Man Utd make mess of Ashworth departure as fans need one answer, says Neville

Manchester United has come under fire from Gary Neville for the way the club managed the unexpected departure of Dan Ashworth.

It came as a shock to fans when it was announced that Ashworth was leaving on Sunday morning with Neville expressing his disappointment over United’s handling of the situation.

Ashworth, after being head-hunted for several months, eventually joined the club last July. During his tenure, Ashworth played a key role in signing five players in the summer and also the decision to keep Erik ten Hag.

And following early struggles among these players and a managerial change, United has decided it is already the right time to move Ashworth on.

Neville expressed dissatisfaction with United failing to disclose the reason behind Ashworth's exit, fearing it would lead to plenty of speculation about what's happening behind the scenes.

“Something like that can’t be mutual,” Neville noted, “Dan Ashworth was head-hunted for many, many months. He was paid millions of pounds for, so I’m really shocked that this has happened. It’s not a good look at all and it’s going to need explaining.”

The former United captain criticised the club's official statement on Ashworth's exit, calling it 'weak' and suggesting that it only furthers fan speculation.

“Fans are going to be asking the question, what’s gone wrong? They’re going to speculate, it’s going to leave huge voids [of information]. I think you’re better off just punching us in the face with the truth sometimes,” he said.

It was revealed that Ashworth was 'frozen out' of the decision-making process at United following criticisms of his summer transfer strategy. There were also reports that he fell out with United CEO Omar Berrada over coaching choices, further adding to the internal discord.

Following his departure from United, reports indicate that Ashworth may be considering opportunities at Arsenal and Everton. However, as of now, there is no official confirmation from either Ashworth or the two clubs.

The departure adds to the list of unsettling events at the club, which includes the sacking of Ten Hag in October after only winning three of the initial nine Premier League matches. The decision to bring in his replacement Ruben Amorim cost United £11m, following a £10.4m payoff for Ten Hag and his staff.