Manchester United have been warned that appointing Antonio Conte would be the wrong decision, with former Premier League defender William Gallas arguing the players could not adapt to the Italian's demands. Conte is one of the managers linked with the club amid pressure on Michael Carrick.
United sit 17th in the Premier League table, outside the bottom three only on goal difference. They will look to end a run of seven league games without a win when they host Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Gallas warns against Conte appointment
Reports suggest United have first refusal on Conte, who is out of work after leaving Napoli in the summer. Reports in Italy indicate the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss is keen on the United job should the club decide to make a change.
Gallas, speaking to SeatPick, said: "I don't know if Antonio Conte can fix Manchester United because from what I understand now the players in that dressing room are completely different from the players 10, 15 or 20 years ago."
He added: "If you bring in Antonio Conte, you know he has a big personality. You know he will ask his players to adapt to his system, but I don't know if the players at Manchester United can do this. It's a different generation. Now you have to adapt to the players at this club, not just the players adapting to you. It has to be a compromise."
Gallas points to recruitment issues
Gallas argued that the problem lies with the players United have signed, saying they are not at the level required. "With all the respect I have for other clubs, Manchester United are not Coventry City. They are not Crystal Palace. We are talking about Manchester United," he said.
"They should only be signing the best players to play for the club but time and time again they have made big mistakes. Antonio Conte cannot change that. No manager can. You have to look higher up at the club first."
Carrick laughs off Ferguson comparison
Pressure on Carrick was eased by the midweek comeback win over AS Roma in the Champions League, with United coming from 2-0 down to record a 3-2 victory. The result drew comparisons to the win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round in January 1990, which saved Sir Alex Ferguson's job.
Carrick laughed off suggestions that history could repeat itself, saying: "It's up to us to take it forward. As a one-off night, it was a fantastic night. I thought we played really, really well and deserved the game. Nothing's done yet. Nothing's achieved yet, and it's one moment in time that we need to use to move forward."
He did not rule out emulating Ferguson's subsequent success, adding: "It's not impossible. Anything's possible. You've got to build, you've got to be realistic. Success does take time, and we don't like having to spend time, but it does take a period of time to build. There are no shortcuts to it. In the end, that's where you get to, but it's definitely possible."
