THE ARBORETUM OF ASHWORTH
As the days get longer and temperatures warm, there’s plenty to do for those with green fingers. Vegetable beds need to be prepared, seed potatoes need to be sown before planting and fruit crops need to be netted to protect them from our hungry feathered friends. Once all that grunt work is done, your winter flowering shrubs and wisteria will need to be pruned, while heaven forbid you should forget to cut back your deciduous ornamental grasses to ensure there is enough room for the new growth of spring. With so much to do and so little time, Dan Ashworth is lucky to have been put on garden leave by his employers at Newcastle United after being approached by Manchester United to become their new director of football.
Ashworth currently holds the same role at St James’ Park, where he moved in May 2022 after successive spells as technical director at West Brom, the Football Association and Brighton. Ashworth is clearly held in very high regard, even if Football Daily isn’t entirely sure. what exactly the 52-year-old does. Upon his appointment, we were told he would be tasked with overseeing the “overarching sporting strategy, football development and all-ages recruitment” at Newcastle following the Saudi takeover. If we can assume that he played a major role in recruiting success stories such as Alexander Isak, Sven Botman and Nick Pope, then we can conclude that he was probably just as instrumental in spending £55 million on a Italian midfielder who is now in service. a long-term ban on gambling violations. Bets made while he was at a club, cynics might say, desperately trying to offload him with what now seems suspicious haste. Football Daily’s lawyers want to emphasize that Milan have denied any knowledge of Sandro Tonali’s offences.
While any references to Newcastle’s decidedly average current form should be sidestepped with references to their terrible luck with injuries and the way they have been rather hamstrung in their transfer market dealings by the profit and sustainability rules, the past two spells have been little short of disastrous . With the sight of a troubled Dan Burn in the slipstream of younger, agile and pacey wingers now a weekly occurrence, Newcastle fans might wonder why Lewis Hall, on loan from Chelsea, rarely gets a drop-out. And why his close namesake and fellow left-back Jamal Lewis is currently on loan at Watford.
Meanwhile, in midfield, the glaring gap left by Joelinton’s long-term talent could and should have been filled in January. Based on recent evidence, we’re willing to concede that Newcastle may have dodged a Kalvin Phillips-shaped bullet, even though they couldn’t possibly have known that he would have forgotten how to play football during his 18 months on the sidelines at Manchester City. Anyway, the point we’re slowly getting to is that when it comes to players, Newcastle’s recruitment policy appears to be as volatile as that of most other clubs, which makes Manchester United’s apparent desperation to get Ashworth on board even more apparent. more puzzling.
Newcastle have decided to put that decision to the test by demanding £20 million in compensation to part ways with an employee they can presumably continue to pay while he tends his rhododendrons until early 2026. Reports suggest Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reluctant to do so’ to pay a high fee. which seems self-defeating and perhaps an ominous sign of things to come at Old Trafford. If Ashworth is as good as some say – and we can’t stress enough that we have no idea whether he is or not – £20m seems like good value if it means bringing in someone who could hold Manchester United out of money wasting it on questionable, overpriced signings such as Antony, Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount.
It is believed that Eddie Howe did not have a close working relationship with Ashworth and has given the impression that he would not be particularly upset if he saw him go to a door in Newcastle marked Do One. However, he has expressed concerns that if Ashworth were to move to Old Trafford he would take with him his in-depth knowledge of Newcastle’s recruitment strategy, even if their recent forays – or lack thereof – into the transfer market suggest this may not be a success will be. bad thing. Newcastle have every right to hold out for at least £20m and should inform Sir Jim that the price will rise significantly with each week Dan remains in the garden with his pruning shears.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“This club is very special, means so much to me and has played a big role in my football life. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here for six seasons as it has given me the opportunity to work with top players and staff and do what I love every day. However, I understand that, given recent circumstances, it may be prudent at this time for the club to plan ahead, and I have therefore taken the decision to step aside to allow the club to move forward their plans for a new manager can bring, as intended for this summer” – Roy Hodgson, fresh from hospital and thankfully “doing well”, has left his role as manager of Crystal Palace after 200 games in six seasons. “We owe our continued Premier League status to Roy,” sobbed owner Steve Parish. “He has the keys to Selhurst Park and will always be welcomed.”
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
I wonder how many readers plugged 하나를수행 into Google Translate to make sure you got it right (Friday’s News, Bits and Bobs). I was one to check and hope for a conjugation error that would have translated into something like “He did one”; but you were aware. Well done one!” –Jim Christie.
For a moment I had the idea to check the translation of 하나를 수행. After an even shorter moment I decided it would be more useful to have a life” – Kevin Worley.
Is there anything more mind-numbing than the continued, revisited, regurgitated Kylian Mbappe leaving the PSG saga? Well, is that so?” –Russell D. Pulford.
As far as I’m concerned, the only way the perennial and tired Mbappe transfer saga could be made somewhat interesting again is if Wolverhampton Wanderers were suddenly rumored to be eyeing Real Madrid. The boy who cried wolves!” – Peter O.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our Prizeless Letter of the Day is…Kevin Worley.
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