Manchester United poach Dan Ashworth to teach Newcastle a harsh reality

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Dan Ashworth is leaving Newcastle to join Manchester United But if Ashworth was supposed to supply stability at St James’ Park, he has proved a short-term figure; now wanted to oversee long-term success at Old Trafford instead. A reflection of a fallen giant’s residual pulling power may also illustrate the renewed ambition at Old Trafford with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival, and if both sets of owners could underline how the super-rich football clubs can now form off-shoots of the oil, gas and wider energy industry, there is an obvious contrast between the local boy and lifelong fan made good and the involvement of a state thousands of miles away. And if Ashworth’s role is not limited to transfers, if United are looking to bring in others to assist him – Southampton’s director of football Jason Wilcox is of interest – there may be the sense that they are looking to copy Newcastle, a club seven points below them in the table, albeit one who have won their last three meetings. Alan Shearer preferred his native Tyneside but when Dan Ashworth materialises in Manchester, some may see it as United putting Newcastle’s ambitious upstarts in their place.