Manchester United have reportedly made contact with former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, as the uncertainty surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future at the club continues to intensify.
Sky in Italy are reporting that the Old Trafford giants reached out to Conte and his representatives after the club’s embarrassing weekend defeat to Liverpool threw their season into turmoil. Additionally, Italian football expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed Conte would be open to know more about the project at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United Reportedly Open Dialogue with Antonio Conte Over Manager’s Position at Old Trafford
Faith in Solskjaer is Dwindling Among the Club’s Board
Despite their chaotic start to the season, the Manchester United hierarchy has remained steadfast in its support of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until recent weeks.
However, the nature of the team’s capitulation against fierce rivals Liverpool – Solskjaer’s side were 4-0 down before half-time – has added fuel to the fire as far as the Norwegian’s detractors are concerned.
BBC Sport have since reported that several senior players at Old Trafford are losing faith in their manager and that they feel Solskjaer lacks the nous and tactical capability to compete with the so-called ‘elite’ names in charge at other Premier League clubs.
However, while the club’s board have met in order to discuss Solskjaer’s future, sacking the former Molde and Cardiff City boss would prove problematic given the timing of his side’s latest slump.
Solskjaer himself was awarded an improved three-year contract as recently as this summer, while assistant manager Mike Phelan was also given a new deal earlier this month. Additionally, the club have also been negotiating over the extensions of fellow first-team coaches Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna.
Antonio Conte Available to Shake up the Dynamic at Old Trafford
Mixed up among the doubts swirling around Old Trafford regarding the club’s manager and the rest of his coaching staff has been the name of Antonio Conte, a manager who has been on the market since leaving title-winning Inter Milan in the summer.
Conte is no stranger to the Premier League, having led Chelsea to the English crown in 2017. The Italian also won the FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Put bluntly, this gives him far greater credentials than the man he is perhaps in line to replace. Prior to joining United, Solskjaer’s only Premier League experience as a manager was relegation with Cardiff City, while losing in cup semi-finals and finals has also become something of a theme during his tenure at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, Conte’s perception as a fiery and combustible character might see him at odds with the Manchester United board, who are known to have enjoyed the more serene approach to club management brought by Solskjaer following the departure of Jose Mourinho in December 2018.
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