Will Antonio Conte be Manchester United’s next manager?The Italian, 52, is reportedly ‘open’ to the idea of replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford.He would want reassurances from Man Utd’s hierarchy first - and understandably so - but he seems to be firmly in the frame of potential Solskjaer replacements as things stand.

When will Man Utd sack Solskjaer?

Barring a dramatic turn of events, though, Solskjaer will still be in charge of United for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Tottenham.

The under-fire Norwegian described Sunday’s 5-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool as his “darkest day” since his appointment as the club’s manager in December 2018.

United were 4-0 down by half-time and thousands of fans left Old Trafford around 30 minutes before the final whistle.

If the Red Devils lose to Tottenham (A), Atalanta (A) and Manchester City (H) before next month’s international break, it’s hard to see how Solskjaer keeps his job.

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Is Conte the right man for Man Utd?

And if Solskjaer is sacked midway through the season, United’s board may turn to the out-of-work Conte to help fix their defensive problems.

Conte demonstrated during his two-year spell with Chelsea that he can achieve success in England’s top division.

The former Italy international won the Premier League title during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge before lifting the FA Cup the following season.

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He was sacked by Chelsea at the end of his second season in charge and went on to manage Inter Milan, where he led the Italian club to their first league title since 2010.

Some Man Utd fans believe Conte would be the ideal replacement for Solskjaer because he can organise a team and doesn’t take any nonsense.

Others, such as former United captain Gary Neville, are less convinced.

Footage of Conte sums up his winning mentality

Those who feel that Solskjaer is ‘too nice’ are encouraged by footage from Conte’s time at Chelsea which shows the Italian grabbing a first-team coach, screaming in his ear and shoving him during a match against Arsenal in February 2017.

Per The Metro, the incident occurred after Gabriel Paulista had forced a save from Thibaut Courtois with a header from a Chelsea corner.

Conte, whose side won 3-1 and moved 12 points clear at the top of the table, reacted by grabbing Angelo Alessio and shoving him towards the pitch.

Watch the footage here:

Let’s check out some of the reaction from United fans:

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Asked why he pushed the first-team coach, Conte said: “Angelo is a victim [of me]! He knows me very well, and my patience.

“We had lost a man at a corner and needed to get the message. Angelo knows me very well. We win and we lose all together.”

Imagine how he would have reacted if he was in Solskjaer’s shoes on Sunday…

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Time for Man Utd to sack Solskjaer? (3 mins Watch)

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