Ruben Amorim says Dan Ashworth’s Man United exit ‘not the best situation’

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer, Plzen

Ruben Amorim admits sporting director Dan Ashworth’s shock exit is “not the best situation” but the Manchester United head coach believes the club’s vision remains clear and unaffected.

Sunday morning brought the stunning announcement that the 53-year-old was leaving Old Trafford just 159 days after an agreement was finally struck to bring him from Newcastle.

Ashworth’s departure was met by surprise from afar as well as inside United, where the PA news agency understands there was shock from many staff despite a sense that things had not been going smoothly within the hierarchy.

Amorim faced the media for the first time since the sporting director’s abrupt exit ahead of Thursday’s Europa League group game at Viktoria Plzen, where the first questions focused on that development.

“The first thing I want to say is that since the first day I felt great support from the ownership,” the United head coach said.

“From Omar [Berrada, chief executive], from Dan also, from Jason [Wilcox, technical director].

“Dan was part of that, and I really, really, really felt support from Dan also.

“But this is football and sometimes these things happens. It happens with players, with coaches.

“I know that it’s not the best situation but the important thing is we continue in our way. The path is really clear for everybody and I think this can happen in football.”

Asked if he is concerned that United were more unstable than when he first arrived a month ago, Amorim said: “I don’t think so.

 

“Like I said, I’ve felt since day one the support from everybody, so one person leaving don’t change nothing.

“Of course, it’s a bad situation, like I said, because we are talking about a human being, a professional, that supports us as a team.

“But I think the most important thing is that your vision is really clear and that vision don’t change if only one person leaves.”