Speaking to the local press this week, sporting director Dan Ashworth has been discussing his first few months at Newcastle United.
The former Brighton chief claims he – and the new owners – came into a club working on a ‘skeleton framework’, feeling the bare minimum was being done to merely maintain our Premier League status.
Now, it’s clear he and the club are pushing to improve every aspect of Newcastle United, as he discusses the work he’s been doing to improve the first-team, Academy, Women’s team and training ground.
Ashworth speaks highly of the “passionate” Toon fans he’s interacted with during his time on Tyneside, also praising the dedication shown by several long-serving members of staff he’s come into contact with.
Here’s everything he had to say, starting with a reflection on the past few months following a busy summer at St James’ Park:
“First of all, I have loved it. It is a fantastic place to work and a brilliant football club.
“I knew how passionate the supporters were but I have still been surprised, whether that’s popping across the road to get a sandwich or the 50,000 inside the stadium.
“It really has taken me by surprise how much the club means to Newcastle United supporters. It has been brilliant. I have loved being here and loved the challenge.
“Being pitched into a summer window without building relationships and understanding how the board works, how Eddie works or how the recruitment works has been a challenge. Obviously you are stuck within a tight timeframe because the transfer window shuts on September 1, so it was getting players out and off the books.
“Getting some players on loan from a development pathway point of view. Adjusting contracts, i.e, Elliot Anderson, and the staff, Eddie Howe and some senior and youth recruits.
“We brought in five senior players and obviously (Lorius) Karius came in post-deadline. And we signed five players for the younger teams.
“I have been doing this job 15 years now and I don’t think I have ever said the day after deadline: ‘That was perfect and we got every position we wanted and everybody we wanted’.
“I always would like emerging talents and that category and younger players and possibly one more to support the first-team.
“But overall really pleased with the players we signed and business we’ve done.”
Ashworth then discussed the fans, our facilities and the ongoing work at the training ground; admitting that’s one of several areas in need of improvement:
“What I found when I first came here was some incredibly loyal, passionate and long- serving staff. The passion that the supporters have and the staff that have been here a long time is absolutely incredible.
“I think that everybody would admit that there are certain areas of the club that have been run on more of a skeleton framework and a survival basis, like ‘If we can stay in the Premier League that’s fine or enough’.
“That’s not enough anymore. So consequently, you have to upscale the majority of departments and facilities in order to try to achieve our goal, which are to finish higher up the league, to compete for trophies and aspirational targets.
“The trajectory the club is going towards over the next few years. Again, consequently, there is a building out of structures and capacity in order to be able to achieve that.
“Some things are probably stocked and fit for purpose, but there are other areas that needed improvement. In some, that was an issue of head count, in others it might have been a facilities issue.
“So, the training ground is going through a period of improving our capacity. That’s not only to fit more people in there, it’s also to improve it for players on recovery, on diet and nutrition, a lot of money has gone into new training pitches for example.
“There are some short-term fixes you can have. But then there’s also the longer-term question of whether (the club needs) a purpose-built training (complex) that can incorporate an academy, women’s and first team, that may or may not be coming down the track. That’s more about the long-term, and those are processes that are harder to fix.”
