sportskeeda
THE blame game has taken a new twist as conditions at Old Trafford deteriorate further.
Manchester United’s first sporting director, Dan Ashworth, has left the club merely months after joining in the summer, departing just before Christmas.
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SunSport reported last month that tensions were already emerging.
The newly formed senior management team found themselves deflecting blame at one another over the persistent issues impacting the club.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and Ashworth tried to distance themselves from the crisis, claiming they had arrived too late from their respective gardening leaves.
New part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe emphasized that the responsibility for decisions lay with them.
Meanwhile, Jason Wilcox expressed concerns over the chaos left behind by former coach Erik ten Hag, despite having been part of the group that pushed for Ten Hag’s retention when other candidates withdrew.
Insiders allege that Ashworth resisted the recruitment of his successor and new head coach Ruben Amorim, preferring an English manager with greater experience.
This may explain why Gareth Southgate’s name came up following their time together with the FA.
Regardless, Saturday’s performance against Nottingham Forest, especially after their disappointing second-half showing at Arsenal days earlier, was simply intolerable.
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Could the sight of the ineffective Joshua Zirkzee coming off the bench have sparked this fallout?
The 23-year-old Dutch forward was anticipated to be a significant signing at £36.5 million, although Ten Hag contested this view yet felt compelled to play the player.
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This reflects poorly on Ashworth.
The club is already trying to offload the underperforming forward.
Rumors from Old Trafford indicated that Ratcliffe had issued a ‘liberating decree’ upon acquiring a 27.7 percent stake in the club back in February.
However, the situation continues to worsen. They remain trapped in a self-created mess, lacking any clear solution.
Ashworth was expected to be the one to tackle this challenge, but he spent an extensive time on gardening leave from Newcastle instead of instigating needed improvements at Old Trafford.
After Saturday’s 3-2 loss, he was seen exiting the post-match media zone accompanied by a security guard and the club’s chief operating officer, Collette Roche, about 30 minutes after the match concluded.
His demeanor stood out as he walked with his head down, offering no farewell remarks.
As we navigate this process, we continually learn what the best structure will be to aid us in winning.
Manchester United statement
He was headed towards the East Stand boardroom to finalize his exit.
Reportedly, he was considered “not a good fit”.
This starkly contrasts his success at previous positions.
A disagreement with others brought in to steer the historically significant football institution back on track ultimately sealed his fate.
The club’s rationale for his departure was that it was a decision made “collaboratively following a transitional period for the club.”
However, Ashworth was expected to be instrumental in facilitating that transition.
It has also been referred to as a “difficult decision.” The club stressed their dedication to establishing a “new team and structure here at pace”.
‘This is down to Ratcliffe’
They added: “As we go through that process, we are constantly learning about what the best structure will be to help us to win.”
This raises questions about why the highly sought-after Ashworth, whom the club made significant efforts to secure from Newcastle and compensated £3 million for, is now deemed unfit to be part of that ‘structure’.
It seems to revolve around Ratcliffe, who is quickly becoming one of the most unpopular figures at the club alongside the Glazers.
If the decision to part ways was truly collaborative, it is puzzling why Ashworth was present at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Was there a heated confrontation among the directors afterwards?
The sheer scale of the challenges at Old Trafford appears to be overwhelming for everyone involved.
No manager, chief executive, or technical director has effectively managed it.
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Everyone seems to propose a solution, yet from an external viewpoint, it appears that no one truly knows what steps to take.
Meanwhile, a staggering £1.6BILLION has been spent on players since Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit.
Wilcox now supervises recruitment, but the means to acquire new talent are markedly restricted.
Financial constraints, cost-cutting initiatives, compensation for departing staff, and an enormous wage bill for underperforming players have all impeded the club’s advancement.
Major signings in January or next summer are unlikely.
The club is left with its existing squad, which simply isn’t up to standard.
Ashworth is aware of this, and so is everyone else. Amorim cautioned that there was ‘a storm coming’.
And the storm has certainly arrived.
