Man Utd Manager Target Responds to Links of Premier League Return
Antonio Conte would not currently appear to be pining for a return to management, particularly not the meat grinder that is modern Manchester United.
The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss has been one of the names linked with a potential appointment at United, who have endured an underwhelming start to the new season. The pressure is not yet insufferable for Michael Carrick, but a failure to rediscover the sort of form which inspired his permanent appointment over the summer may cause the itchy trigger fingers in United’s boardroom to twitch.
The prospect of a manager as illustrious as Conte bouncing around free agency will only ramp up the speculation. However, the Premier League winner has played down his ambitions of a swift return to the dugout.
Conte had to virtually dial into an Italian festival celebrating his legendary former Juventus side over the weekend. “I would’ve liked to be there with you, but at this moment I am not in Italy,” he grinned. “I’m still enjoying my vacation, seeing as this year I have the opportunity to rest and relax.”
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There would be no time for any R&R in the goldfish bowl of Old Trafford, although Conte’s intensity is part of his appeal. The manager whose “words assault you,” according to his former player Andrea Pirlo, has a rampant league record, winning five Serie A titles with three clubs (Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli) while also lifting the Premier League during his first season at Chelsea. Even his record at Tottenham Hotspur, who qualified for the Champions League under his watch and were fifth when he left the following year, looks impressive in light of the turmoil which has followed.
The appeal of Conte for most Manchester United fans is obvious, but one of the Old Trafford regulars with the loudest voice has poured cold water on this idea in the past.
Conte’s Stylistic Clash With Man Utd
When Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s role at Manchester United came under scrutiny in 2021, there was a widespread clamor to appoint Conte. Gary Neville was one of the few public figures who railed against the idea. “He’s a great manager but I think certain managers fit certain clubs and I don’t think Conte fits United personally,” the former United right back argued. “As I say, great manager but doesn’t feel right for me that one.”
“He’s not a fit for United.”
Neville’s argument was that United would be best advised avoiding a “hitman” type. The club had been burned by targeting a serial winner such as José Mourinho. For the few trophies that the Portuguese boss won, the scorched earth he left behind had a far longer lasting impact.
Conte has not exactly mellowed in the five years since Neville’s verdict. The outspoken Italian combusted at Tottenham, unleashing a withering takedown of the club’s fundamental character. He would win again at Napoli, steering the club to only their second ever Serie A title without Diego Maradona, but was constantly fighting with his players and upper management, invariably about transfers, or a lack thereof.
“At Napoli I failed in one thing: I didn’t bring unity to the environment and so it’s difficult to compete with others,” Conte admitted when he stepped down over the summer. “I failed because I didn’t unite everyone and I put my hands up. I realize that things cannot be changed.”
United is a fragile environment which needs plenty of unity. Carrick offers that calm head which will avoid combustion but he may also lack Conte’s proven killer edge.
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