Hello! Welcome to a weekly column from me, Ian Irving, host of the Talk of the Devils podcast. Every Saturday during the season, I will bring you the biggest talking points from the Talk of the Devils team, along with the best of our Manchester United content from across our channels. Let me know your views, and be sure to give the podcast a watch or a listen.
With Champions League football secured, you might think in some ways that Manchester United’s season is over. Think again. On Thursday’s Talk of the Devils, we discussed the things to look out for in the remaining three matches of the campaign: from Hollywood reenactments, the emergence of new talent, and just beating “bloody Brighton”. Calm down, Andy.
Here are 11 things to keep an eye on in what’s left of United’s 2025-26 campaign…
1. Michael’s momentum motivation
The main target left in this season is to merely finish strong. It’s a cliche, of course, but only twice have United finished higher than third in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era — four more points guarantees that rank, and brings an extra windfall of around £5.5million compared to dropping down to fifth. It would also maintain the momentum behind the permanent appointment of Michael Carrick as head coach, speaking of which…
2. The Wolf of Matt Busby Way
The end of last season saw Ruben Amorim take the mic on the Old Trafford pitch to declare “the good days are coming”. He was sort of right in the end.
It was amid the comedown from losing the Europa League final in Bilbao and a last-day-of-the-season win over Aston Villa that did little other than confirm 15th place — United’s worst finish in 35 years. But with uncertainty still surrounding Carrick’s future, could he use the same platform after this season’s final home fixture with Nottingham Forest next weekend to have his Wolf of Wall Street moment? “I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving… I’m not f***ing leaving.” And the Old Trafford crowd roars, while Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada hug in the directors’ box.
Laurie playfully suggested keeping an eye out for a dramatic announcement on the pod this week. We all have a feeling the club may have a different idea to communicate any decision, of course. “The show goes on…”
3. The Bruno Fernandes Season™
These final couple of weeks may also confirm if we are indeed watching the Bruno Fernandes Season™. Will that be the way the 2025-26 campaign is referred to in the years to come? If I said to you The Robin van Persie Season, The Cole/Yorke Campaign, or even The Marcus Rashford Year, you’ll know exactly what I’m referring to. If the United captain goes on to make his own history by clinching the outright assist record in the Premier League with two more tee-ups, and then adds to his Football Writers’ Association player of the year award with the Professional Footballers’ Association equivalent from his fellow players in August, that might be enough to ensure there is only one way this season is termed in the future.
4. Selections for the short or medium term?
The team sheets are maybe a bit more of a dilemma. It’s been decisions by necessity and a bit of forward rotation until this point. But will Carrick have half an eye on next season, or just the here and now? Lisandro Martinez’s return from suspension could provide a symbol of his thinking. Ayden Heaven has largely impressed in Martinez’s absence, and sticking with the 19-year-old despite the Argentinian’s availability would be a sign of maybe more long-term planning. Sticking Martinez back in would maybe show how seriously these matches are being taken. Or maybe it’s just a decision that will be taken on merit. But as we said on Thursday’s pod, Martinez’s contract runs out in 2028 and this summer is a moment to decide whether that is extended or whether offers would be listened to before value may be lost.
5. Fringe players reminder
In line with that sort of selection decision, will some of the fringe players under Carrick be given a chance to remind everyone of their quality against Sunderland, Forest or Brighton? Noussair Mazraoui has made just three starts since the beginning of December. Mason Mount hasn’t started a game yet in 2026. Neither has Joshua Zirkzee. Manuel Ugarte has started once under Carrick. Will that situation change for any of these players to stake their claim for more regular minutes next season, or merely to put them in the shop window?
6. Shea Lacey chance
Carl made the case for more academy-player minutes on the pod, and we all agreed that first in line for those would be Shea Lacey. It would be nice to think his first-team experience this year didn’t end with that red card against Brighton in the FA Cup back in January. Simon Hooper was right to give him a second yellow for dissent that day, and it would’ve been a harsh lesson for the 19-year-old to learn. Imagine if his superb curled shot at Burnley had dipped under the crossbar rather than hitting it? A winner like that from a teenager would’ve been remembered for a long time. Those are the margins sometimes. More senior players returning in his position has seen his opportunities limited but Lacey has been around recent squads and may get a chance again before the season ends.
7. De Ligt done for the campaign?
It’s crazy to think Matthijs de Ligt’s season might have finished in November. The Dutch defender had played every minute of the Premier League season up to that point, and there was little clue to his troublesome back injury when he helped secure a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Amorim initially suggested it would only be the West Ham game the following Thursday that De Ligt would miss, but six months and 22 matches later, there’s still no sign of him returning. Maybe there’s no point in risking him now.
8. Luke Shaw’s 38
Luke Shaw has made more appearances this season than in any other campaign in his 12-year United career. He’s started every one of the 35 Premier League games so far — the only player in the squad to do that. To put it into context, only five other players across the whole Premier League can match that record. It’s even more remarkable for someone who has struggled so much with injury. The club posted a clip from an interview with the left-back this week, where he looked quite emotional talking about how much his fitness troubles have affected him down the years. It feels like it would be massive for Shaw to start the final three and complete a perfect league season of availability.
9. Casemiro’s last hurrah
What’s he got left for us? Incredible never-before-seen goalscoring feats, 6-7 celebrations, high fives for young fans in the stands mid-game, just a little sample of the memorable moments Casemiro has packed into his farewell tour. It will feel strange watching United without the veteran Brazilian ambling around midfield, dictating play, accepting cynical bookings for his team and scoring headers from Fernandes set pieces at the Stretford End. One thing is for sure: he won’t go quietly. “One more year, one more year, Casemiro,” one more time from The Red Army, including his wife, Anna, who has loved getting involved with the chants.
10. Sesko scoring
Quietly, Benjamin Sesko has found his way to 12 goals in all competitions for his debut United campaign. Maybe not so quietly in recent weeks — he’s scored 10 times in his past 15 appearances. It’s a run that started with Darren Fletcher’s interim spell in charge and has continued through Carrick’s reign. Of players who have played more than 600 Premier League minutes, he’s behind only Erling Haaland, Junior Kroupi and Igor Thiago with his minutes-per-goal strike rate. Not bad for a 22-year-old in his first season in England. Only Marcus Rashford (17 in 2022-23), Cristiano Ronaldo (18 in 2021-22) and Fernandes (18 in 2020-21) can better his Premier League tally for United in recent seasons. A couple more would be nice.
11. New kit
United will play their final two matches of this season in their new home kit for the next one. It’s something other teams have done in the Premier League, and Laurie explained on the pod that it allows new shirt sales to find their way into this season’s accounts, which could help United’s finances for a campaign with so few matches and no European competition. It will be weird not having a first glimpse of the fresh strip on new players, tanned from their holidays in a pre-season match on the other side of the world. But it might help fund new signings.
Red all over
New training-kit sponsors may not be the sexiest subject, but it feels like an important update from Laurie — and the betting company in talks with the club has caused some controversy as well.
If you’d like to take a moment to dwell on the Champions League nights that United have to look forward to next season, Andy has got your back. What does a return to Europe’s elite competition mean for the club?
Next Thursday, May 14, is the date set finally for United’s FA Youth Cup final against local rivals Manchester City. But the staging of the fixture has caused some disagreement, with the City Football Academy’s 7,000-capacity Joie Stadium chosen to host the match instead of the 53,000-seat Etihad Stadium. Laurie explains.
If you think you couldn’t love Casemiro any more, have a read of Andy’s chat with youngster Toby Collyer. They say never meet your heroes, but Collyer insists that Casemiro is one he’s very glad he got to play with, even being helped by the Brazilian in his preparation to start ahead of him in the United team. Wholesome.