Dan Ashworth arrived at Manchester United with great anticipation, having been recruited from Newcastle, but his contract was terminated after just five months. His dismissal came at the hands of the club’s highest leadership, including INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co-owner Joel Glazer.
The Athletic reports that Ashworth’s relationship with the club began to deteriorate after the decision was made to part ways with Dutch manager Erik ten Hag. Ashworth struggled to present compelling arguments for suitable replacements, with names like Eddie Howe, Marco Silva, Thomas Frank, and Graham Potter being suggested—each with significant Premier League experience. However, Ashworth’s list failed to impress Ratcliffe, who was reportedly seeking a more decisive approach and a coach with more charisma. He expressed frustration that Ashworth only considered familiar names, failing to look beyond his network. As a result, CEO Omar Berrada was tasked with overseeing the appointment of Ruben Amorim.
Further tension arose when Ashworth proposed bringing in a data company to assist in evaluating candidates, a move that was not well-received by Ratcliffe and other United executives, who believed the sporting director should handle such matters internally.
The situation worsened when Ashworth took a holiday on Amorim’s second day at the club, a move that raised eyebrows given the need for unity at such a critical time. Ultimately, Ashworth’s tenure came to an abrupt end, with his departure officially announced on December 8. The firing has sparked more questions about the internal workings at Old Trafford.
Manchester United performance and stats
Manchester United is currently 12th in the Europa League with 9 points.
In the last 5 games, it has won twice and drew 3 times. In its last match, Manchester United won 3-2 against Bodø / Glimt.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 10 goals and conceding 7.
Manchester United will play the next match in Europa League against Viktoria Plzeň on Thursday 12th of December in Plzeň. The prediction is Manchester United winning the match.
