Sir Alex Ferguson’s verdict of Antonio Conte with Italian ‘waiting’ for Man Utd job
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Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson has already made it clear he is a big fan of Antonio Conte, who is among the contenders to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if the Norwegian is fired by the club’s hierarchy. His job is understood to be safe for now but with frustrations continuing to build among supporters, pressure is starting to mount on the 48-year-old ahead of a crucial run of fixtures that will see United face Atalanta (twice), Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City within a matter of weeks.
The United board are still fully in Solskjaer’s corner and will give him time to weather the storm but failure to beat Southampton, Young Boys, West Ham in the Carabao Cup, Aston Villa, Everton and Leicester has painted an all too familiar pattern.
The only saving grace for Solskjaer is that there are no clear frontrunners for his position that are fully aligned with United’s current plans and illustrious history.
Antonio Conte, however, is believed to be keen on the hot-seat, should it become available.
The Italian, who is currently working as a pundit in his homeland for Sky, has been taking some time away from the dugout following his departure at Inter Milan at the end of last season.
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His availability means he will be considered as one of the favourites for the United job, should Solskjaer be sacked.
According to Fabrizio Romano, United are yet to contact Conte or Zinedine Zidane about the prospect of taking over.
However, reports in Italy suggest Conte is holding out for United, who he has previously wanted to join.
United legend Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to have an input on any future appointment and the Scotsman has already made it clear he is a big fan of Conte, following his work with Chelsea that saw him win the Premier League and FA Cup in two seasons.
Ferguson said back in 2017: “Fantastic, you see his energy on the pitch. There’s a true saying that the team mirrors the manager, and that’s what they’ve done with him.”
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Conte’s emotive and passionate style on the touchline made him an instant hit at Chelsea before things turned sour in his second season at the club.
The 52-year-old has already shed light on what he is looking for from his next job.
He confessed to Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year: “I look for the projects instead and I am ready to stay at home if something is not convincing me.
“It has to do with vision, honesty and principles. Generally, I like challenges and I’ve accepted many of them during my career.
“Even the top clubs I coached were never the favourites when I arrived.
“However, if there’s something that doesn’t convince me I prefer not to accept, regardless of the money.”
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Conte also revealed he was keen to manage outside of Italy once again after enjoying a successful two-year stint with Chelsea.
“I would like to have more experiences abroad,” Conte added. “I think that I am not someone who is happy with just a comfortable situation. I always chose the most difficult situation instead.
“As a player, I won everything it was possible to win, but I also lost a great deal.
“When you lose, it leaves within you the desire not to experience that again, so you do everything to transmit that to your players when you are a head coach. It all comes from your scars and wanting to avoid getting more.”
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