Two alternate futures for Manchester United will clash at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as the Red Devils welcome Tottenham Hotspur. Erik ten Hag is in the early stages of his United reboot but it is a task that could just as easily have fallen to Spurs boss Antonio Conte. When the club parted company with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November 2021, they were criticised for waiting too long. This was because Conte had been available since leaving Inter Milan in May. When an offer from United was not forthcoming, the ex-Juventus boss joined Tottenham. Solskjaer would last less than three weeks beyond Conte’s appointment at Spurs.
A combination of faith in Solskjaer and stylistic concerns are the reasons Conte was never significantly pursued. While broader than Barcelona’s ingrained tiki-taka or Ajax’s demand for Total Football, United have cast themselves as purveyors of a certain identity. To put it simply, the club prides itself on attacking football and the fact that a high proportion of academy graduates have turned out in the famous red, white and black. These values are anathema to Conte, whose reputation was built on getting the most out of veterans while peddling a defensive but ultimately incredibly effective playing style.
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While Conte may not have suited the platonic ideal of a Manchester United manager, it would not be the first time the Glazers had strayed from the favoured path at Old Trafford. Solskjaer’s predecessor, Jose Mourinho, ticked many of the same boxes as Conte. A cult of personality manager who was better at maximising experienced players than developing youngsters. A defensive, win-at-all-costs style of football. The fact Mourinho and Conte have managed three of the same clubs; Inter, Chelsea and Spurs, is no coincidence. A club set up to handle one of them is well-calibrated to suit the other.
The real separation between the two comes in their respective abilities today. Conte is closer to his prime than Mourinho. The Portuguese coach has not lifted a league title for any club since his 2014/15 Premier League triumph with Chelsea. Conte has scooped a Serie A title with Inter and an English title, also with Chelsea, during that period. The 53-year-old also spent two of the years since Mourinho’s last league win managing Italy.
If United were willing to compromise their ideals for Mourinho, why not Conte? Perhaps it was a case of not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past. A League Cup, Europa League and Community Shield was as good as it got for Mourinho. A distant second-place, later bettered by Solskjaer, was his best league achievement. It stands to reason that even ownership as football-deficient as the Glazers could see that appointing a coach in the Mourinho mould would be a backward step.
Instead they went for an attacking idealogue from the aforementioned Ajax. Tactical maturity was sorely lacking under Solskjaer and, while Conte would have brought that in spades, Ten Hag does so in a more forward-thinking way. He is yet to prove himself to be a coach on the level of Conte. The Italian’s reputation and trophy cabinet speak for themselves. But some managers are better fits for certain clubs.
Conte has been successful turning the featureless Spurs of Nuno Espirito Santo into a solid, reliable unit. They are hard to break down and even harder to beat. The stardust arrives in the form of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son. He has also recruited smartly, with the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison giving Spurs the most attacking depth they have enjoyed in years. But the defence is still where they build from primarily, and they do so effectively enough to sit third in the league table. They also sit atop Champions League Group B with four games played. Spurs are buying what Conte is selling. It’s working.
The same is true at Old Trafford, to an extent. Conte has had almost a year to fashion his men into a well-oiled machine. Perhaps that is the greatest outcome of his possible tenure at Old Trafford. If they had acted faster and hired him, then the Ralf Rangnick mess never takes place. United would presently be one-year into a cycle under Conte, if the Glazers had managed to keep him happy that is. But would it be the cycle the club wants for themselves? Arguably not.
Ten Hag is trying to craft United into a high-energy, high-pressing, proactive outfit. It is a style that, if done well, should suit the history of the club down to the ground. We likely won’t know how it’s going until he too has had a year in the job. After all, this season has featured a hammering by Brentford, shipping six goals in a Manchester derby and wins over Liverpool and Arsenal. Form is transient at this point in time, but Ten Hag must use this time to instil something deeper. Conte has done it at Spurs and the Dutchman must prove he is the right man for the job by doing the same.
At this early stage it looks like both clubs actually got what they needed. Spurs are back in the Champions League and playing better than they have since the era of Mauricio Pochettino. It isn’t always riotously entertaining but there’s enough spirit and spark to sustain the fanbase. Meanwhile, Ten Hag is in the early throes of trying to make United a cohesive, attack-focused side. Will it work? Who knows. But the attempt itself is more than recent United coaches have managed. For now, Conte and Ten Hag are exactly where they need to be.
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