Soccer

THE fee that Manchester United paid to hire Dan Ashworth has been revealed – and it’s MORE than initially expected.Ashworth left United over the weekend following showdown talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co.The fee Man Utd paid for Dan Ashworth has been revealedCredit: GettyAshworth left Man Utd on SundayCredit: PAHe allegedly fell out with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and CoCredit: GettyA 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.”Ashworth joined the Red Devils in July following a period of gardening leave.He was put on leave by former club Newcastle at the start of the year after stating his desire to move elsewhere.READ MORE ON MAN UTDMan Utd subsequently had to pay compensation to the Magpies in order to appoint the 53-year-old.Initial reports suggested the fee was around £3million.But according to The Times it was closer to £5m – which equates to around £1m for every month he spent at the club.Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, Ashworth was tasked with overseeing performance, recruitment and operations.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe played a huge role in the club’s £183million spending spree this summer, which saw Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui all join.But a breakdown in his working relationship with members of the Man Utd board has cut his time short.Ruben Amorim reacts to Man Utd’s 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford SunSport exclusively revealed last month that United’s new hierarchy were locked in a blame game over their summer business.It is understood there were growing tensions between Ashworth and his colleagues in the weeks leading up to his departure.Technical director Jason Wilcox will take on his duties in the short term while a replacement is found.Inside Man Utd chaos amid Ashworth departureTHE blame game has another victim as things go from bad to worse at Old Trafford.Manchester United’s first sporting director, Dan Ashworth, arrived in the summer and is gone before Christmas.SunSport exclusively revealed last month that there was trouble at mill.That the new senior management team were already blaming each other for the mess the club were in.Chief executive Omar Berrada and Ashworth were trying to wash their hands of it all, claiming they had arrived too late after serving their gardening leave.New part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said making decisions was all down to them. Meanwhile, Jason Wilcox thought it was all a mess under previous boss Erik ten Hag but was part of the team that encouraged him to stay after every other candidate ran for cover.There is word Ashworth did not favour appointing his successor and new head coach Ruben Amorim, preferring an English manager with more experience in our game. Perhaps that was why ex-England gaffer Gareth Southgate’s name was always mentioned after they worked together at the FA.Either way, Saturday’s showing against Nottingham Forest, after their second-half capitulation at Arsenal a few days previously, proved too much. More

MANCHESTER UNITED look like a team who have only recently been introduced to playing football.Little wonder, really, given that they seem to have different people telling them how to do it every week.Man Utd suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on SaturdayCredit: ReutersIt was a second successive loss for new head coach Ruben AmorimCredit: ReutersThe word is that Erik ten Hag’s methods were so complicated that the players genuinely did not know what he wanted them to do.In comes a new backroom team to work with the former boss and more new ideas are loaded into the players.Then Ten Hag goes and one of those coaches, Ruud van Nistelrooy, tries to get a tune out of an off-key outfit.Now Ruben Amorim talks about the side like he is talking about how to teach a toddler to walk. All this stuff about “little details”.READ MORE ON MAN UTDCut through all this and we come to the analysis from a mate of mine during a Saturday-night debrief in a bar in south Manchester . . . “It’s just s**t.” Hard to argue.In contrast, high-flying Nottingham Forest — 3-2 winners at Old Trafford — are looking to nab a shock European place.Scorer Morgan Gibbs-White said: “The ambition is to keep progressing and you want to play at the highest level possible.“All we can do is keep ticking off boxes and hopefully it will come.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSLisandro Martinez’s pass map vs Nottingham ForestMatthijs de Ligt’s pass map vs Nottingham ForestUnited’s back three often aimlessly passed the ball between each other or just kicked it back to Andre Onana under any pressure.A risky move in itself given it could easily end up in the net.Man Utd’s Player Ratings Against Nottingham Forest Of all the stats, the most laughable came with the top four passing combinations in the United team. They were all between centre-backs!Goodness knows what the new set-piece coach is telling them as well.It took less than two minutes before Forest scored from a corner courtesy of a header from Nikola Milenkovic.Rasmus Hojlund did level but two minutes after the break Gibbs-White had a shot on goal.Now even he did not expect it to go in. But a slight swerve on the ball of no more than a foot had Onana flummoxed.He still looked bewildered when Chris Wood sent a looping header over him before Bruno Fernandes got one back.Yet hope is in short supply at Old Trafford right now. This is their worst team since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.Until they get a decent striker it is not going to change either. Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have been terrible buys.They are not good enough for United. They are not good enough for most teams in the Prem.Hojlund is on Ten Hag, Zirkzee on the Ineos team who thought he was a good value-for-money buy at £36.5million.READ MORE SUN STORIESIf that was on Dan Ashworth it is little wonder he has walked.It is not good and it does not look like getting better any time soon.Man Utd ratings vs Nottingham ForestMANCHESTER UNTED slipped to another defeat under Ruben Amorim after being shocked 3-2 at Old Trafford by Nottingham Forest.Here’s how Neil Custis rated the players…ANDRE ONANA – 3Had an absolute shocker. For the second Forest goal Morgan Gibbs-White shot is straight down the middle along the floor.It maybe swerves a foot at most and he somehow couldn’t stop it. For the third he just let it loop over his head. He cannot command his area.LENY YORO – 6The 19-year-old was making his first start for United and immediately looked unphased. Ruben Amorim has high hopes for someone he calls ‘a special talent’.He is easing him into the team after his summer injury and subbed him just past the hour.MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 5Amorim has tasked him with bringing the ball out from the back to set United moves going.Looked good in the first balf but what was he doing for Forest’s third as he let Chris Wood’s header go thinking it was going wide.LISANDRO MARTINEZ – 4It was said his lack of height would not be a problem but it was after 80 seconds here as Nikola Milenkovic headed home on 80 seconds.Then for Forest’s third he didn’t known what to do as the ball went over him at the far post.AMAD DIALLO – 7Looking more and more like a United star with his positive forward runs from his new wing-back role.Had a couple of good chances himself but shots were weak, then made a great run and cut back before setting up Fernandes for United’s second.MANUEL UGARTE – 7Looked constantly concerned with his defensive duties and understandably.Is a solid presence on the pitch though and a decent buy compared to plenty of others.KOBBIE MAINOO – 6Ugarte was having a good game in front of the back three allowing Mainoo to get further forward in the second-half when he became more of a threat.DIOGO DALOT – 6Compared to Amad on the opposite flank did not have much of an influence. Got forward a lot more in the second-half.BRUNO FERNANDES – 7Was always involved. But does the captain really have to contest every single decision the referee makes against his team.Made up for his loose pass that gave away possession for Forest’s second by scoring a fine goal himself.RASMUS HOJLUND – 6That’s three goals in three games after his pair against Bodo Glimt but there is still not enough movement from the front man.ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 5Not his best game and looked far from happy when he was hauled off early in the second-half for Marcus Rashford.SUBSTITUTIONS…MARCUS RASHFORD (for Garnacho, 58) – 6These are the games he should be starting and starring in but that’s just not the case.MAZRAOUI (for Yoro 66) – 6One of those the recruitment team did at least get right.HARRY MAGUIRE (for De Ligt 65) – 6When Amorim decides on his best starting eleven Maguire should be in it.JOSHUA ZIRKZEE (for Ugarte 76) – 5Not surprisingly failed to have an impact.MASON MOUNT (for Fernandes 76) – 6Amorim has high hopes for him but he is still to convince the United faithful. Needs a long injury free run. More