[Albion] Dan Ashworth joins Newcastle

[Sea Cider]

**** Newcastle (and Chelsea /Man City for that matter).

This will be the first of many times this happens to us (and others obvs) over the next couple of years

A disgusting stain on football. I wish ill on all these clubs.

 

[Dorset Seagull]

I disagree. If you know 100% that something is bad, I think you have a duty to do something about it. And state sponsored terrorism and denial of human rights is bad.

If true, then Ashworth has left a very well paid job to work for a club owned by Saudi Arabia. It's not as if he was unemployed and forced to get any job just to pay the bills.

Still doesnt alter the fact that if you put Saudi petrol in your car you are also propping up the regime

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I've got nothing against the bloke for going there. More would than wouldn't go there given the circumstances.

It's if he starts picking off our existing players and targets that would make him a complete ****monger.

If he starts from a clean slate. Fine

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

**** Newcastle (and Chelsea /Man City for that matter).

This will be the first of many times this happens to us (and others obvs) over the next couple of years

A disgusting stain on football. I wish ill on all these clubs.

As do I

 

[Milano]

It’s all short term though at Newcastle.
The thing that Howe, Burn and now Ashworth all have in common is that none of them were their employer’s first choice for their role. That situation normally ends in tears.

The club’s statement on Ashworth is quite terse, Bloom appears to an outsider like me to value loyalty, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was quite angry with this.

 

[GoingUp]

For what its worth, after reading numerous Potter interviews, I get the impression that he wouldn't leave us purely for financial reasons and he has a great project and challenge that he has yet to complete.

That one interview where he talks about having the same group of friends from childhood (and think he mentioned being embarrassed about the amount of money managers and players get paid?) sticks out.

WHEN he does leave us, I think it would be for a stable 'large brand club' that regularly competes in Europe to further test himself, that would be the next logical step for a young, ambitious manager.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

It's a really interestingly-worded statement from the club. Complete guess-work, but this doesn't sound like an amicable parting. I think Tony feels very let down. The quid pro quo is holding Ashworth to his notice period (which MUST be longer than three months - using the word "extended" is slightly strange, and to me it points to something quite lengthy - at least six months, perhaps). It's also very strange how this has taken so long to come to fruition.....seems like there's been a month or so of negotiating (which could have included TB putting more money on the table and/or Ashworth indicating he was going to stay, but then deciding to leave??). It'll be interesting to see what announcement Newcastle make (which should provide the timescales, and hence the notice period info). Odd, too, to include the bit about continuing to report to PB during his gardening leave....sounds like the club has made it clear that they absolutely expect Ashworth to respect the terms of his contract, and if PB thinks he's starting to work for Newcastle, he'll get him to come into the office and sit around doing nothing!!

Bloom is quoted as being, "Extremely disappointed." Code for absolutely gutted and probably absolutely furious.
It is a blow. Ashworth was key to the model: if you can't pay the big player fees, pay for the best recruiters. Smart.
Big jump ( too big?) for Weir to take on the role full-time. Bloom will have a plan about how to replace Ashworth but he's a hard act to follow.

 

[peterward]

Meanwhile on the Everton forum.

 

[Clive Walker]

His job is to oversee all footballing operations and at Newcastle he will be given a open cheque book to make those things as successful as possible. I can only imagine that this opportunity excites him and at this moment is probably the optimum role in world football given the recent take over. His salary will be massive compared to what he is already on.

 

[Springal]

Big jump ( too big?) for Weir to take on the role full-time. Bloom will have a plan about how to replace Ashworth but he's a hard act to follow.

Agreed - without knowing, it seems a big jump for Weir from 'loans manager' to 'Acting Technical Director' - Ashworth had a lot of experience at club and FA as Technical Director and I doubt Weir is going to be the long term replacement.

 

[peterward]

His job is to oversee all footballing operations and at Newcastle he will be given a open cheque book to make those things as successful as possible. I can only imagine that this opportunity excites him and at this moment is probably the optimum role in world football given the recent take over. His salary will be massive compared to what he is already on.

And the finest suites overlooking chop chop square for every sportswash PR training camp.

Dirty Dan Cashworth. Cash rich morally bankrupt.

 

[Surf's Up]

Good luck to him - the Saudis are c**ts to work for, as he'll find out.

 

[ditchy]

1 - I imagine the club have invested in a computer with Excel so the names are probably on there and not on a bit of paper in Dan's pocket.
2 - The players we target may not suit the positions/profile of player that Newcastle are targeting. If Newcastle survive, next summer will be BIG signings.
3 - On the example of Ensico, I don't believe an untried 18 year old will be the player Newcastle will be targetting for immediate impact. We HAVE to shop in the market of "Will the player have a strong re-sale value/potential" to sustain our model. Newcastle do not need to care about that.

There may also be a clause in his contract that Newcastle are not allowed to poach anyone that we had or have an ongoing interest in that Ashworth was part of instigating . We also do not know how long the" gardening leave" is and what intellectual property we own rather than Ashworth .

 

[mickybha]

Hope while on gardening leave he gets caught red-handed secretly advising Saudi FC and Bloom sues the arse off all concerned

 

[peterward]

Hope while on gardening leave he gets caught red-handed secretly advising Saudi FC and Bloom sues the arse off all concerned

Bloom is always the lovely fellow Albion fan to us, but i don't doubt that a businessman as rich and successful as he is also capable of ruthlessness. He showed that with White to Leeds, there was simply no way they were going to get one over on him once it became personal.

I wouldnt be at all surprised if DA tries to come back in for our Crown Jewells like Biss, Tross or maybe even GP. I'd also not be surprised that even if Newcastle was best offer, Bloom doesnt sanction it.

I do believe the loyalty thing is important, great friend, fantastic boss, but get on the wrong side of him and he wont forget.

 

[ditchy]

The things he is being brought in to do (if the Saudi PIF has any sense) take ages. Sorting out the football side from academy upwards will take years to produce meaningful and measurable results. It's a different story for managers there I'd imagine, but if they've got any sense (and there's no reason to think the people running a sovereign wealth fund are anything but shrewd - it's not some crazy billionaire wanting a plaything), a director of football will be given time unless it's an obvious disaster from the start.



He'll have more 'support' in terms of budget, which will make life a bit easier. It remains to be seen who else he'll be working with, but I doubt their recruitment has finished. It's going to be very difficult to beat our set-up in terms of the people immediately above and below, but he has seemingly done a good job at the FA and WBA beforehand without that great support, so will fancy his chances again.



Absolutely this. It's a blow to lose someone doing a great job, but the way we are run means it won't bring the whole project crashing down. There's now a very attractive vacancy either for someone internal to progress, or to find the next up and coming DoF to finish the job Dan Ashworth started (Marc Overmars could do a job )

Overmars a nasty piece of work . Was once at a dinner with a certain top referee of the time on the table and he was taking questions. A fan asked who was the most difficult person he had reffed? was it Keane, vinny Jones ? , no he said Overmars as he was always wingeing and comments back were of a very personal nature towards referee and his family and he was generally difficult to handle. Always trying to get players sent off .

 

[portslade seagull]

Makes me wonder if that is why the paraguayan lad had 2nd thoughts

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Overmars a nasty piece of work . Was once at a dinner with a certain top referee of the time on the table and he was taking questions. A fan asked who was the most difficult person he had reffed? was it Keane, vinny Jones ? , no he said Overmars as he was always wingeing and comments back were of a very personal nature towards referee and his family and he was generally difficult to handle. Always trying to get players sent off .

https://www.skysports.com/football/...g-inappropriate-messages-to-female-colleagues

 

[blockhseagull]

Now is the time we will find out how good Ashworth actually was.

Was he the man who has made everything happen at the club and going to be a huge loss, or was he in a great situation surrounded by a great team, owner and CEO who made it happen.

My guess is somewhere inbetween, but we are going to find out.

 

[MJsGhost]

Overmars a nasty piece of work . Was once at a dinner with a certain top referee of the time on the table and he was taking questions. A fan asked who was the most difficult person he had reffed? was it Keane, vinny Jones ? , no he said Overmars as he was always wingeing and comments back were of a very personal nature towards referee and his family and he was generally difficult to handle. Always trying to get players sent off .

Sends a great d|ck pic though!