Antonio Conte labels Ruben Amorim 'arrogant' over handling of Rasmus Hojlund as Napoli boss takes obvious swipe at axed Man Utd head coach

After struggling to find consistency in front of goal under Amorim’s stewardship, Hojlund was told he was surplus to requirements at United last summer. 

The 22-year-old - who scored just 10 goals in 52 appearances in 2024-25 - was keen to stay and fight for his place at the Red Devils, only to be pushed closer to the exit door.

But after joining Italian champions Napoli on loan with an obligation to buy in September, Hojlund has not looked back after flourishing under Conte’s tutelage.

The former Atalanta striker has scored six goals in 16 appearances in the league this season, while he has netted twice in five Champions League games and once in the Supercoppa Italiana, which the Partenopei won following their 2-0 victory over Bologna in December.

While Hojlund has been thriving in Naples, Amorim was dismissed by United at the start of January. The ex-Sporting CP boss was relieved of his duties after a breakdown in relations with the club’s hierarchy, with the 40-year-old’s preferred 3-4-3 system reportedly drawing criticism from the boardroom.

United - who have since named former player Michael Carrick as their caretaker manager until the end of the season - said in a statement after Amorim's sacking: “With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club's leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change.

“This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish. The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future.”

And following his departure from United, Amorim’s treatment of Hojlund has been greeted with a scathing attack by Conte.

Speaking ahead of Napoli’s home clash against Sassuolo in the league on Saturday, the former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager said: “Some young coaches nowadays are arrogant and don’t want to adapt. They see a young striker struggling, and instead of training him, they blame him.

“They always complain and blame everyone but themselves, because everything is handed to them on a silver platter.”

While Hojlund, Conte and Napoli try to keep pace with Serie A leaders Inter Milan by beating Sassuolo this weekend, United - on the other hand - will look to secure a morale-boosting victory over rivals Manchester City in Saturday’s derby in the Premier League.

Speaking ahead of his first game in charge since replacing Amorim, Carrick - who represented the club as a player between 2006 and 2018 - said: “Listen, I'm here because I enjoy the role and I wanted to do it and I'm hugely privileged to be in this position. So that's kind of where I am. It doesn't change whatever the term, whatever the length, I'm here to do my best. Hopefully, I've got a lot of experience of what it takes and where we need to get to and I'll try and help with that.”

Inheriting a United side who are low on confidence following their FA Cup third round loss against Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, Carrick says his arrival is a “fresh start” for his players, who are currently seventh in the league and just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.

“I've got a lot of belief in that, and as I've just said, confidence and a feeling, and things can go in a different direction very quickly, and I've got a lot of belief in the boys,” former Middlesborough manager Carrick added. “I'm not going to tell you everything about how we're going to do it because I’d be a bit silly to do that, but I think tactically and as a team, what we want to look like and things that we feel can help us and be hugely positive in what we can achieve.”