Ashley Young has cautioned Manchester United against bringing in Antonio Conte. The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager has been linked with the Old Trafford position, with current head coach Michael Carrick coming under increasing pressure.
Reports emerged in recent weeks that representatives of the Italian have reached out to United to indicate he is prepared to take the reins in Manchester. Wednesday's crushing 4-1 defeat to Como in the UEFA Champions League stretched their winless run to seven matches, while their 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Sunday left them in the lower half of the Premier League.
Carrick has faced scrutiny over his future since before the international break, having struggled to build on the impressive work from last season that earned him the permanent role. While the United boss continues to have the support of his players and fans, speculation surrounding high-profile managerial replacements continues to grow.
Conte is among those names being mentioned, but Young believes he would be entirely unsuitable for the position, drawing on his experience working under him during his time at Inter Milan.
"I'd go with the second one. I think linking himself to the job, saying that big clubs, he wants to get the history back and whatnot," he told 'The Overlap,' via the Manchester Evening News. "I've worked underneath him at Milan. He's crazy, by the way. Like he is crazy.
"He's a bit like Diego Simeone on the sidelines. Like you hear him non-stop.
"Meetings were long. When I say long, I'm talking, if we lost the game, we could go in and do the meeting after the game and it stops literally everything and you could be there for three, four hours.
"I think that's one of the reasons why he doesn't last long at places because not just the players, he tries to test mentally, but the board as well and the owners. There has been a lot of talk about Man United's running stats. If they're not going to run and Antonio Conte goes in there, it's going to be a disaster."
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Young featured in 59 games under Conte, netting five goals and registering nine assists during their spell together at Milan. The Italian tactician steered the Serie A heavyweights to the Scudetto in the England international's final campaign at the San Siro, before the defender returned to Aston Villa on a free transfer.
Across his 16 matches as caretaker manager, Carrick averaged 2.25 points per game, suffering just two defeats and recording an impressive 11 victories after stepping in to replace Ruben Amorim.
Despite a summer spending spree that brought in Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba, the team's performances have deteriorated sharply. Lisandro Martínez's remarks following the loss to Atlético Madrid shed light on a growing sentiment within the dressing room that Carrick had not received adequate support during the transfer window.
United's misery deepened on Wednesday as they were dismantled by Como. Nico Paz was the standout scorer for Cesc Fabregas' side, with Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon also finding the net in a 4-1 victory, while Joshua Zirkzee grabbed a late consolation.
It was a spineless showing from Carrick's men, as they became the first English side ever to concede inside two minutes in back-to-back matches. Heading into the trip to Italy, they were already battling a mounting injury crisis with nine players ruled out for the Champions League clash.
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Before kickoff, the United manager acknowledged the backing of the club's hierarchy but stressed the need for results. That support, however, will erode rapidly following capitulations like Wednesday's, where the team offered virtually no attacking threat in the opening 45 minutes before mounting a second-half response, only to concede a third goal just two minutes after the restart.
Carrick's immediate decision to approach the traveling United supporters and personally apologize for the performance said everything after the final whistle.
Martínez's remarks felt especially relevant on Wednesday, as United's frailties were ruthlessly exposed. Displays like the one against Como only intensify the pressure on Carrick, with the very real danger of the season petering out without purpose.