Antonio Conte has been linked with replacing Michael Carrick as Manchester United manager - but Ashley Young has explained why he'd be all wrong for the job

Ashley Young has warned Manchester United against appointing Antonio Conte. The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager has been linked with the Old Trafford post, with current boss Michael Carrick under fire.

Reports surfaced in recent weeks that the intermediaries representing the Italian have contacted United to confirm he is ready to take charge in Manchester. Sunday's 1-1 draw with Leeds United extended their run to six matches without a win, leaving them in the bottom half of the Premier League and sitting six points off the Champions League places.

Carrick has been facing questions surrounding his future since before the international break, after failing to continue the good work from last season that earned him the permanent position. While the United boss retains the backing of the players and supporters, rumours of big-name managers replacing him are increasing.

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Conte is one of those names but Young thinks he'd be all wrong for the job, having worked with him during his spell 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. "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.”

Young played 59 games under Conte, scoring five and providing nine assists during their time together at Milan. The Italian boss helped guide the Serie A giants to the Scudetto during the England international's final season at the San Siro, before returning to Aston Villa on a free transfer.

During his 16 games in caretaker charge, Carrick averaged 2.25 points per game, losing just twice and picking up an impressive 11 wins after replacing Ruben Amorim.

However, their form has suffered a significant downturn despite a summer investment that saw Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba enter the fray. Lisandro Martinez's comments in the wake of the defeat to Atletico Madrid highlighted some of the internal feelings within the squad that there was not enough backing for Carrick in the summer.

And their woes worsened on Wednesday as they were pummelled by Como. Nico Paz was the pick of the scorers for Cesc Fabregas' side with Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win, with Joshua Zirkzee grabbing a late consolation.

It was a gutless display from Carrick's side, becoming the first English side ever to concede inside two minutes in back-to-back matches. Going into the trip to Italy, they faced a mounting injury crisis with nine players out for the Champions League showdown.

Pre-match, the United boss noted that he has the backing of the hierarchy but needs to pick up wins. However, support will wane quickly after performances like Wednesday night, where they lacked any attacking threat in the opening 45 minutes, mustering up a fight in the second half, only to concede a third goal two minutes after the interval.

Carrick immediately going over to the United fanbase to apologise for the performance spoke volumes after the full-time whistle.

United are now seven matches without a win, in the bottom half of the Premier League table and facing an uphill battle in Europe to keep their Champions League chances alive.

Martinez's comments, taking aim at the club for their recruitment and, in particular, the hierarchy, were pertinent on Wednesday, with their weaknesses and vulnerability exposed. Performances like Como do pressure surrounding Carrick little favours with the increasing risk of their season fizzling out with a whimper.