‘Nothing surprises you in football’; pundit sees Man Utd righting the wrongs with next appointment
Ally McCoist feels Antonio Conte could be the man to revive the fortunes of Manchester United and would not be surprised to see him at Old Trafford.
Conte, 52, replaced Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham on November 2 last year. Nuno was never a popular choice to manage the club and paid the price for a poor run of form. Italian tactician Conte made an immediate impact, with six wins and three draws in the next nine top-flight games.
However, they then lost four of the next five league outings to leave Conte questioning whether he is the right man for the job. But Spurs have now rallied to win four of their last five Premier League matches.
And they now have a chance of finishing in the top four. North London rivals Arsenal are a substantial stumbling block, however.
Mikel Arteta’s fourth-placed side are three points better off and with a game in hand. Conte has shown his class as a manager to get the best out of his charges.
McCoist insists the Red Devils should have lured the former Chelsea chief to Old Trafford already. But he believes they still have a chance of recruiting the experienced tactician.
“I think United missed the boat by not appointing Conte at the end of last year, and in normal circumstances you would think that ship had sailed,” he told FourFourTwo.
“However, nothing surprises you in football. You hear the rumours that Mauricio Pochettino wants to go back to Spurs, and doesn’t fancy United, so I wouldn’t rule out Conte going to United.”
Conte mindset questioned
Conte has always been a manager who wears his heart on his sleeve. He has won many trophies during a 16-year managerial career.
But despite winning titles with Juventus, Inter and Chelsea, the ex-Italy coach always strives for more. However, he is likely to be frustrated by a lack of funds at Spurs with Daniel Levy never one to be too extravagant with the purse strings.
And McCoist feels Conte has already shown signs of being unhappy in north London when speaking to the media.
“The one thing Conte wants is financial backing, and I am not sure he is happy with what he is getting at Spurs,” he added.
“He has done a few strange interviews, and made a few comments that would indicate that is the case.
“United have great players, but they are not a great team, and I think Conte could help mould them into that. It is a time for real change.”
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