IAN LADYMAN: Man United were mocked for missing Antonio Conte, but he doesn't suit the club anyway

There was a time when we laughed at Manchester United for their refusal to contemplate a move for Antonio Conte but I am not sure that’s an option now.

Under Erik ten Hag, United have some way yet to travel. For example, they still have much to prove when things go against them. The memories of those ten goals shipped at Brentford and Manchester City cannot simply be wiped.

But there is a sense of calm thoroughness about what Ten Hag is doing at Old Trafford and it is something United have needed for so very long.

Even amid the narcissistic chaos wreaked by Cristiano Ronaldo, the new United manager has somehow managed not to add unnecessarily to the drama. There is skill, great courage and confidence involved in that.

At Tottenham under Conte it is different. The Italian is a great watch. His team have made progress under him. But there is always a noise around Conte’s management and his rhetoric churns and turns with all the regularity of a washing machine cycle.

With January not that far away – at least not in his mind – Conte has already pressed play on his favourite subject, the need for new players. A dramatic outburst against the perceived injustices of VAR following last Wednesday’s Champions League game briefly interrupted the flow on that topic but we can be sure he will return to his favourite theme before long.

The crux of the matter with Conte is simple. He doesn’t seem to have a great desire to manage for the long-term, to coach and to develop. He forever looks like a man in a hurry, someone who wants to turn up, win and then, sooner rather than later, move on to the next challenge.

In his ideal world, Conte would maybe arrive at a club to be presented with a bespoke set of players already fit for purpose. But where does that happen in the modern game? PSG? Real Madrid? Maybe.

Conte is very good at what he does. Reaching the top four with Spurs last season was a real achievement. If he takes Tottenham past Marseille on Tuesday and in to the last sixteen of the Champions League, that’s another one. For all the musings from some about his playing style, Tottenham are third in the Premier League, ahead of Chelsea, Liverpool and indeed United.

But none of that means he would have worked out at Old Trafford. After four sackings and one strange interim appointment – Ralf Rangnick – since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, United are in need of a long-term strategy, vision and pathway like perhaps no other club in the Premier League.

Conte was never going to be a fit for that. United remain progressive under Ten Hag but there will be setbacks for sure. The Dutchman’s squad lacks depth. The Ronaldo saga, meanwhile, will role on in to January and perhaps even beyond.

So there is always a loud enough din around Manchester United. The last thing the club needs is a coach who adds to that, a manager who constantly has one eye on the next contract, the next confrontation or indeed the next opportunity somewhere else.

Conte has given Tottenham the sharp jolt they needed and they are already the better for it. But United needed something different altogether. The briefing last winter was that Conte’s style of management would ‘not suit’ United’s players. That felt like something other than the main reason for their disinterest in him and it certainly feels like that now.

Super League founders struggle in Europe

So three founding members of the proposed Super League have failed to make it out of the Champions League group stages. Plenty to find funny in that.

But the fact Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid can expect to immediately be ushered in to the Europa League as third-placed teams serves again to show how skewed our game has already become in favour of the established order.

Failure is failure. It should not come with a parachute attached.

Ings' heartwarming mascot act

Sometimes it’s the small things that tell you the most. And so to Aston Villa and Danny Ings.

Finding himself paired with young mascot Riley Regan before Villa’s home game against Brentford, Ings was informed that the nine-year suffered autism and ADHD and would be wearing ear defenders to help him block out the noise of the crowd.

So as Ings and Riley walked out at Villa Park, the former Southampton and Liverpool forward wore a pair too. Ings has form for such acts of empathy and it was one of the images of the season so far.

Potter the architect of his own downfall

Watching Brighton down Chelsea so spectacularly, Graham Potter’s fingerprints were everywhere. For good, bad and indifferent.

One of Brighton’s best players was goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Early in his time at Brighton, Potter took established keeper Matt Ryan out of his team and slipped Sanchez in. It was a brave call and one he has repeated to good effect at Chelsea where Kepa Arrizabalaga is now playing ahead of previous first choice Edouard Mendy.

Brighton’s other key man on Saturday was the Belgian Leandro Trossard, a player who was played all over the field – including at wing-back – by Potter only to flourish now that he has been restored to his favoured role up front by new manager Roberto de Zerbi. Trossard’s previous season high in the Premier League was eight goals and already he has seven this time.

Which brings us to the real issue of contention here, Raheem Sterling.

Bought by Chelsea on the say so of Thomas Tuchel in the summer to spearhead the club’s attack, it felt a bit of a stretch given that scoring goals has not always come naturally to Sterling.

Nevertheless, he looks lost at wing-back as Potter tries to find a system that consistently works for him and he was arguably Chelsea’s least effective player at the Amex.

Potter is a fine coach who did not deserve to be booed on his return to Sussex on Saturday. That was pretty shameful.

But even the best managers can overthink things at times and this feels like one of those situations. Sterling is 28 next month and to try and reinvent him now seems pointless.

Just in time Gareth Southgate has some options emerging as a back-up to Harry Kane in Qatar.

Callum Wilson? Dominic Calvert-Lewin? Marcus Rashford?

In a 26-man squad there may be room for two of the three. For me, it’s Wilson on form and Rashford on experience.