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Manchester United fan and world record-holder Usain Bolt believes Antonio Conte would have been a fantastic replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Red Devils were rumored to be considering hiring Conte last month, but chose not to move forward with the deal. The Italian tactician eventually joined Tottenham Hotspur, who sacked Nuno Espirito Santo after a 3-0 loss to Manchester United.
Speaking to The National (via Manchester Evening News), Bolt said:
“I wanted Conte. He is going to do so well at Spurs. He is going to get them organised.”
The 35-year-old went on to add that Conte has improved every team he has joined with his structuring of the squad and transfer business.
“Everywhere he goes, he structures the team so well," he said. "In January, he is probably going to get one or two players, then at the end of the season he is probably going to find proper players and bring them in.”
Bolt also pointed out how much success Conte has achieved over the years with different clubs.
“He has been at Chelsea – he won a title," he said. "He’s been at Inter Milan – he’s won a title. He’s been at Juve – he’s won a title.”
Conte has overseen two matches at Tottenham Hotspur so far. Spurs won the first game of his tenure by a 3-2 margin against Vitesse in the UEFA Conference League. The Italian's return to the Premier League was less emphatic as Tottenham only managed a goalless stalemate away to Everton.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's position as Manchester United manager hanging in the balance
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as Manchester United's permanent manager back in March 2019. Solskjaer's stint as caretaker manager following Jose Mourinho's sacking brought some encouraging results. The Norwegian also got a disjointed dressing room to fight together again on the field.
Solskjaer guided Manchester United to third place in the Premier League during the 2019-20 season, his first full campaign as the club's manager. He improved on that to take the Red Devils to second place last season.
However, Solskjaer's inability to win titles has been a common source of criticism. Under his management, Manchester United have lost knockout fixtures in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and the UEFA Europa League. They have also been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stages.
This season, there was much more optimism at Old Trafford with the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho. However, Manchester United have struggled to function as a cohesive unit.
Solskjaer's side have already exited the EFL Cup and are currently sixth in the Premier League. They are, however, top of their group in the Champions League.
Solskjaer will hope his Manchester United side can string together some victories in the coming weeks with his job hanging in the balance.
