‘If you can’t run, you won’t play’ – How strict Conte could overhaul Man Utd with Cristiano Ronaldo at risk of axe

CRISTIANO RONALDO would reportedly be at risk of being benched by Antonio Conte if he replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

The Italian gaffer is the favourite to succeed the Red Devils legend should he be sacked following the humiliating 5-0 defeat against Liverpool on Sunday.

Reuters

Antonio Conte is a leading contender to replace Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gets sacked[/caption]

EPA

Red Devils forward Cristiano Ronaldo could be at risk of being dropped if he doesn’t obey Conte’s demands[/caption]

SunSport understands the 52-year-old is on a four-man shortlist of candidates being considered for the position.

Solskjaer is under huge pressure at the Theatre of Dreams with the club eight points off table-toppers Chelsea having lost three out of their last four games.

With Solskjaer known for his mild-mannered approach, former Blues manager Conte would be a stark contract in the dressing room.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Gabriel Agbonlahor revealed how his ex-Aston Villa team-mate Ashley Young lifted the lid on what it is like playing under Conte.

Young, who won the Serie A title at Inter Milan with the Juventus hero, told the Villans icon that Conte demands his players to run non stop, and will drop anyone who refuses.

Agbonlahor remarked: “I like Conte. I saw an interview he did with Thierry Henry. Henry said, ‘What would you do if a player didn’t obey your tactics?’ And Conte said, ‘I’d probably kill them’.

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“Henry is laughing but Conte is deadly serious. He says, ‘You have to respect the manager, you have to respect the tactics, you have to work hard’.

“Ashley Young, I spoke to him about Conte, he played with him at Inter. He said, ‘Non-stop running, every day in training, run run run’.

“If you can’t run, you’re not going to play in his teams. So I think he’s what that team needs.

“Someone going in there and saying, if you’re not doing what I want and you’re not doing as you’re told, you’re out.

“I don’t care if it’s [Cristiano] Ronaldo, if it’s [Mason] Greenwood, if it’s [Paul] Pogba. If you’re not doing what I want and working hard, you’re coming to sit with me.”

Running isn’t all what Conte would demand from United players, as he would also ask them to ‘make as little effort as possible’ during intercourse.

Revealing his sex tips during his time at the San Siro, he told L’Equipe magazine: “During spells of matches the players should not have sexual relations that last for long periods.

“They need to make as little effort as possible. The best position for them is if their partners go on top.

“And it is preferable that they are with their own wives.

“That way they are not obliged to put in an exceptional performance.”