Ex-Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth wanted 2 alternatives to Ruben Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag: Reports
Former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth wanted Gareth Southgate or Eddie Howe to replace Erik ten Hag, according to Manchester Evening News (via The Mirror). The Red Devils opted to tie the Dutch manager down to a new deal last summer, with Ashworth apparently among the heads behind that decision.
The former Newcastle United sporting director took charge in a similar role at Old Trafford in July last year. However, his decision to put trust in Ten Hag backfired, with the Dutchman eventually losing his job in October.
Manchester United went on to appoint former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim as their new head coach in November. Interestingly, the Portuguese wasn't Ashworth's preferred choice, who had shortlisted two other candidates for the job.
The first name on the list was Gareth Southgate, who was available after parting ways with the England national team after Euro 2024. Interestingly, Ashworth had worked with Southgate during his stint with the FA.
Meanwhile, Ashworth worked closely with Eddie Howe for two years at St. James' Park and wanted to bring him to Old Trafford as well. Howe has done a brilliant job with Newcastle United, but the Red Devils opted against the move.
Manchester United eventually went for Amorim, even though Ashworth had apparently warned CEO Omar Berrada that the move would cause massive disruptions. Interestingly, Ashworth left the club in December on mutual consent.
What has Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said about Dan Ashworth's dismissal?
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has suggested that the club let go of Dan Ashworth due to a lack of chemistry. Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, Ratcliffe insisted that the club hierarchy recognized their error and immediately decided to rectify it.
"At the end of the day, it was chemistry. Maybe a bit more than chemistry, but let's just say chemistry and it didn't work. Just chemistry. I know it's an unpopular decision and it's seen as an error, and it was an error, but slightly in our defence, we did recognise it as something that would not work and therefore we decided we would make a change," said Ratcliffe.
He continued:
"What would have been far easier because of the scrutiny that we knew we would get in the media would have been to live with it, but I wasn't prepared to live with it."
It has since been revealed that Ashworth received a £4.1m payoff from Manchester United.
