AXED Dan Ashworth put together a four-man shortlist to replace Erik ten Hag – and reports indicate that Ruben Amorim was NOT among the names.

The sporting director left Manchester United after only five months in the role, during a tumultuous season for the Red Devils.

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Ashworth, aged 53, was dismissed shortly after United’s 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Sources close to The Athletic reported that Ashworth did not support Amorim’s candidacy.

Instead, the former director from Newcastle and West Brom preferred an English manager with a deeper understanding of the game.

His shortlist indicated that he favored candidates with Premier League experience.

The top two names on that list were Eddie Howe, despite the ongoing struggles at Newcastle, and Marco Silva from Fulham.

The next two were Brentford manager Thomas Frank and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who might serve as an interim option until the end of the season.

Reports indicate that Potter is ready to step in at West Ham should Julen Lopetegui be dismissed this week, as per talkSPORT.

However, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was seeking innovative ideas from the person they invested £2.5 million for, opting not to consider familiar names associated with Ashworth.

It has been reported that the sporting operations expert struggled to make a compelling case for his favorites.

Interestingly, Ashworth did not comment on the official announcement regarding Amorim’s hiring.

Sporting Director Dan Ashworth discusses his role at Newcastle United

Ashworth previously shared insights on Ten Hag’s contract extension and the various signings made during the summer.

According to The Athletic, Ashworth reportedly had little to do with the selection of Amorim as United’s head coach, with CEO Omar Berrada being a significant influence in the Portuguese manager’s appointment.

Berrada was the one who went to Lisbon right after Ten Hag’s dismissal to negotiate directly with Sporting president Frederico Varandas.

Importantly, Berrada’s connections with Sporting were a crucial element in that discussion, overshadowing Ashworth’s ties.

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SunSport had previously reported that United’s new leadership was engulfed in a blame game concerning their summer transfers, particularly about who chose to extend Ten Hag’s contract, only for him to be let go just 14 games later.

Berrada and Ashworth seemed to be distancing themselves from the situation, claiming they had joined too late after their gardening leave.

However, their attempts to avoid responsibility frustrated Ratcliffe, who asserted that the accountability rested solely with them.

The Red Devils’ co-owner, who now holds a 27.7 percent stake, insisted that it was not his decision before Ten Hag’s termination.

It has been suggested that Ashworth’s departure was instigated from higher levels at the club.

Within the organization, there seems to be a consensus that the decision was mutually agreed upon by Ratcliffe, Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford, and co-owner Joel Glazer.

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Disputes grew when Ashworth proposed hiring a data analytics firm to evaluate candidates for Ten Hag’s successor.

Ratcliffe reportedly expressed dissatisfaction, asserting that handling these matters fell within Ashworth’s responsibilities, not an external consultancy.

Additionally, there were concerns when Ashworth took a vacation during Amorim’s second day at Carrington.

While the timing of his holiday was understandable due to a significant family matter postponed for work commitments, some interpreted his absence from the November executive committee meeting as another indication of internal strife.

Ashworth participated in the ExCo summit in October at Ineos headquarters in London, following the earlier gathering in Barcelona.

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