The shocking reason Why Man united sacked Dan Ashworth is finally revealed -Reports

The shocking reason Why Man united sacked Dan Ashworth is finally revealed -Reports

Following Ratcliffe’s minority interest ownership proposal being approved in February 2024, INEOS has enacted a number of harsh cost-cutting measures in their first year as United’s manager.

Installing a “best-in-class” executive structure at Old Trafford, headed by chief executive Omar Berrada, who was snatched from rival Manchester City, and Ashworth as sporting director, was one of the main priorities of United’s new co-owner.

Christopher Vivell was brought on as a temporary recruitment director, but this week the 38-year-old German was formally named to the position permanently. Jason Wilcox was also obtained from Southampton as a technical director.

But in a startling turn of events that provided the first concrete indication of INEOS’ disorganized leadership, Ratcliffe decided to fire Ashworth in December, despite a

Reports suggested the British billionaire was unimpressed with Ashworth’s assessment of Erik ten Hag – dismissed by United in October, despite being his contract being extended in the summer – and the executive’s approach to replacing the Dutchman.

Ruben Amorim, captured from Sporting CP to lead INEOS’ revolution at Old Trafford, was a bold selection by the club; made even bolder by the choice to insist the 40-year-old coach joined mid-season, rather than in the summer, as Amorim had communicated he’d prefer.

Ashworth is believed to have favoured a move for Brentford manager Thomas Frank, whose flexible approach, communication skills, and experience within the Premier League offered a safer option than Amorim.

But Ratcliffe did not want safe; he wanted bold, as did chief executive Berrada, who led negotiations in Lisbon with the Portuguese coach. And it was this contrast in approach which many have suggested was the principal reason behind Ashworth’s dismissal, with the 53-year-old leaving the club less than a month after Amorim arrived in Manchester.

However, speaking on The Transfers Podcast, Castles reveals Ashworth was firmly against redundancies in the football department as the executive believed it would negatively affect the first-team.

The executive believed it would be “bad” for the club to have the football departments reduced in capacity, Castles recaps.

The fact United have announced a further 200 redundancies are possible from the club’s staff body, including those within sports departments, such as the scouting team, suggests Ashworth’s reluctance to back this cull was another significant reason why INEOS pulled the trigger on his position in December.

INEOS believe United’s workforce is bloated and in desperate need of an overhaul. It’s an approach implemented wherever the Petrochemical company have taken over an underperforming business; and it was naïve to expect anything different at an unperforming football club.