Dan Ashworth Leaves Sporting Director Role at Manchester United After Five Months

Dan Ashworth Leaves Manchester United After Just Five Months: Speculating on What Went Wrong

In a surprising twist, The Athletic broke the news this morning that Dan Ashworth has stepped down as Manchester United’s Sporting Director after a mere five months in the role. The announcement has sent shockwaves through the footballing world and United fanbase, raising questions about what might have caused such a short-lived tenure at the Red Devils. While the club’s official statement suggested his departure was mutual, it’s difficult to believe that is truly the case. The statement read, “Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as sporting director of Manchester United by mutual agreement. We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.” Of course, speculation has already begun about the possible factors behind this abrupt exit.

Ashworth, renowned for his work at Brighton & Hove Albion and as the FA’s Technical Director, was seen as a key figure in Manchester United’s attempt to rebuild its sporting structure. Manchester United spent month’s tempting Ashworth away from his Technical Director role at Newcastle United, ultimately paying compensation of approximately £2m to the Magpies and having to wait a period of gardening leave before he could officially take up post in July. However, it now seems his vision for the club did not align with reality. Just why did Dan Ashworth leave Manchester United? We might never know the full truth or insight to the decision however here are eight speculative reasons why Ashworth’s tenure may not have worked out:

1. Transfer Strategy Misalignment

United’s summer transfer window was considered to be a success, with key targets signed and many players moved on to help balance the books. That said, many incoming players were signed for Erik Ten Hag with the Dutchman’s system in mind and of course he is no longer the manager in the Old Trafford dugout. It’s possible Ashworth clashed with the board over transfer targets and Alex Crook of TalkSPORT reported on Ashworth’s desire to bring Everton’s Jarrod Branthwaite, of which United refused to bow to the Toffees unrealistic and inflated asking price. 

2. Recommending Gareth Southgate

Rumours suggest Ashworth may have pushed for Gareth Southgate, with whom he worked closely during his FA days, to replace Erik ten Hag. If true, this could have alienated stakeholders in still backing Ten Hag but reverting to Southgate immediately after his sacking. 

3. Erik ten Hag’s Sacking

Ashworth initially supported keeping Erik ten Hag, but the decision to sack him early in the season after poor results may have eroded trust between Ashworth and the club hierarchy. A statement was made by Berrada and Ashworth in September claiming Erik Ten Hag had “our full backing” as the right person for the job but the following month, the Dutchman was let go after a terrible run of form. The whole debacle was an embarrassing scenario for the new executives tasked with bringing the club back to the top of the Premier League. 

4. Clashing with Omar Berrada

Reports of tension between Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada have never surfaced but it’s possible the two had differences in their visions for the club’s direction—both on and off the pitch. This might have made their partnership unworkable. Sir Jim Ratcliffe was persistent in the drive to recruit Ashworth and the billionaire seemed to take the lead on this decision, identifying Ashworth as “clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world” to help steer Manchester United back to the pinnacle of football. Omar Berrada may have had no input to the hiring of Ashworth and perhaps Berrada didn’t like what he seen in the short period Ashworth was in post. Having worked with the likes of Txiki Begiristain at Manchester City, it could be Berrada feels Manchester United could do better in terms of the Sporting Director role. 

5. Disagreements on Recruitment Staff

Ashworth’s attempts to overhaul the scouting network and recruitment staff could have met resistance. Long-standing figures within the club may have been reluctant to embrace his changes. Whilst we have seen a stern shake up in the scouting and recruitment departments, it could simply be a case of too many cooks in that department. With Jason Wilcox (Technical Director) a key figure in the process and Christopher Vivell (Interim Director of Recruitment) heavily involved in recruitment, Ashworth’s impact may not have added enough value to justify what he was delivering in such a high profile role.  

6. Lack of Autonomy 

At Brighton, Ashworth enjoyed significant autonomy. At United, however, he may have found himself constrained by a more rigid structure and the influence of club owners, the Glazer family. Did Ashworth not have as big a say or input into decisions he felt he should have? Perhaps his idea of his involvement in club dealings was not aligned with how Ratcliffe and Brailsford wanted him to operate. 

7. Dressing Room Politics

United’s dressing room is notorious for its strong personalities. Whilst highly unlikely, Ashworth might have struggled to manage relationships with key players unhappy about recent decisions. The timing of the meeting of which Ashworth’s sacking was confirmed came directly after the shock home loss to Nottingham Forest. Was a decision made based on player performance of signings Ashworth recommended?  

8. Cultural Fit Issues

Moving from Brighton’s tightly-knit, data-driven setup to Manchester United’s corporate machine may have been a culture shock for Ashworth. The differences in operational style might have left him frustrated and the job may simply have been too big for him. Did his personality perhaps clash with any of the other executives at the club? The relentless scrutiny at Manchester United is unlike anything at Brighton. The intense pressure to deliver immediate results could have been a factor in Ashworth’s decision to leave.

What Next for United?

Ashworth’s departure leaves Manchester United at a crossroads once again, with yet another sporting director to be found and a season already in turmoil. New coach Ruben Amorim has had a challenging start with some poor results on the pitch and this is yet another distraction Manchester United could have done without. The club and INEOS must now reflect on why another of its recent high-profile appointments has failed and work to ensure greater alignment at the top.

While the exact reasons for the 53 year old’s departure may never be fully known, it’s clear that all is not well behind the scenes at Old Trafford. Storm Darragh may have caused havoc in the United Kingdom this weekend but there is another storm to weather at Manchester United. It brings an all too familiar feeling to Old Trafford of which fans will be hoping that lessons are learned to avoid further turbulence in the months ahead.