THE blame game has taken a new twist as circumstances worsen at Old Trafford.

Dan Ashworth, Manchester United’s first sporting director, has left his position just months after joining in the summer, departing just before Christmas.

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SunSport revealed last month that tensions were already escalating.

The newly established senior management team found themselves pointing fingers amidst the ongoing chaos at the club.

Chief executive Omar Berrada and Ashworth sought to distance themselves, claiming they arrived too late from their respective gardening leaves.

The new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe asserted that the responsibility for decision-making rested with them.

On the other hand, Jason Wilcox saw the disorder left by former coach Erik ten Hag as troublesome, even though he was part of the team that encouraged Ten Hag’s continuation when other candidates withdrew.

Insiders indicate that Ashworth was against hiring his successor and new coach Ruben Amorim, preferring an English manager with more experience.

This might explain why Gareth Southgate’s name was mentioned following their shared history with the FA.

Regardless, Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest, particularly after their poor performance in the second half against Arsenal days prior, was simply intolerable.

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Could it have been the sight of the underperforming Joshua Zirkzee exiting the pitch that sparked this fallout?

This 23-year-old Dutch forward was anticipated to make a significant impact at £36.5 million, although Ten Hag disagreed and felt compelled to use him.

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This reflects poorly on Ashworth.

The club is already looking to offload the disappointing forward.

Rumblings from Old Trafford indicated that Ratcliffe had implemented a ‘liberating decree’ after taking 27.7 percent ownership of the club in February.

Yet, the situation continues to spiral downwards. They remain stuck in a self-created chaos, with no clear resolution in sight.

Ashworth was expected to be the one to navigate this complexity but spent a significant duration on gardening leave from Newcastle instead of initiating the necessary changes at Old Trafford.

After the 3-2 loss on Saturday, he was seen leaving the post-match media area accompanied by a security guard and the club’s chief operating officer, Collette Roche, about 30 minutes after the match.

His demeanor was striking as he walked with his head down, offering no farewell words.

As we go through that process, we continually learn about the best structure to support our pursuit of victory.

Manchester United statement

He was on his way to the East Stand boardroom to finalize his departure.

Reportedly, he was viewed as “not a good fit.”

This contrasts sharply with his successes at previous clubs.

A disagreement with others brought in to steer the once-glorious football club back to its former glory ultimately sealed his fate.

The club stated that his departure was decided “collaboratively following a transitional phase for the club.”

However, it was Ashworth who was expected to play a key role in this transition.

The club has also labeled the decision as “difficult.” They stressed their commitment to establishing a “new team and structure here at pace.”

‘This is down to Ratcliffe’

They further remarked: “As we engage in this process, we are constantly learning about the most effective structure to help us succeed.”

This raises questions as to why the highly sought-after Ashworth, whom the club went to great lengths to secure from Newcastle and spent £3 million on, is now considered unfit for that ‘structure’.

It seems to revolve around Ratcliffe, who is swiftly becoming one of the least liked figures at the club alongside the Glazers.

If the decision to part ways was genuinely mutual, it certainly raises eyebrows as to why Ashworth was seen at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Was there a heated exchange among the directors afterward?

The monumental challenges at Old Trafford seem to be daunting for everyone involved.

No manager, chief executive, or technical director has managed to tackle it successfully.

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Opinions abound regarding what the solution might be, but from an outside perspective, it appears that nobody truly knows what to do.

Meanwhile, a staggering £1.6BILLION has been spent on player acquisitions since Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit.

Wilcox now leads recruitment efforts, but resources for bringing in new talent are extremely constrained.

Financial limitations, cost-cutting initiatives, compensation for outgoing staff, and a hefty wage bill for underperforming players have all hindered the club’s advancement.

No major signings are expected in January or next summer.

The club is left with its current squad, which simply isn’t up to standard.

Ashworth is aware, as is everyone else. Amorim cautioned that there was ‘a storm coming.’

And that storm has undoubtedly arrived.