Club Sale | It’s done!

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Why is Ashworth so highly rated?
Brighton value for money has been probably the best runned club in England during his spell as DoF. He also did a good job with English FA, which consequently resulted in England starting to reach the final stages of competitions, and starting to produce players with excellent techniques. In other words, he has a very good record.
 
Brighton value for money has been probably the best runned club in England during his spell as DoF. He also did a good job with English FA, which consequently resulted in England starting to reach the final stages of competitions, and starting to produce players with excellent techniques. In other words, he has a very good record.
A club that isn't Utd went for him.

Nah I think mostly his time at Brighton I guess?

I see! Thanks! It’s exciting that we seem to be interested in experienced football guys whoever we end up getting.
 
We need a structure that puts scouts at the forefront and then we need to invest in such a network by poaching the best in the game. The decision on who buy should be made after narrowing down the list provided by scouts who would have looked at things like technique, attitude, temperament, physique etc so that we are assured that from a list of say four players they all meet the minimum parameters set out in the player specification.

There is no way a player like Antony should ever be high on any list for recruitment by United. Bring in scouts you can trust and when a manager suggests a player tell him no, our scouts say he won't make it in this league because he lacks A, B and C. The DOF is the responsible for making sure the scouts assessment is on point, he can seek a different opinion if he wants but that should be the basic way we do things.

SAF was immense. He knew each and could cover every football role at United (coach, manager, DOF, Sporting director, chief scout etc) and he understood the business side of football. One of his two biggest strengths though was his ability to identify the right people, at the right job and to cover for their limitations without them knowing about it. That happened both on the pitch and off the pitch. For example he knew that Kidd was an excellent coach but he was not good enough to be a manager. That irked Kidd but in the end he was right.

Towards the end of his career he became more of a sporting director then a manager. He himself called himself a tactical dinosaur (gross exaggeration meant to keep morale of his own people up) and at his age he couldn't conduct training himself. That doesn't mean he delegated everything. Which leads us to his second strength ie the guy was a workaholic. The guy seem to be everywhere, every time and kept a finger in every pie. He would have a game on a Saturday and be on a scouting mission on Sunday morning. If United want to charm a young kid to join the club then SAF was there, if a feckup happened in training SAF would be there, media was handled by SAF, kids organizing a party behind SAF's back? SAF would be the first to turn up, contract negotiations? SAF will be there. I heard from very good sources that even now he still gives coaching staff tactical advice while concurrently making sure that his schedule run smoothly. Yes hairdryers are still a thing at OT.

The club needs to understand that SAF was a force of nature, ie a once in a club's lifetime. No one is able to do so much at such a high level. Its impossible. Thus United's structure need to change. SAF's job needs to break in tinier pieces with specialized people doing certain roles in line to their specialization.

Ashworth describes the sporting director role perfectly in an old interview of his. He'll never bring a player the manager doesn't like. That's waste of money as the manager will not play him. However if a potential target is identified than such argument will be backed by so much information (data analysis, detailed scouting reports etc) that the manager will have to sit down and come with some very solid arguments as of why he shouldn't be signed. Then decisions will be done in a mature way between people who understand and have ample experience in their line of expertise. Nothing is left for chance and once the decision is taken then things should go plain sailing. Mistakes are magnified at Manchester United, its easy to look silly at the most scrutinized club in the world thus nothing can be left by chance as the stakes are just too high. That's why I always insisted on having the best in class in every role, people that can't be trusted as opposed to rookies who are learning from their own mistakes
 
If we do go for Ashworth he has a non compete for 12 months. He won't officially work for us for a year but I guess can work in the backround
 
If we do go for Ashworth he has a non compete for 12 months. He won't officially work for us for a year but I guess can work in the backround
I think some compensation will be paid to break it, why would a senior executive like him agree to such a prohibitive clause? Six months would be understandable but a year that's just bonkers.
 
I think some compensation will be paid to break it, why would a senior executive like him agree to such a prohibitive clause? Six months would be understandable but a year that's just bonkers.
It protects the club, so he can't give away targets etc he will likely be put on gardening leave
 
It protects the club, so he can't give away targets etc he will likely be put on gardening leave
Which is a false sense of security because even if he swears not to work officially for United he could conduct business unofficially and what would they do if they can't prove it? Six months I'd understand but to take someone out of the game for a year is not on in my view.
 
It protects the club, so he can't give away targets etc he will likely be put on gardening leave
Then restraint of trade would come into it, which are generally not enforceable.

He'd be allowed to work after a period of gardening leave from his existing club.
 
It protects the club, so he can't give away targets etc he will likely be put on gardening leave

He was put on gardening leave when he left Brighton. He resigned in February and I think Newcastle agreed a fee to release him from GL in May, which last I saw Brighton were demanding about £5m for.

That's why I kind of struggle to see him doing it again.
 
Jesus Christ.

Or, you know, maybe it was a little cold.

He’s just agreed to acquire 25% of a business for a metric feck-tonne of money, if any of you believe for one minute he’s not carried out extensive financial due diligence and knows exactly what is going on then you need to give your heads a wobble.
Nah, as we have been told for the last 12 months or more Uncle Jim is an old school brexiteer, so I’m sure therefore that the feck tonne was imperial. :D
 
If we do go for Ashworth he has a non compete for 12 months. He won't officially work for us for a year but I guess can work in the backround

How would that work exactly. Will Newcastle send him to some Saudi embassy or something? Ashworth has the right to take and make phone calls to people to act on his behalf. He's also has every right to visit Carrington on a daily basis as a guest of course
 
He was put on gardening leave when he left Brighton. He resigned in February and I think Newcastle agreed a fee to release him from GL in May, which last I saw Brighton were demanding about £5m for.

That's why I kind of struggle to see him doing it again.

Depends entirely on what is written in his contract. But part of me believes that there must be some knowledge on how to get him out of these rumours are persisting.
 
Depends entirely on what is written in his contract. But part of me believes that there must be some knowledge on how to get him out of these rumours are persisting.
Yeah the amateur hour is over, I wouldn't expect INEOS to go this hard and this openly if they weren't sure. Newcastle also look like they are targeting Brentford's DOF and wouldn't mind to see him go.
 
A positive for me is that Ratcliffe has barely touched down and already action has been taken on Sancho's and VDB' s futures . Whatever happens this was essential . These are 2 players we do not need or want but who linger at the club showing that the previous and hopefully long gone people who were in charge before were complete amateurs .
The arrival of Ineos is not going to work miracles but if we start employing proper people to the board it can" t help but improve the running of the club which has been in the hands of no bodies since the days of SAF and Gill
Richard Arnold was [who?] soon out of the door and Murtaugh looks a goner too .
I don't think Ratcliffe is going to tolerate ETH 's delusions for long either
 
The Athletic reported the 12 month non compete and referenced it in the most recent United pod with Anka and Whitwell. I imagine it'll be a hell of a lot more than 5 mill to break
 
Jesus Christ.

Or, you know, maybe it was a little cold.

He’s just agreed to acquire 25% of a business for a metric feck-tonne of money, if any of you believe for one minute he’s not carried out extensive financial due diligence and knows exactly what is going on then you need to give your heads a wobble.
Obviously that photo (or its accompanying claim) is ridiculous, but shouldn't we be well past the assumption that a billionaire splashing out on a new asset entails that he knows what he is doing?
 
The Athletic reported the 12 month non compete and referenced it in the most recent United pod with Anka and Whitwell. I imagine it'll be a hell of a lot more than 5 mill to break

Those clauses are illegal under EU law I'm pretty sure. Ok it's two British clubs but the rules are probably the same, and if not he could work for Blanc at INEOS France or something. Pay a fee, shake hands, everybody gets on with their lives.
 
The Athletic reported the 12 month non compete and referenced it in the most recent United pod with Anka and Whitwell. I imagine it'll be a hell of a lot more than 5 mill to break
Easy to get around, make him a sporting director at INEOS , done.
 
Obviously that photo (or its accompanying claim) is ridiculous, but shouldn't we be well past the assumption that a billionaire splashing out on a new asset entails that he knows what he is doing?

I’m not necessarily saying he knows what he’s doing moving forward, but he unequivocally, without question, definitely carried out extensive due diligence and knows the financial situation he’s walking into.

Think what you want of him, and I’m not a fan, but he’s an actual businessman, he’s not dumb.
 
Getting the Brailsfraud trademark in early, the caf will turn on him on day 2 of his appointment and I want my royalties.
 
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