During his brief five-month tenure as Manchester United’s sporting director, Dan Ashworth made a surprising decision regarding the club’s managerial future.
Despite joining from Newcastle United with high hopes, his time at Old Trafford ended in December, a mutual departure following a period of transition under new ownership.
One of Ashworth’s key disagreements with Manchester United’s hierarchy was the appointment of current manager Ruben Amorim.
Reports suggest that Ashworth believed the club needed a manager with Premier League experience and pushed for Brentford’s Thomas Frank to replace Erik ten Hag, rather than bringing in Amorim from Sporting CP.
Amorim, who came with a hefty £11m price tag, was the choice of CEO Omar Berrada, and his arrival, along with the sacking of Ten Hag, cost the club around £25m.
Fast forward to today, and with United languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, it’s hard not to wonder how things might have turned out if Ashworth’s preference for Frank had been honored.
Meanwhile, Frank’s Brentford, with fewer resources than Manchester United, sits comfortably in 11th place, outperforming their larger rivals in both goals scored and games won.
Frank, who has been with Brentford since 2018, has turned the club into a solid Premier League force, and he remains happy at the Bees. When asked about a potential move to a bigger club, including United,
Frank responded with cautious optimism, recognizing that while such a move could be tempting, it might not necessarily improve his life or career. Frank is content at Brentford, enjoying the club’s culture and the alignment of goals across all levels.
As Manchester United struggles to regain its former glory, one can’t help but think of what might have been if the club had gone with Ashworth’s suggestion of Thomas Frank.