As Manchester United continues to lurch from one disaster to the next, Match of the Day pundits Gary Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer offered their take on the 13-time Premier League champions
Sir Jim Ratcliffe during Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made himself unpopular amongst the Manchester United fan base (
Image: PA)
Alan Shearer has branded the recent departure of Dan Ashworth from Manchester United as a "terrible look".
Ashworth, 53, recently left Old Trafford after barely five months in his post of sporting director. United had to pay compensation to Newcastle United for his services, which were only obtained after he was forced to undergo a lengthy period of gardening leave by his former club.
Yet, Ashworth ended up spending almost as long on gardening leave as he did while in the Old Trafford boardroom, after leaving the club after United's recent 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. This took place during Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £8.6 million restructuring of the club, which has also seen 250 members of staff be made redundant by the INEOS chief.
Many United staff have also seen their £100 Christmas bonus be replaced by a £40 voucher for Marks & Spencer, which also hasn't gone down well with fans. Given the drama around Ashworth's exit, United's previous decisions and where the club is now, Shearer and Richards have been less than impressed.
Asked on the Rest is Football podcast whether INEOS have displayed any clear strategy since arriving at Old Trafford, Richards replied: "We have to say no. We have to say no. Of course there will be a strategy, those people are not successful and they don't get to that place without having strategies.
"Of course they'll have a strategy, they've just not implemented it successfully and there have been many things that have been dealt with badly. We know it's difficult because it's Man Utd and everything is scrutinised...but too many decisions have leaked out of the club and they're looking really amateurish at this moment in time.
Shearer then added: "It’s not a good look at all for them is it? It’s pretty bloody embarrassing with what’s gone on with Dan Ashworth leaving.
Alan Shearer did not hold back on his verdict of Manchester United (
Image:
The Rest is Football//Youtube)
"Decisions that have happened since they have been there, in terms of the money that they have spent and the decisions that have made with Ten Hag, extending his contract, sacking him, paying him off, giving him the players they got in the summer and then getting rid of him.
"Putting Dan Ashworth on gardening leave, getting him out of Newcastle, paying compensation for him and then getting rid of him after five months. It’s laughable really, it’s such a terrible look. I don’t know, it’s not a good look at all.”
Lineker then rounded out the discussing, saying: "Ultimately the worst thing of all is the recruitment and the amount of money they've paid out for players that have not realised what they obviously realised was good potential."
Dan Ashworth's departure from Manchester United has caused lots of embarrassment (
Image:
Getty Images)
United spent around £200m on new signings in the summer with Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee arriving in Ten Hag's final summer transfer window. The arrival of new manager Ruben Amorim did raise morale, but the Portuguese boss has only managed the club to two victories, one draw and two defeats in his first five matches.
The Red Devils also continue to flounder in 13th position in the Premier League, eight points away from the top four. In an interview with the United We Stand fanzine, Ratcliffe compared taking over at United to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer taking over from Rishi Sunak.
He said: "To get Manchester United to where we need to get it — it’s a bit like the country. We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions. If you shy away from the difficult decisions then nothing much is going to change.
"We won’t get everything right and it won’t happen overnight, but we haven’t been sat on our hands for nine months. There has been a lot of change. Here at Carrington (United’s training complex) as you can see. We didn’t waste any time to get Old Trafford on the agenda.
"Changes in the football and executive structure. New players. (Head coach) Ruben (Amorim) has arrived. We still have a long way to go and we still have a number of difficult decisions to make, but we have to do that for the better.
"The club has drifted for a long period of time, a decade or so. Manchester United has become mediocre. It’s not elite and it is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. That’s what it used to be under Alex (Ferguson). There is major change to come to achieve elite status. There has already been huge change.”
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