Manchester United are in a state of uncertainty following the dismissal of Dan Ashworth, who was sacked just five months after joining Old Trafford. Having previously ruled out a replacement, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the United hierarchy are reportedly considering a new appointment.
Ashworth's departure in early December, officially by mutual consent, came after he reportedly clashed with senior figures at the club.
According to the Mirror, the 53-year-old's exit followed mounting tensions behind the scenes, primarily over the appointment of Ruben Amorim.
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Ashworth had favoured Thomas Frank or Gareth Southgate for the role, and his disagreements with chief executive Omar Berrada and others intensified as United's performance on the pitch failed to improve.
His departure is said to have eased these tensions but left the club with a significant decision to make.
Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox, both appointed this year by the new Ineos hierarchy, have assumed more responsibility for now.
Former Manchester City executive Berrada is tasked with deciding the next steps, amid reports of ongoing uncertainty.
Previously, United had decided not to replace Ashworth directly despite paying £3million in compensation to Newcastle to end a bitter dispute over his departure.
Now, Mail Sport claim that Berrada is considering the scope of any new executive appointment, suggesting a potential reshuffle of the club's structure and possibly a lower-ranked hire.
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Despite releasing 250 employees and ruffling feathers at United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe isn't wavering in his hard-line approach to overhaul the club's fortunes.
The billionaire co-owner, dedicated to rejuvenating his lifelong team, candidly expressed his dissatisfaction with the club's standing in a recent interview.
"Manchester United has become mediocre," he disclosed to fans through the United We Stand fanzine.
"It is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions. If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change."
Earlier, Ratcliffe highlighted structural issues within the club to Belgian newspaper De Tijd, indicating a need for reform.
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He said: "We have to look at the organisation of the club because it is not good at the moment. Take the head coach, for example; he must report directly to the CEO. That is no longer possible in a modern football organisation."
His strong stance continues as United deliberate over the replacement for Ashworth without hastening, having learnt from their hasty acquisition earlier this year.
"We have to ensure that the right people end up in the right positions," Ratcliffe added.
"Every person in management must be world-class. And then it is important to create a positive, supportive, friendly and high-quality environment. That culture was missing before."
