When manager Antonio Conte decided to walk away from Inter Milan, following the Italian club’s decision to cut back on their spending and sell off vital players from their squad that won the Scudetto last season.
During Conte’s unemployment, some pundits hoped the Italian manager would be a prime candidate for Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjær had been on the hot seat before, but instead of firing their manager, they decided to stay with him.
In his column for the Daily Mail, Martin Samuel stated that Manchester United missed the boat on hiring Conte when they had the chance.
“United made a mistake. Not long term, perhaps, because that would pre-judge Ten Hag’s capabilities. Yet we do not have to speculate about what Conte can do. He’s already doing it, and we can see it on the field,” Samuel said. “Since the start of 2022, only Liverpool have picked up more points than Tottenham, and points per game this season have gone up from 1.5 before Conte to 2 after him.”
“Might Harry Maguire have benefitted from time with the man who has made Tottenham’s defense function effectively again? Might Marcus Rashford have been reinvigorated by the coach who is getting some of the best football of his career from Kane?”
Tottenham got the hiring right when the appointed Conte in November following the sacking of Nuno Espírito Santo. Since his arrival, the 52-year-old has steered the ship and now has Spurs in a top-four position, three points above their north London rival, Arsenal.
If Conte takes Spurs to new heights and Manchester United flounders with no trophies and struggles to reach the Champions League, then the criticism not to pursue the Italian manager will be even more criticized.