TA: Conte Is difficult to work with; If MU reject him for that reason alone, that's their problem

After the 0-3 loss to AFC Bournemouth, The Athletic analyzed Manchester United's current situation.

Following Manchester United's latest defeat, it's hard not to sympathize with Carrick. On Sunday, Manchester United suffered another comprehensive home loss to AFC Bournemouth.

Carrick spent 12 years at Manchester United as a player, winning 5 Premier League titles and 1 Champions League trophy. He transitioned directly into coaching after retirement and has now theoretically secured his dream job.

But a dream job shouldn't look like this. From his expression after Sunday's match, the tremor in his voice, and the emptiness in his eyes, you can't help but feel that, from a human perspective, stepping down would be the right choice. Manchester United's current predicament and the decisions that led to it shouldn't be taken out on Carrick.

Therefore, a managerial change is possible—even likely. Discussions have begun about who Manchester United should target next. If there's any silver lining to Manchester United's bleak situation, it's that they have numerous options.

Conte stands out as the most prominent candidate. This coach has won titles at every club he's managed, except Tottenham. While Tottenham's shortcomings aren't entirely his fault, he did secure Champions League qualification in his first season after arriving in early November—roughly the same point in the season as now. Beyond that, he wins quickly: Premier League title in his first season at Chelsea, Serie A in his second at Internazionale, and Serie A again in his first season at Napoli.

Carrick appeared visibly distressed during Manchester United's loss to AFC Bournemouth. Since that defeat, Manchester United have now gone eight consecutive matches without a win.

It may be unrealistic to expect Conte to win the Premier League in his first season or two at Manchester United. But if anyone in world football can do it, he can. He is currently available and appears willing to take the job, provided he receives a certain degree of control.

However, as The Athletic reported last week, concerns exist within the club. Several informed sources told The Athletic they would be "very surprised" if Manchester United ultimately chose Conte over other candidates.

And choosing someone other than Conte could be a perfectly reasonable decision.

Manchester United might believe that Eddie Howe's experience rebuilding Newcastle United, combined with his Premier League pedigree, makes him the ideal candidate. Howe could be the safest, most forward-thinking choice—capable of building a long-term club culture and stable environment, something Manchester United has desperately lacked over the past decade.

They might believe Nagelsmann's experience navigating internal politics at elite clubs makes him suitable. His time at Bayern Munich and with the German national team, while turbulent, has seasoned him.

They might believe they should pursue a youth-oriented approach and bet on Fabian Hürzeler's impressive work at Brighton & Hove Albion: a coach capable of establishing a clear, cohesive playing identity—something that has yet to fully emerge under Carrick.

They might believe they can lure Emery away from Aston Villa. After all, Emery transformed Villa from relegation contenders into Champions League qualifiers and delivered their first European trophy in 44 years; he might replicate that success at Old Trafford.

You can make a compelling case for any of these candidates without sounding unreasonable. Howe, Nagelsmann, Hürzeler, and Emery are all legitimate options for a club in desperate need of sound decisions.

But if Manchester United chooses one of them over Conte not because they genuinely believe these individuals are better equipped to fix Manchester United, but simply because they fear Conte's "baggage," that's an entirely different matter.

Conte's reputation precedes him: sharp, uncompromising, strong-willed, and difficult for many to work with—often including his own players and club management. He's had conflicts almost everywhere he's been, to varying degrees.

He will challenge the status quo, make demands, confront resistance directly. You can use whatever euphemism you prefer for his demanding management style. No one denies that Conte can be a difficult person to work with.

But if Manchester United's decision-makers—Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Football Director Jason Wilcox, CEO Omar Berrada, Recruitment Director Vivell, or some combination—refuse to appoint Conte simply because he is difficult to work with, that reflects far more on them than on him.

If any club's management needs challenging, needs someone to make demands, needs direct confrontation, it's Manchester United's.

If Manchester United believes Conte is too difficult to handle, that suggests they feel they don't need to be challenged. Given this group's track record of poor decisions at virtually every turn, that would be a peculiar stance.

Some might say they dislike Conte's style, but Conte could actually make things simpler. He is a calculated bet—and one that almost guarantees success.

They don't even have a credible "scorched earth" argument against him. That theory suggests Conte delivers short-term success but leaves behind destruction, making the cost questionable. Yet Internazionale's experience contradicts this: after Conte's departure, the team won Serie A under Simone Inzaghi, reached two Champions League finals, and won Serie A again under Cristian Chivu.

In short, Conte's methods work, with a wealth of evidence to prove it. As for Manchester United's decision-makers, they cannot point to similar credentials.

So, if Manchester United chooses another candidate because they genuinely believe he is the better coach, fair enough—it might work out. But if they do so simply out of fear of Conte, that is a failure of leadership and another disappointment for the club.