PL title winner reaches decision on replacing Michael Carrick as Man Utd boss | OneFootball

Antonio Conte would be keen to replace Man Utd head coach Michael Carrick if the Red Devils give him the green light, according to reports.

The Red Devils have had a difficult start to the new season with two losses, a draw and a victory in their first four Premier League matches.

Man Utd did not impress in their 1-0 defeat to ten-man Man City on Sunday in the Manchester Derby, although they were unfortunate to lose to an Erling Haaland goal, which was incorrectly given by VAR as onside.

The Red Devils have also beaten FC Sabah in the Champions League but Carrick is already coming under pressure after an underwhelming season from the club in the transfer market.

Man Utd brought in Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba as they overhauled their midfield but neglected to improve any other areas of Carrick’s starting XI.

Carrick did brilliantly to get Man Utd to third place last season but qualification for the Champions League is now likely to put an added strain on his squad, which many don’t think is good enough to compete on multiple fronts.

And there have even been rumours that Carrick could be replaced already with a report in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera insisting that former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Conte is at the top of Man Utd’s shortlist of replacements.

Conte, who won the Premier League title at Chelsea in 2016/17, is apparently looking for the right project to get back into management with Man Utd tempted by his record of delivering titles.

And the rumours have continued into Wednesday with Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claiming that Conte ‘would be considered as an option’ to replace Luciano Spalletti at Juventus.

The report adds: ‘Conte, at his end, is waiting for possible offers and waiting by the phone. He would consider a move to Manchester United, if the Red Devils step forward for a deal. He has rejected the Italy national team and also turned down an approach from Fenerbahce.

‘This is because he is awaiting more attractive projects and a move to Old Trafford would be up his street.’

Man Utd haven’t done enough in the summer to support Carrick – Butt

Nicky Butt reckons the Man Utd board have not helped Carrick enough in the transfer market and that the former midfielder could pay with his job.

Butt said on The Good, The Bad & The Football: “I think that’s all well and good saying (Manchester United) doing (their recruitment) in sections, but if you’re a manager, you’re thinking: the forwards, they think they’re sorted.

“I don’t think they are. I think they need a number 9, an out and out number 9. They’ve gone and sorted the midfield out, which is debatable.

“I think they’ve done a decent job with that, but it could be that Michael could not even get to the next transfer window, and he could be going, ‘Well I’ve lost my job and you’re not giving me the tools to go and do my job with the back four’.

“Because certainly whatever you say about that back four, Harry Maguire’s been an unbelievable player – a top, top player – but he’s getting to a certain age now, and he is getting older, and we’ve all, we’ve all been there, haven’t we?

“You get older and you slow up or you’re not as good, not as quick.

“Martinez is still at the top of his game, he’s still a really good player.

“I love Luke Shaw. When he’s fit and playing, he’s one of the best in Europe, but it’s a fact that he gets a lot of injuries.

“The right backs, I don’t believe either of them are good enough.

“So, you’re looking as a manager or as a coach, and you’re going, ‘Well, I’m desperate to get some players in the back four’ but then it looks like the recruitment team and the powers that beat Utd are going, ‘No, that’s our next phase, and that might happen in January, it might even happen, and it’s gonna be really hard, or it’ll probably be happening in the summer’.

“That doesn’t help the coaches.”