Dan Ashworth’s reputation has been battered by his Newcastle United and Manchester United exits.
The former FA chief left Newcastle United under messy circumstances, with Manchester United poaching him to Old Trafford in a saga that dragged on for longer than it should have.
It was a blow for the Magpies, who had previously spent a lot of time themselves getting Dan Ashworth to St James’ Park.
Months after his Man United arrival, Ashworth left. Alan Shearer said the Ashworth situation was embarrassing, as the Old Trafford circus continued.
Pete Graves shares Dan Ashworth insight at Newcastle United
But what about his time at St James’ Park? It feels as if Ashworth’s tenure is looked back upon poorly, largely because of the way in which he exited the club.
However, Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has told the Transfer Talk podcast that Ashworth was actually highly rated for the job he was doing on Tyneside.
“Dan Ashworth was there [at Man United],” he said.
“Made a lot of headlines. They prised him away from Newcastle United over to Old Trafford. He has now gone shortly after starting his role as sport director.
“It shocked me to be honest, because I know speaking to people in Newcastle, they really liked him, he was highly rated and they felt he was taking the club in the right direction.”
Graves then defended the work that Ashworth did as Newcastle United’s sporting director.
Graves added: “He put structures in place [at Newcastle]. He was exactly what Newcastle United needed, a club that would become a zombie club under the previous ownership and nothing was clicking. He put all the ducks in order and then left again. That’s not necessarily what Manchester United needed at this stage, or maybe they did and didn’t realise it. It just feels like disastrous decision after disastrous decision.”
Paul Mitchell building on Dan Ashworth’s work at Newcastle United
Graves makes a good point about Ashworth. He was always described as a club builder, which is exactly what the Magpies needed after years of neglect from Mike Ashley.
A lot of his work probably went unnoticed to supporters, whereas his impact must certainly have been felt inside the club.
Ashworth gave Newcastle the foundations for success, and now the hope is that Paul Mitchell can build on it.
He arrives with a different skillset. Mitchell is better known for his recruitment ability, which is what Newcastle United need right now. In the world of PSR, Newcastle need to be better at buying and selling players, which is why the hope is that the Ashworth debacle can work out for the best.
However, it will take time for us to truly see what Mitchell is capable of as a recruiter, with financial issues limiting his capacity to flex his muscles.
As for Ashworth, it remains to be seen where he will end up. Everton have been linked, while Arsenal also admire Ashworth as they search for a new sporting director to replace Edu.
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