Ashley Young has said that appointing Antonio Conte at Manchester United could turn into a "disaster," citing the Italian coach's punishing methods and the club's recent running statistics. Young, who played under Conte at Inter Milan, made the comments on The Overlap Daily, as reported by LiveScore.
His warning comes as pressure builds on United manager Michael Carrick. According to LiveScore, the club has collected only seven points from its first seven Premier League matches, and Conte has been mentioned as a possible alternative if a decision is taken on Carrick's position.
Conte, 57, has been without a club since leaving Napoli in the summer. He has won six league titles across England and Italy, and he recently spoke about his wish to rebuild a fallen giant, which has added to speculation about a move to Old Trafford.
Why it matters
United's slow start has turned the manager's seat into the biggest story at the club, and Conte's name carries weight because of his track record. A coach with six league titles to his name would normally be treated as a strong candidate for any major vacancy.
Young's intervention complicates that picture. He is not a distant observer: he spent time inside Conte's squad at Inter, and his account describes a regime that pushes players and executives alike. If United's hierarchy is weighing a change, his remarks set out the risks as plainly as the rewards.
A regime of long meetings and hard running
Young described Conte as relentless on the training ground and on the touchline. He compared Conte's sideline behaviour to Diego Simeone's, saying the coach can be heard constantly during matches. Sessions, he said, were physically demanding, built around extensive running and frequent full-pitch 11-versus-11 drills, which he admitted could become tedious at times.
The meetings, according to Young, were the harder part. He said a review after a defeat could run for three or four hours and bring everything else to a halt.
Young also suggested that Conte's intensity wears on more than just the dressing room. In his view, the coach tests the patience of club boards as well as players, and that strain helps explain why his spells at clubs tend not to last. People around him, Young said, eventually reach the point of deciding it is time for him to leave.
The running question at Old Trafford
Young tied his warning directly to a statistic that has followed United this season. A great deal has been said about the team's running figures, and he argued that a squad unwilling to cover ground would struggle badly under Conte.
That point lands at a club already under scrutiny for its work rate. Conte's approach depends on players accepting heavy physical loads and repeated tactical instruction. Where that commitment exists, his teams have won titles in England and Italy. Where it does not, the relationship can sour quickly.
Young's comments do not settle whether United would pursue Conte, and no decision on Carrick's future has been confirmed. They do, however, give the club's decision-makers a detailed account of what hiring him would involve, from the former player who lived through it.
What to watch next is whether United's results improve enough to quiet the speculation, and whether Conte's stated interest in reviving a struggling club draws a formal approach from Old Trafford.
