Fabrizio Romano says Manchester United have gone cold on appointing Antonio Conte, with industry sentiment suggesting the club could be wary of his bluntness. Another report from Santi Aouna claims the Italian remains on the shortlist, however, as Michael Carrick is expected to leave in the coming days, barring unexpected developments. According to Football365.com.
Conte cools at United as Pochettino emerges as a leading contender
Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel that Antonio Conte’s name has gone “completely cold” over the past two to three weeks. According to the journalist, people close to managers believe United could be wary of the Italian because he speaks plainly to directors, owners and others at the club when the situation calls for it.
Romano also called Conte a serial winner, but described him as “brutal”. The 57-year-old has won league titles with Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli, and is not afraid to voice publicly what club owners do not always want to hear. Romano presents that trait as the reason United are hesitant over making him Michael Carrick’s successor.
A different picture came from Santi Aouna, who posted on X at 6:29pm on November 10 that super-agent Pini Zahavi is representing Conte in talks over the United job. Aouna added that, despite some doubts within the club at present, Conte remains on the shortlist alongside Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino has emerged as a leading contender in the last few days, while former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe also remains under consideration. Carrick is facing the sack, and United are currently in the Premier League relegation zone. Aouna’s post adds that Carrick is expected to leave his role in the coming days.
Former United striker Teddy Sheringham believes the club are right to sack Carrick. He said he would be very surprised if United were not already speaking to a replacement, and noted that they are 18th in the league. Sheringham argued that patience is only justified when things are improving, whereas he sees the same mistakes repeated.
Sheringham also contrasted the current team with the strong finish to last season, saying United now look unable to respond. He called the setup weird, suggesting that saying there are no plans to replace Carrick is a vote of confidence of a different kind. Responsibility, he argued, sits with Carrick regardless of any issue involving Steve Holland.
