Odds are cut on Conte as new boss if Jose leaves
ODDS have been slashed on Antonio Conte replacing Jose Mourinho if he leaves United.
Speculation has been rising about Mourinho’s position at the club following the defeat against Brighton and the Portuguese has cut a frustrated figure in press conferences and on the sidelines after the club failed to secure the signings he wanted this summer.
Reports earlier this month had Zinedine Zidane as favourite to replace Mourinho should he leave the club.
The former Real Madrid man is currently without a club after leaving the Champions League winners in the summer and the Frenchman is still odds on favourite to be United’s next boss. However, odds have been slashed on former Chelsea boss Conte taking over the managers role at Old Trafford, should it become vacant.
Conte is now second favourite, according to bookmakers PaddyPower, after his odds were slashed from 14/1 to 5/1.
Conte, like Zidane, is currently without a job after he was axed by Chelsea in the summer having beaten United to be crowned FA Cup winners in May.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, Carlo Ancelotti and Ryan Giggs make up the rest of the shortlist but the word coming out of Old Trafford is that Mourinho is not going anywhere.
MEN Sport reported that the Portuguese remains committed to United amid uncertainty over his position at the club.
He is determined to continue with United and has no intention of quitting the club while other reports claim executive vice chairman Ed Woodward has not intention of getting rid of the United manager even if the team lose the next two games against Spurs and Burnley. JOSE Mourinho remains committed to United amid uncertainty over his position at the club.
The Portuguese is determined to continue with United, who were shambolic in their 3-2 defeat by Brighton on Sunday.
Mourinho’s name was chanted loudly by United’s away following at the Amex Stadium, where the United manager repeatedly raised his hand to thank them and applauded their support.
Fans on the Red Issue main forum have provided additional backing for Mourinho by arranging for a plane banner to protest against the club’s Glazer family owners and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. A message that reads ‘ED OUT - LUHG’ is scheduled for a flyover against Burnley at Turf Moor on September 2.
United failed to secure two priority transfer targets in the summer and Mourinho was frustrated by a lack of face-time with Woodward during their turbulent pre-season tour.
Mourinho had asked for a sit down with Woodward in the United States but was informed the United chief was ‘busy’ ahead of the August 9 transfer deadline.
Woodward attended United’s first and last tour matches in the United States in Phoenix and Miami and was filmed hurriedly catching up with Mourinho in the Hard Rock Stadium tunnel after the win over Real Madrid. Mourinho was mystified by suggestions he had United’s full backing in a window where the club spent just £73.2m on three signings, which was £67.7m down on their expenditure a year ago. Liverpool recruited four new players at a cost of £176.7m and Mourinho commended Jurgen Klopp’s aggressive approach in Los Angeles.
The M.E.N was told the United board vetoed some of Mourinho’s recommended options on account of ‘short-termism’ and the club was reluctant to go with the post-Neymar market inflation.
Toby Alderweireld, Willian and Ivan Perisic are all 29 and United only signed the 29-year-old Alexis Sanchez in a January swap deal.
Mourinho and the United hierarchy were also split over Anthony Martial’s future as the club refused to cut their losses of a 22-year-old they invested up to £57million in three years ago.
The failure to offload Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian partly contributed to United missing out on Tottenham’s Alderweireld and Juventus left-back Alex Sandro.
United’s squad is expected to be bolstered by the returns of Nemanja Matic and captain Antonio Valencia against Tottenham on Monday. Sanchez could also return from injury.