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Antonio Conte hints at Ruben Amorim's coaching failure at Manchester United as Hojlund thrives in Italy: ‘Our job is…’
Antonio Conte took an indirect dig at former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim during a press conference.
Rasmus Hojlund is enjoying a resurgence with Napoli in Serie A. The Manchester United striker is currently on a season-long loan with the Italian club, who also have an obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League next season. The deal also includes a 6 million Euros loan fee, and a potential fee for the buy option has reportedly been set at around 44 million Euros. Since his arrival, he has justified Napoli and head coach Antonio Conte's decision to bring him back to Italy, scoring six goals and bagging an assist in 16 Serie A matches. Meanwhile, he has also managed two goals in five Champions League games.
Recently, Conte was asked about Hojlund's improvement, which has been noticed by all. The former Chelsea manager took an indirect dig at Ruben Amorim, who was recently sacked by Manchester United. Hojlund showed positive signs after Erik ten Hag signed him, but under Amorim, the striker fell out of favour. The Portuguese instead roped in Benjamin Sesko, who has scored five goals in 16 matches so far.
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"Rasmus is a player who has improved so much since he first arrived. He is 22 years old, we saw great potential in him, but inevitably these lads need to be coached by people who can improve them, teach them how to work for the team, the positioning, when to go towards the ball and when to attack the space", he said.
"Our job is to keep improving all the players and make them better than when they first arrived," he added.
Carrick has taken over as head coach since Amorim's sack. This is his second stint as manager, having served as caretaker in the past after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in 2021. Then, he spent over two-and-a-half years as Middlesbrough manager.
Speaking in a press conference after his return, he said, "I didn't expect it. It's an unbelievable feeling to come back through the doors and be part of the club again."
"It's been part of my life for so long. The fact that I left the club for a number of years, but it's never left me. The family's so entwined, go to every game, season tickets. I love the place.
"To sit here as the head coach of Manchester United and looking after the first team is a huge buzz," he added.
