Ruben Amorim breaks silence on Dan Ashworth’s shock exit as Man Utd boss weighs in on INEOS’ bold vision

The Red Devils have taken the decision to part with their sporting director just five months after bringing him in from Newcastle. Questions are being asked of how Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s ownership team are running things behind the scenes, with staff cuts and price hikes already attracting criticism.

Ashworth is said to have paid the price for failing to convince Ratcliffe and Co with his response to Erik ten Hag’s sacking, as another manager hunt began, and a lack of stability off the field is doing little for continuity and positive progress on it.

Amorim, though, has said of big decisions being made at boardroom level: “The first thing I want to say since the first day I felt great support from the ownership, from Omar [Berrada], from them also, from Jason [Wilcox] and Dan was part of that.

“I felt really, really, really [good] support from Dan, but this is football and sometimes this happens. It happens with players and with coaches. I know it's not the best situation, but the important thing is that we continue on our way. The path is really clear for everybody and I think this can happen in football.”

Amorim went on to say of the direction that United are heading in with Ashworth gone: “Since day one I felt the support from everybody - one person leaving doesn't change anything. Of course, it's a bad situation. Like I said, we're talking about a human being, a professional, who supports us as a team, but I think the most important thing is that the vision is really clear and that doesn't change if one person leaves.”

United’s grand plan was to work their way back into Premier League title contention after welcoming Ratcliffe – Britain's richest man – and INEOS on board alongside the unpopular Glazer family. They sit 13th in the table at present and are finding forward momentum difficult to generate.