available on all podcast apps and in video on YouTube. Hit that subscribe button, leave a rating and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices