Welcome to the Ornstein and Chapman podcast on The Athletic. As usual, we'll bring you exclusive

insight and stories from our team of writers. No David this week, but he's left a comprehensive

handover note for Laurie Whitwell,

who's taken care of his column this week, and Laurie will join us to go through stories,

including the effect that Edison Cavani has already had on Manchester United since joining.

Our Manchester City writer, Sam Lee, will discuss the future of Pep Guardiola,

whose contract expires in the summer, and we'll cross to Spain as well

to talk to the Athletics La Liga journalist Dermacorrigan, who will give us reactions from inside

both Barcelona and Rail Madrid after this weekend's El Classico. To read all the articles

we discuss on today's podcast in full, simply head to www.theathletic.com slash Ornstein and Chapman to sign up for just one pound a month.

So let's start with Laurie Whitwell then. The Athletics United Writer is with us. David is away this week. So you've written his column. Is this your first attempt at a coup?

It's a massive land grab.

I got the idea from Project Big Picture and thought whilst there's an opportunity strike.

So David's having a holiday, a well-earned holiday.

Do you need 14 of the other athletic writers to support you and then you'll be all right? I think I might need a bit more than that. Probably, you know, a few hundred thousand subs to back me in my attempt. But yeah, I gave it a go. Who'd be difficult to win over? Do you think Culkin would be difficult to win over? Culkin, well, yeah, no. I actually spoke to him yesterday because he was on his way down to Mollineau for the Newcastle game. So I've actually started trying to bring him around to my way thinking. It's just little by little, but hopefully, you know, by the time that David comes back, I'll get a few on my side. Best a game before he went to the Newcastle Game at Wolves

rather than after when he must have been miserable as anything,

having sat through that nonsense.

Anyhow, should we talk United first of all, then?

We don't even need to mention the other team that David always mentions.

Let's just talk United first.

Great.

Yeah, absolutely.

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