In a surprise turn of events, former Newcastle Sporting Director Dan Ashworth has suddenly departed Manchester United after just five months in the role for the Red Devils.
The decision, understood to be mutual but at Man Utd’s ‘instigation’, was made following on from the Red Devil’s 2-3 home loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday night.
An ‘embarrassing exit’
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In an exclusive from The Athletic, Laurie Whitwell writes that the situation is “An embarrassing exit for all concerned”, considering the extensive praise that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s hierarchy had heaped upon Ashworth upon his arrival in July.
The departure also calls into question just why Manchester United spent so much time, effort and resources to bring the 53-year-old in, eventually paying Newcastle between £2-3m in compensation for Ashworth’s services.
“The sudden departure is one thing, but then there are the lengths United went to secure him. Ashworth has ended up working as many months at United (July to December) as the club waited to get him through the door (February to July).”
Having now seemingly burnt bridges at 3 major Premier League clubs in Brighton, Newcastle and now Manchester United, Ashworth’s future at the top of English club football looks uncertain.
Newcastle fans can look upon this news with a sense of relief, with Paul Mitchell’s youth-focused approach and dedication to the club looking like a far superior option to what Ashworth had been hoping to implement over in the North West despite a gulf in finances.
We currently sit above the Red Devils in the Premier League table, and are due to play at Old Trafford in our final game of 2024 in the Premier League.