Manchester United: Michael Bridge makes bold claim over Antonio Conte | OneFootball

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come under intense scrutiny since the 5-0 thrashing at the hands of fierce rivals Liverpool over the weekend, with Antonio Conte among the favourites to replace him.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have made a dreadful start to the new season, losing five games already in all competitions, while their performances have also been hugely disappointing.

As a result, the United board were reportedly contemplating sacking Solskjaer in the aftermath of Sunday’s humiliation, and Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge is in no doubt who his potential successor should be.

Conte’s previous stint in the Premier League was with Chelsea between 2016 and 2018, and the Italian clearly impressed the journalist during his two-year stay.

The 52-year-old won the top-flight title and FA Cup crown during his time in west London, and Bridge has now claimed that he would be tempted to bet on United winning the league this season if Conte were brought in to take over from Solskjaer immediately.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “If you sacked Solskjaer now and put Conte in, I’d probably have a fiver each way on a United title win. I rate Conte that highly, I’m obsessed with him. I think he’s just so good. It wasn’t even the best Chelsea side in the world he got to 93 points with. He had Victor Moses right wing-back.”

Is Conte to best candidate to replace OGS?

Is Antonio Conte the best candidate?

Although Solskjaer is now set to remain in the Red Devils hot seat for their trip to Tottenham Hotspur next time out, the Norwegian is surely on borrowed time. His sacking now appears inevitable given the circumstances, leading to many wondering who would be the ideal candidate to take over the reins when he eventually departs.

Conte is an obvious choice given that he’s currently unemployed and boasts an impressive CV consisting of five league titles at three different clubs.

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However, there could be doubts as to whether the fiery and confrontational Italian would fit into United’s ethos and culture.

He has never stayed in a job longer than three years and often leaves squads in need of an overhaul following his exit. United’s hierarchy must now decide whether Conte’s reputation for short-term success would be worth the potential long-term damage.