Following Manchester United’s 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, in tandem with the shocking news that broke on Sunday morning that Dan Ashworth has left Manchester United with immediate effect, we caught up with former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister to discuss all things The Red Devils as there’s never a quiet day when United are around.
In this article:
- Ashworth leaving isn’t a good look for Man United
- Amorim must find out which players he trusts
- Yoro is one for the future
Ashworth leaving isn’t a good look for Man United
The big news that overshadowed United’s defeat to Forest on Saturday evening arrived on Sunday morning, when it was announced Dan Ashworth has left his role as sporting director at Manchester United after just five months. Ashworth spent five months on gardening leave as United were forced to negotiate his exit from Newcastle. This went on to cost United between £2m-£3m. Having headhunted Dan Ashworth for a long period of time, Pallister was left surprised by the decision, and felt as though it caught everybody off guard.
“I think everybody was caught off guard by the news of Dan Ashworth. He was somebody that was picked out to be the man to address the balance and recruitment, because the recruitment haven’t been well for many years.
“We have wasted an awful amount of money on players that haven’t stood up to the task, and we all thought Dan was gonna be integral moving forward. It´s hard to talk about it right now because of all the rumours.”
Reports suggest there have been personality clashes within the United higher ups which have led to Ashworth departing, with the former Brighton and Newcastle chief said to have struggled to fit into a kitchen with too many chefs. Pallister had believed in Ashworth being the man to make a difference for United when it came to player recruitment but that will no longer be the case.
“It is surprising and it’s not a good look because he was seen as the man who should move us forward in that department.
“I am sure that a lot will come out in the wash. I guess, a lot has gone on behind closed doors, but I am sure they were just not happy with the fit. But it’s not a good look, because he was the man who should make a difference in recruitment. But it might not have gone as well as they thought.”
Amorim must find out which players he trusts
Manchester United’s 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest means Manchester United have now suffered back-to-back defeats under their new boss Ruben Amorim. Amorim, who replaced the much beleaguered Erik ten Hag has won only one of his four league games in charge and the club currently sit 13th in the league table. Pallister has sympathy for the Portuguese man in charge of reshaping United’s destiny and believes it will take some time for Amorim to find out which of the current United players he trusts.
“It’s a difficult one. Amorim is changing the team so much at the moment, which is understandable. He is trying to see all the players he has available. We are not seeing the finished product right now, but it’s still the same problems at Man United at the moment. We don’t look together as a team and we have moments of quality but as a team they are lacking.”
United seem to have found themselves a new frailty when it comes to set pieces. They have now conceded their third goal in a week from a set-piece, following on from their 2-0 loss to Arsenal at The Emirates last week. Pallister, a former defender himself, shared some of his concerns with Lisandro Martinez who has struggled to hit the heights of his debut season at the club.
“It’s frustrating with the goals we give away again against Forest. We are very poor, and as a whole team it will take a while for Amorim to find out who he trusts in the team.
“I saw some calling Martinez a child, which I found a bit disrespectful. I understand, he is not looking at the ball, he is more affected to stop his man. You got to watch the ball and be aware of the flight of the ball. I never understand when a defender is more focused on marking the man. That is naive defending.”
Yoro is one for the future
Summer signing Leny Yoro made his first start for Manchester United in the 3-2 defeat to Forest. The young defender had picked up an injury when he first arrived at the club which held back his debut. Having come off the bench against Arsenal last week, Yoro settled into the right of the back three against Forest and will be hoping to remain in Amorim’s starting XI with a hectic Christmas period on the horizon. Many fans and people in the world of football have had very high expectations for him, but Pallister is keeping his feet on the ground when it comes to the young Frenchman.
“I am not going to make judgements on the 60 mins Yoro he played. It´s very difficult to judge, but I have heard Rio talking positively about his abilities and I think Rio is a pretty good judge. I would rely on that.
“He is a young lad coming to a new country and a different league. We will see how he adapts, and Amorim will see much more about him in training. I guess we have a good talent in our hands, and he is one for the future. It’s a shame he got an injured start, but hopefully he can have a big impact in the future.
“Back in the days of Sir Alex, you could pin point players and just get any top player. Man United were always top three in the world when players decided which club they should join, and they are not there anymore. We have not been able to pick the players we want.”
Manchester United are set to return to action on Thursday evening, when they take on Czech side, Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League. Amorim’s side are priced at 3/5 on bet365 to win that match, in what could be a tempting bet for punters, especially considering that bet365 are one of the best football betting sites in the business.
