Dan Ashworth Reveals Four-Man Shortlist to Replace Ten Hag, Dismissing Amorim as a Contender

AXED Dan Ashworth created a shortlist of four candidates to take over from Erik ten Hag – with Ruben Amorim reportedly omitted from consideration.

The sporting director left Manchester United after just five months in his role, amidst a tumultuous season for the Red Devils.

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Ashworth, 53, was terminated less than an hour after United’s 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Sources close to The Athletic revealed that Ashworth was not in favour of Amorim’s appointment.

Instead, the former director for Newcastle and West Brom sought an English manager with more experience in English football.

His shortlist indicated a clear preference for candidates with a strong background in the Premier League.

The top two names included Eddie Howe, despite the ongoing troubles at Newcastle, and Marco Silva from Fulham.

The other two were Brentford manager Thomas Frank and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who could step in as interim until the end of the season.

There are reports suggesting that Potter might be ready to take over at West Ham if Julen Lopetegui is dismissed this week, according to talkSPORT.

However, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was seeking fresh insights from the individual they invested £2.5 million in, avoiding familiar faces linked to Ashworth.

It is reported that the sporting operations expert lacked a compelling argument for his preferred nominees.

Notably, Ashworth refrained from commenting on the formal announcement of Amorim’s appointment.

Sporting Director Dan Ashworth discusses his role at Newcastle United

Ashworth previously shared insights on Ten Hag’s contract renewal and each signing made during the summer.

According to The Athletic, Ashworth had little say in appointing Amorim as United’s head coach, with CEO Omar Berrada playing a critical role in the Portuguese coach’s hiring.

Berrada was the one who travelled to Lisbon shortly after Ten Hag’s firing to negotiate directly with Sporting president Frederico Varandas.

Crucially, Berrada’s connections at Sporting were considered essential during that meeting, rather than those of Ashworth.

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SunSport previously reported that United’s new management found themselves in a blame game regarding their summer transfers, especially concerning who made the decision to extend Ten Hag’s contract, only for him to be dismissed just 14 matches later.

Berrada and Ashworth appeared to be distancing themselves from the situation, insisting they had joined too late after their gardening leave.

However, their attempts to evade responsibility frustrated Ratcliffe, who insisted that the accountability rested solely on them.

The Red Devils co-owner, who purchased a 27.7 percent stake, stressed that the decision was not his before Ten Hag’s clearance.

Ashworth’s departure was reportedly initiated by the high-ranking individuals at the club.

Among the staff, there’s a common belief that the decision was mutual between Ratcliffe, Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford, and co-owner Joel Glazer.

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Tensions heightened when Ashworth proposed engaging a data analytics firm to evaluate candidates for Ten Hag’s successor.

Ratcliffe reportedly responded unfavorably, asserting that understanding such matters was Ashworth’s duty and not something to delegate.

Additionally, unease emerged when Ashworth decided to take a holiday during Amorim’s second day at Carrington.

Though his absence stemmed from a significant family event that had been postponed due to work commitments, some interpreted his lack of presence at the executive committee meeting in November as another indication of discord within.

Ashworth had participated in the ExCo meeting in October at the Ineos headquarters in London, as well as a previous meeting in Barcelona.

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