Antonio Conte outlines vision for Man Utd amid Michael Carrick sack talk

Antonio Conte has confirmed he wants to restore a major club that has ‘lost sight of their history’ amid speculation he might replace Michael Carrick as Manchester United head coach.

Pressure is on Carrick to turn performances and results around after Man Utd endured a poor run of form heading into the international break. They won just once in five matches, a run which included a derby defeat to rivals Manchester City, a League Cup exit at the hands of Brighton and a desperately poor 1-1 draw with Fulham.

The defeat to Brighton was particularly bad, as it was the first time in 50 years that United had lost after going 2-0 up at Old Trafford.

Against Fulham, meanwhile, Carrick’s side had to be rescued by an 89th-minute deflected strike from Matheus Cunha. Gary Neville called United’s lack of effort in the build up to Fulham’s goal ‘an absolute disgrace’.

Italian source Calciomercato claimed on September 23 that United chiefs have put former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss Conte ‘top of the list’ of potential replacements for Carrick.

Eddie Howe and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler have also been linked with the role.

In a new interview with The Athletic, Conte appeared to audition for the United job, explaining how big English clubs need to spend money ‘wisely’ before outlining his desire to help a fallen giant ‘shine’ once again.

“In England today they’re using bazookas, while everywhere else they’re still using a pistol,” he said.

“But we also need to be careful about how the money is spent. That’s why we were talking earlier about making the right assessments, about having a vision, because you may well have the money, but you have to spend it wisely.”

Conte added: “If you go to a club where the history speaks for itself – a history made up of trophies, league titles and victories – you can only honour that history in one way: by having the ambition to bring that club back, if it isn’t there today, to fight for those goals.

“I know full well that only one team can win every year, but I must carry in my heart, and instil in the hearts of the fans, my players and my directors. That spark, that hope that makes you say, ‘F**k, we can win’.

“There are many clubs that have somewhat lost sight of their history. I’d like to go to one of these clubs to dust off that history and make it shine once more. Clubs where there’s pressure, where, ultimately, you know full well that you’re not going there just to take part, but to compete.”

We confirmed on September 21 that Carrick is currently safe in his role, as United have yet to contact any possible replacements.

Man Utd admire Conte, Howe

But if the 45-year-old oversees a significant decline this season, then United will surely begin to consider other options.

Conte is a proven winner, having lifted league titles with Chelsea, Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli.

However, he is an abrasive figure, as his fiery exit from Spurs showed.

If United were to appoint Conte, then there may end up being parallels with the period under former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho.

Hurzeler, meanwhile, is not exactly a big name, but he is earning plenty of praise at Brighton. The 33-year-old German has got his players working incredibly hard while playing an appealing brand of football.

But Brighton have been tipped to demand a huge £10-15m before letting Hurzeler leave. That could see United open talks for Howe instead, as the latter is currently a free agent.

Meanwhile, United have reportedly made a Spurs star their top target.