Supposed real reason Ashworth was ditched by Manure

[ex_pat_magpie]

To my mind they both got what they deserved out of the deal.


Manchester United parted ways with Dan Ashworth after just half a year over concerns regarding his conservatism and ability to get the job done, according to reports. The former Newcastle United sporting director was seen as a bad appointment by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The claims emerged after details of how much Ashworth cost the Old Trafford outfit emerged this week in their quarterly financial report. Appointed as sporting director last July following intense talks that prised him away from Newcastle, his stint at Old Trafford was abruptly ended by December, resulting in a financial hit of ?4.1million for United.

This sum includes both his compensation deal and the fee required to release him from Newcastle. Reports from the Daily Mail suggest that United's hierarchy ended Ashworth's tenure upon realising his football acumen fell short of expectations, with insufficient background checks attributed to this oversight.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, stepping in as new co-owner, aimed to inject 'British expertise' into the fold, yet felt Ashworth's approach was too narrowly focused on UK football. Disagreements also brewed over prospective successors for Erik ten Hag and Ashworth?s analysis of the club's current state ? his candidates were deemed 'too conservative', failing to resonate with the club's new direction.

Moreover, his assessment of Manchester United was reportedly ?heavy on negatives and light on solutions?, with a source stating: "On the compass 'can do' is listed under 'words we like'. They did not see enough 'can do'."

At Newcastle, Ashworth was responsible for "overarching sporting strategy, football development and recruitment at all age levels.? He was appointed in 2022 after Newcastle approached his previous club, Brighton, for his services and Ashworth completed a period of gardening leave.

He lasted less than two years at Newcastle, before informing the club in February 2024 that he wished to leave and join Man United. He was immediately placed on gardening leave again as the two clubs conducted an at times public and acrimonious negotiation for compensation.

In July, Newcastle appointed Paul Mitchell as Ashworth's replacement. Man United, meanwhile, have opted not to appoint a successor, with CEO Omar Berrada playing an active role at Carrington and technical director Jason Wilcox seen as a crucial bridge between the players and the club's top brass. Christopher Vivell has been serving as interim director of recruitment, and his position is expected to be made permanent by INEOS.

Ashworth was the senior figure quoted when Manchester United extended former manager Erik ten Hag's contract and when the club committed to spending more than ?205m - if various add-ons are met - on Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte. The Red Devils are currently languishing in 13th place in the table and even boss Ruben Amorim labelled his side as 'maybe the worst team in the club's history' following a 3-1 defeat against Brighton at Old Trafford.

[toptoon]

A huge f*ck up from hobo Jim and ManU whichever way you look at it.

[Sclox]

Appears from a distance they saw a gift wrapped up in Gucci paper and when it was opened found Ashworth standing in Primark long johns. Good outcome for us all in all.

To be fair barring Zirkzee and De Ligt not bad signings really IMO but probably over paid. I always felt there was a hidden story behind his departure. Don't really care TBH.

The theatre of screams has taken the comedic crown we had under Ashley.

[TANYA_]

well i for one am loving it. Was never confident in Ashworth, he has all the demeanour of a Southgate man.

It will never get any better for Manure until Scarecrow Jim has gone,

he is a man that runs his companies on a shoe string and treats staff like crap,

while also being a tax exile from the country of whom he wants to buy him a stadium. That tells you all you need to know about him.

He will end up being hated by the Manc fans more than we hated the FCB.

I will smile and quietly laugh for as long as it goes on, those entitled ****s have had their day, our day is on the way

[Sclox]

But, but, but, we are Man United, don't you know?

[Ragatino]

well i for one am loving it. Was never confident in Ashworth, he has all the demeanour of a Southgate man.

It will never get any better for Manure until Scarecrow Jim has gone,

he is a man that runs his companies on a shoe string and treats staff like crap,

while also being a tax exile from the country of whom he wants to buy him a stadium. That tells you all you need to know about him.

He will end up being hated by the Manc fans more than we hated the FCB.

I will smile and quietly laugh for as long as it goes on, those entitled ****s have had their day, our day is on the way

Regardless of who is running the circus at OT the facts are simple.

They're finished as a force in football, however as a 'brand' they are in the same bracket as the Yankees, Lakers, Ferrari F1 etc.

Their commercial success, credit to the Glazers, taking an ?800m business and turning it into a ?5.5Billion one is remarkable.

The bit that everyone skims over is 'The Glazers have spent ?1.5BILLION on PLAYERS.' What is everyone talking about bad owners?

The debt repayments on their loan might be around ?600-700m however, this is how business works. The Irony is the rules they championed along with their Shill Masters and his boys are now coming back to bite them. Hubris indeed.

There isn't a way to fix that club. No one can afford to buy as the Glazers and Ratboy won't sell for less than market value. ?5.5B is ?1.5B more than it's worth as a brand and probably ?2.75B more than it's true value.

On the subject of Ashworth. I don't buy any of what is written above. None of it makes sense.

The former Newcastle United sporting director was seen as a bad appointment by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The Rat was persistent and vocal in his admiration of Ashworth Prior to him joining.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, stepping in as new co-owner, aimed to inject 'British expertise' into the fold, yet felt Ashworth's approach was too narrowly focused on UK football.

So, they wanted British Expertise. Then Ashworth goes out and signs Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte 5 foreign players who all played outside of the Prem?

This whole 'Too British centric' is an absolute lie, this story is all spin to make things look less embarrassing. You'll see all the MSM and Man U social media channels regurging this pish for weeks now you watch.

I made myself very clear that I didn't rate Ashworth, from his time at England, he copied and pasted the French and Spanish model on to St. George's park it was needed and more surprisingly (or not considering the old boys network of Luddites who run the FA/National game) is why it hadn't been down decades early, after one of dozens of humiliations the national team dealt the British public on the world stage.

The Man was a hype job, cherry on the cake it was his decisions to give Fat Sam Allardyce the England job. After that one, he should never have worked in football again.

One thing I will say about Ashworth at Man U though. He was right about everything. Berrada is a joke, my City friends and people here close to the owners saw him a no body in the City Group organisation, more a nuisance with ambitions above his ability. Brailsford proved at Nice that his less clue about football than the tea lady they fired after 40 odd yrs of service to the club.

Ashworth's focus on a British core at the centre of the club might have actually given the Red Filth a fighting chance. Instead they brought in a bunch of foreigners who didn't grow up with that big bullying red face alci jock and his band of cheating scumbags being rammed down their throat by every sports channel and news paper article.

It's a money making machine like the New York Yankees. Their Merch sells globally and it's now a brand that doesn't need to be successful on the pitch to print money.

The local fans are being priced out of matches, they want to tourist fans who'll pay 5 - 10 x what the normal fan can afford.

Anyway long may it continue. Like Ronald... Do-do, do, do, doooo I'm loving it haha

[toptoon]

The bit that everyone skims over is 'The Glazers have spent ?1.5BILLION on PLAYERS.' What is everyone talking about bad owners?

When I pointed this out to a ManU supporter I met last year he became very angry but had no reply. As with many things today ?the Glaziers are terrible owners? has become a ?fact? but noone really knows why. I prefer the more accurate narrative that ?ManU arent good anymore and their supporters need a scapegoat?.

On another point it?s disgraceful what Hobo is doing, internally, at the club including laying people off while he makes a 4 million pound mistake.

[Ragatino]

When I pointed this out to a ManU supporter I met last year he became very angry but had no reply. As with many things today ?the Glaziers are terrible owners? has become a ?fact? but noone really knows why. I prefer the more accurate narrative that ?ManU arent good anymore and their supporters need a scapegoat?.

On another point it?s disgraceful what Hobo is doing, internally, at the club including laying people off while he makes a 4 million pound mistake.

What can you say to facts?

Simply put. The Glazers have 5x'd the business value and strengthened the global brand of Man U. As a business they have done an exceptional job which has been rewarded in dividends.

When Fans get upset about them taking dividends and not paying off the debt, servicing the loan interest it's clear they no nothing about business.

Also, where is the outrage and JP McManus and Fergi who was instrumental in bringing the Glazers to Man U?

Auld red nose is still their hero despite having his jackie paw in the till the whole time.

Rat-clown, the latest saviour they were all crowing about only a few months back as slammed the till draw shut on the wasteful spending and that is offensive to them? 250 employees made redundant? How many people work there? I mean how many staff does a football club need on non-match days?

With regard to Man U TV, I build and delivered the HD project at OT and Carrington about 15 yrs ago. We had to go 'live' before Liverpool FC TV for the Man U global launch.

MUTV is or was a separate company with tiny budgets. If I remember rightly the whole team was about 15-20 people. I don't know what all the moaning is about? MU are a business not a local charity where they have to employ high school dropouts from Salford and Old Trafford just because they are fans of the club.

MU is literally a cesspit, a swamp and long may it continue

[Nufcian]

I’ve heard that Ashworth provided a list of managers for the replacement of ETH that he suggested they do research on, but Berrada was dead set on Amorin and they clashed when Ashworth said they needed to do more research of Amorin before appointing him.

IF true, then given the absolute lack of any kind of progress under Amorin then if they sack him, Berrada is going to be in the firing line.

All this ‘best in class’ that Ratcliffe was banging on about seems to be falling down on his head… Ashworth gone, Berrada’s decision to support Amorin looks very questionable now, and Amorin himself looks like he has made 0 improvement.

All this talk about ‘he needs different players to play his style’… it’s long been reported that they ruled him out as a replacement before ETH signed a new contract because they knew he didn’t have the players for his style of football… but they signed him up anyway?

Amorin’s refusal to change HIS style of play is a joke… By all means he should have a big input on players coming in so that they would be able to play it, but until he has enough players to do the job then he is culpable for their results.

Their squad isn’t great, but that group of players should be capable of better if played in a formation they can play, but he’s flogging a dead horse by sticking to his principles… Kompany at Burnley, Martin at Soton, to a degree Ange at Spurs… there’s plenty of recent examples of why that’s never a good idea and is more about the ego of the manager than the good of the club.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see both Berrada and Amorin out by the end of next season… and if they spend a few more windows trying to bring in players for Amorin’s style, then any new manager is unlikely to have the right squad balance to play their style if Amorin is replaced.

By all accounts Man U have limited funds, the way Ratcliffe is scrambling to raise more money (All Blacks and Spurs sponsorships) suggests to me that Man U are desperate for revenue… so Amorin isn’t going to be given a massive war chest anytime soon to completely revamp the squad, and for all the talk of selling Rashford, Antony, Garnacho… every buying club will know Man U are desperate for money, so they are going to play hardball with any fee’s.

Man U won’t go down, the bottom 3 are too bad to catch them up, but they’re in for a long period of struggle unless something drastic happens like the Glazers selling up… and considering they only overpaid 200m of their own money (to buy enough shares to be able to leverage the club to buy the rest) there’s little to no chance they’ll sell up such a lucrative cash cow.

Long may it continue 🤣

[Marat18]

financial hit of ?4.1million for United.

This sum includes both his compensation deal and the fee required to release him from Newcastle.

Is it really that low?
I doubt his compensation is below couple of millions, that leaves us with around 2-2.5 that we received for him.
Not complaining, but shows how desperate we were for any income year ago