Dan "The Gardener" Ashworth Has Left | Venit, vidit, non vicit

Yeah It all feels very messy at the moment but we will find out what’s happened in due course.

If you want to be optimistic then you can say at least decisions are being made swiftly if problems are identified. Absolutely no point dragging on a relationship if it’s not aligned or functioning as it should.

The main question is why these factors weren’t identified before appointment however if there’s been a personality clash then some things you can’t really anticipate.
Yeah, that and it’s also very possible that as things evolved and new information has become available (state of infrastructure, state of the squad, the way forward etc) - strategy could have changed/tilted from initial discussions they had with Ashworth - now he’s not aligned with the new strategy or whatever. Or maybe it’s just as simple as Ashworth putting his neck on the line with the EtH decision (but even that feels a little odd as it should’ve been a collective call)….alas, I guess we’ll find out in time. But it was always a risk - appointing these high level exec positions in isolation. Lots of egos and generally ceos and the sort love working with “their own people” etc.
 
In Jim's defence (if all these rumours are true), Dan deserved a sack.
Keeping Erik was major mistake which cost club a fortune in many areas and basically ruined this season (which will cost us again fortune). Also, if Amorim is not his choice then it will be tough situation for both to work together.

Now, question for Jim is; Why the hell you hired him between all other options then?

Shitshow all over the place.
 
If we're honest we look like fecking idiots until we get a better idea of what has happened.

If it's because his role was surplus to requirements it makes sense to part ways, but yeah let's see what happens in the next few days.
 
Speechless.

The adventures of Jimmy "the local lad" Brexit!

We spent the whole summer waiting for this guy because he was the best in class guy we wanted for our new adventure under Jimmy Boy and now he is gone with in 5 months. You can't make this shit up.

I am actually not to miffed with this. Although I don't know Ashworth's body of work a whole lot, GNev's suggestion that Ashworth wanted to groom him for the England job didn't sit right with me. Also, apparently he didn't do any stellar work at Newcastle either.

The issue is that we look like a mess once again and it brings back all the bad memories from the last 12 years. Whatever little hope you had after sacking of ETH and appointment of Amorim is fleeting now. Will we ever see the light again at the end of this long dark tunnel? Will we have wait more than Liverpool did for their league title?

Whoz next? Has Hugo Viana already signed for City or is there a chance we can still sign him? If he hasn't signed on the dotted lines yet then my money would be on him to become our next Dof.

Sigh!
 
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Seems they appointed the CEO, DOF (& potentially Wilcox as well), all in isolation, meaning there was always the possibility of personality clashes etc. Should probably have appointed the CEO first, & then let him have a big say in who the DoF of his choice was etc. Or maybe I’m wrong and Berrada had input into the Dan appointment. I don’t recall the timelines.
I think this is very close to what has happened. They tried to fix things way to fast with just picking some of the highest rated people available.
 
There was always going to be consequences for the way the summer was handled. Multiple poor decisions made, bad recruitment, not enough outgoings etc.

It’s not a great look for new management to be dropping the ball so badly in their first time to shine.
 
What if the people that were hired are just shit? We keep them in the name of stability? Become stably shit?
If you hire a shit and sack in 5 months after so much of scouting, his track record and then paid for his garden leave, then the management has a bigger problem than Ashworth.
 
My guess is that Ashworth didn't want Anorim, had been annoying Berrada and Big Jim about it in the last few weeks and on Saturday night said something like "see, Southgate wouldn't lose at home to Forest" and that was the last straw which made Jimbo tell him to clear his desk.
I’m not sure why it all played out last night but JR did an interview with The Athletic and said a major change was coming. This was a week or two ago. Assume this was it. Obviously in preparation of the January window too.
 
Didn't someone suggest that Berrada wasn't part of the Ashworth decision? And if true unless the board knew Berrada and Ashworth personally, the chance of them not meshing was always fairly high.
It is the thing that makes most sense, that the two just didn't get along.

However, if the bolded were true, it casts a huge shadow on the hiring process. It was January 2024 that Berrada was cast as the new CEO, and the Ashworth pursuit as DoF officially began in February.
If the latter happened without the freshly recruited CEO candidate being at least in the loop or on board, it would be nonsensical strategy, especially given the protracted, tedious and highly publicized of Ashworth's hiring. I have hard time imagining that.
 
Yeah, that and it’s also very possible that as things evolved and new information has become available (state of infrastructure, state of the squad, the way forward etc) - strategy could have changed/tilted from initial discussions they had with Ashworth - now he’s not aligned with the new strategy or whatever. Or maybe it’s just as simple as Ashworth putting his neck on the line with the EtH decision (but even that feels a little odd as it should’ve been a collective call)….alas, I guess we’ll find out in time. But it was always a risk - appointing these high level exec positions in isolation. Lots of egos and generally ceos and the sort love working with “their own people” etc.
The other point is they needed to do it before the January window?
 
If he genuinely wanted Southgate then it’s not only a sackable offence but he should also be executed in front of 75k at OT.
 
I don't believe he wanted Southgate. That would make him a man with a single idea.
 
This is insane… I just don’t understand this. Why bring someone in for the footballing expertise and then not get them along in making the decision to hire Amorim? Well I’m not even sure if that was the reason. I don’t get it.

This just doesn’t make any fecking sense…
Apparently wanted Southgate
 
If it wasn’t working out then best to end it sooner rather than later. We’ve had enough deadwood lingering at the club for years which has been a big factor in how pointless we’ve become.
 
Disaster is firing a man who wanted us to appoint Southgate? Ok.

In fairness surely they would have spoken about targets before he took the job. He would have known what Ashworth envisions
 
Remember how we made a bid for braitwaithe (I don't know the spelling) then it was rumoured Berrada insisted we're not paying the sort of fee Everton wanted, we then went for Yoro and De ligt and no EPL or English player at all. This could be some of the difference in their view.
 
Meh.. if he wanted EtH to continue, delayed his sacking, had any thoughts about Southgate, didn't want Amorim this is absolutely right call. Not a great look though as one would presume all above would be in on the table before he was hired. There are probably some other issues as well. Not a fan of Ratcliffe being behind decision, it should be Beratta. He shouldn't be the driving force behind such decisons. Ineos did some good (getting Amorim in such a quick time), some bad but it is still way too early. There is also a feeling that Ratcliffe is running the club like his company. You can't do that, this is way more than a business, the level of emotions and connection is on another level. And to be worse, he leaves an impression that he gives two fecks about emotions.

All together, we win the game yesterday and this suddenly becomes a lot less of an issue.
 
I mean that would be a huge problem if we still appointed a manager that the sporting director didn't want. That would put into question the structure and how they are operating. That's not to say Ashworth would be right but he should be the leading voice.

INEOS already said that the football structure would make the decisions together and in this case, sounds like he was against appointing Amorim and so, has been sacked. Plus, he wanted to give ETH more time apparently so that's another black mark against him.
 
If you hire a shit and sack in 5 months after so much of scouting, his track record and then paid for his garden leave, then the management has a bigger problem than Ashworth.
You can hire someone with a great CV only to realise they don’t culturally fit, especially when you’re mass hiring for multiple new positions. I’m sure Berrada will have some strong recommendations for the next Sporting manager who will be more inline with what everyone else is thinking.
 
Right now this screams Nice all over again. But if it's true that Berrada and Ashworth couldnt work together then this was the right decision. Something like that is also not something you can really anticipate.
 
It's a shambles because of how much money we paid to get him but I don't think he was a good fit regardless. Plus if he was behind the decision to keep Ten Hag and also wanted Southgate those are sackable decisions on there own.
 
Oh well, I'm sure we'll find somebody competent and compatible with Berrada and Amorim.
 
I like this version of the story best. Ashworth wanted Southgate and has been sacked over it.

It makes me feel good about what's going on.
This is the west, when the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
 
Oh well, I'm sure we'll find somebody competent and compatible with Berrada and Amorim.
Maybe Wilcox can step up to DoF and Vivell become technical director, it always felt like one too many with Vivell being brought in.
 
They're still stuck with the overpaid, lazy prima donnas on the pitch.
 
It is the thing that makes most sense, that the two just didn't get along.

However, if the bolded were true, it casts a huge shadow on the hiring process. It was January 2024 that Berrada was cast as the new CEO, and the Ashworth pursuit as DoF officially began in February.
If the latter happened without the freshly recruited CEO candidate being at least in the loop or on board, it would be nonsensical strategy, especially given the protracted, tedious and highly publicized of Ashworth's hiring. I have hard time imagining that.

But that process was less than ideal from day one. The future CEO wasn't able to work until summer. We then targeted someone he never worked with as the DOF and he also couldn't join the club until summer.
 
The other point is they needed to do it before the January window?

I’d say less about January and more that standard contracts at this level would have 6 month probationary periods.

Sacking him now was likely far, far cheaper than it would be in a month or so.
 
This club is being run like Sampdoria/Besiktas. Great stuff by Jimbo and his tax dodging mates.