December 9th 2024.
Dan Ashworth had only been Manchester United's sporting director for five months before he left the club. Gary Neville, who was shocked by the news, criticized the club's statement about Ashworth's departure, calling it "really poor" and "weak". Ashworth had joined United in July after completing his gardening leave from his previous club, Newcastle. However, the Red Devils announced on Sunday that Ashworth had left the club "by mutual consent" after just five months. There were speculations about a possible rift within the club's new hierarchy at Old Trafford.
This news came as a surprise to the players, as it was only five games into Ruben Amorim's reign as head coach. It is believed that United's technical director will take on Ashworth's duties, but there are also rumors that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club's owner, may bring in a full-time replacement for the 53-year-old. The club's statement on their official website thanked Ashworth for his work during a transitional period and wished him well for the future.
Neville, speaking on NBC Sports, expressed his disbelief and disappointment at Ashworth's departure, stating that there must have been a falling out behind the scenes. He also criticized the club's short statement, saying that it couldn't have been a mutual decision. Neville also mentioned the recent changes at United, including redundancies and a complete overhaul of the club's executives, and expressed his shock at Ashworth's departure, as he was headhunted for months and paid millions of pounds. Neville had worked with Ashworth during his time at the FA and noted his success at clubs such as Brighton, West Brom, and Newcastle.
The former United and England defender believes that there must have been a fracture behind the scenes and that the club should be honest with the fans in such instances. He stated that United have lost their authority and boldness in the past 10 years and that there is a clear fracture within the club. Neville believes that fans will now speculate and ask questions about what went wrong. He also thinks that the club's statement was weak and that they should just be honest with the truth.
Neville feels that it is obvious that something has happened between the personalities of Ashworth, Omar Berrada, and Sir Dave Brailsford in the last few months. He believes that the club should just tell the truth instead of leaving fans to speculate. He also mentioned that the statement was weak and that the club should have just told the truth, as it is evident that something has gone wrong.
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