The Athletic FC Podcast Network.

Welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Ayur Akimwalere.

This week, it all lies on Bill Bauer as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the Europa League final.

Is that the goal to send Manchester United to build out for the Europa League final.

Today we'll focus on Ruben Amarim's side asking what would success mean for Manchester United.

So here with us today we have Mark Critchley and our Manchester United correspondent,

Laurie Whitwell as well, who is fresh from recording Talk of the Devils.

Right, Manchester United fell to their 18th Premier League defeat of this season at Stanford Bridge

on Friday night, Laurie. I mean, Ambringfielded a full squad, but with a final on the horizon, I don't know if this is the best preparation at all, is it?

Well, I mean, he said that he wanted to get that competitiveness in their legs, that kind of feeling of a game, a contest to get them energized, I suppose, for what is going to be a huge occasion in Bilbao.

I mean, Josie took a totally different approach when they had the final in 2017.

He basically rotated his full team.

I think Pogba was maybe the one survivor from the final Premier League game to then the

start in Stockholm.

But, I mean, United won that game 2-0, but it was a very,

I don't know,

workman-like,

kind of quite a

difficult game

to get through,

really.

And so were they still

...