Ashworth error leading to sacking as Man Utd realised they had 'wrong man for job'

Manchester United’s decision to appoint Dan Ashworth as sporting director has been labeled a mistake, with new details emerging about his abrupt exit and the summer signings that INEOS never truly backed.

When Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS acquired a 27.7% stake in Manchester United for £1.3 billion, fans were hopeful that the club was entering a new era of stability and ambition.

However, a year into Ratcliffe’s reign, the Red Devils have endured turbulence rather than progress.

Cost-cutting measures, including 250 job redundancies to save £8 million annually, and a controversial increase in season ticket prices have already unsettled supporters.

Meanwhile, managerial instability—first handing Erik ten Hag a new contract before sacking him, then hiring Ruben Amorim—has only added to the chaos.

Among the biggest missteps was the appointment of Ashworth, who arrived after a protracted negotiation with Newcastle that cost United £5 million. Just five months later, his tenure ended in a dismissal that added another £4.1 million to United’s expenses.

ESPN shed light on why Ashworth was never the right appointment for United’s project. “There are two ways to look at the Ashworth situation. My view is that they hired the wrong guy for the wrong job,” it explained.

“Dan Ashworth is known for building the structure of a club, working behind the scenes to put the right people in place. What he isn’t is a sporting director. He’s not the guy who will pick up the phone to people in Spain, Italy, or Germany to find a player or offload one.

“If you want someone like that, you go for Aston Villa’s Monchi, who has a real track record of doing that over the years. It’s a different role.”

One of the key disagreements between INEOS and Ashworth was over the signing of Matthijs de Ligt. Ogden revealed that Ratcliffe and his team were never keen on the Dutch defender, but Ashworth backed Ten Hag’s request to bring him in.

“The club didn’t want Matthijs de Ligt. He was a signing driven by Ten Hag,” ESPN said.

“Despite feeling well-stocked with center-backs, Ashworth believed that since they had just given Ten Hag a new contract, they had to back him with a player he wanted. That was a weakness on Ashworth’s part.”

United had already spent £52.1 million on Leny Yoro from Lille but then committed another £38.5 million to sign De Ligt from Bayern Munich.

While the Dutchman has made 32 appearances this season, questions remain about whether he was a necessary addition. That said, injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Amorim’s preference for a 3-4-2-1 system have made De Ligt a key part of United’s defense.

Another contentious signing was Joshua Zirkzee, who was pushed by Ashworth and the recruitment team but has struggled to make an impact.

“Joshua Zirkzee has really struggled this season,” it noted. “His signing was driven by Ashworth, and his first transfer window wasn’t great.”

Recognizing their mistake, INEOS acted swiftly to remove Ashworth. “Having made the wrong appointment, you have to give INEOS credit for getting rid of him,” Ogden concluded.

Meanwhile, another costly transfer misstep, Antony, has started to shine away from Old Trafford.

Since joining Real Betis on loan, the Brazilian has found his form, scoring three goals and providing an assist in his first five appearances. He has also won three Man of the Match awards, attracting interest from Bayern Munich.

Elsewhere, Amorim has been dealing with internal chaos at United. Reports suggest he has been forced to take drastic action after discovering someone within the club was leaking first-team line-ups.

This comes just days after a pundit claimed Amorim might be considering an immediate return to Portugal, having realized the challenges at United were far greater than expected.

As the INEOS era continues, United’s turbulent journey shows no signs of slowing down.