Edwin van der Sar highlights key to Man United’s football structure after Sir Jim Ratcliffe sacked Dan Ashworth – as ex-Ajax chief reveals Ruben Amorim hope

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has stressed the entire football structure must be working effectively for the club to achieve success.

Van der Sar played for the Red Devils between 2005 and 2011, winning four Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League.

The former goalkeeper rejoined Ajax after his retirement as the Dutch giant’s marketing director in 2012, before later serving as the club’s chief executive from 2016 to 2023.

During his time in the role Van der Sar had been linked with a return to Manchester United in an executive role.

Van der Sar resigned from the position in May last year amid turbulence at Ajax after a poor run of results, just weeks before he was admitted to hospital after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

The 54-year-old, who believes he has now fully recovered, highlighted in an interview with Sky Sports the importance of Man United‘s new football structure working effectively together to help boost the club’s fortunes.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has overhauled Man United’s football structure since buying a minority stake

‘It’s of utmost importance that all things are connected,’ Van der Sar said. ‘I experienced at Ajax also when one radar, one little thing is not working, it can have an effect down the line.

‘I think that happened also at United. I think the structure has been quite clear, with the Glazers as the ownership. I think the football structure and the CEO position has been changed also a few times.’

Van der Sar noted that the football structure established by Ineos needs to work in tandem with new head coach Ruben Amorim to give him the best chance of success.

‘Of course, a manager probably wants to have one or two players coming in January,’ Van der Sar added. 

‘I think the most important thing is to have the line with the technical director, the football director, that they can know which situation will be needed to replace, to change, to add.

‘I’m sure that discussion will be there, but in the meantime, a manager needs to perform and needs to win games because the position where they are now is not great.’

Van der Sar’s comments come amid further change at Man United following the shock sacking of sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Ashworth was relieved of his duties in a meeting with United CEO Omar Berrada after the 3-2 defeat by Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday night.

Dan Ashworth was sacked as Man United’s sporting director after just five months in the role

Van der Sar believes the football department need to help give Amorim a platform to achieve

As reported by Mail Sport, the shock decision is understood to have been made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford in consultation with co-owner Joel Glazer, although United have stressed that the separation was mutual.

Ashworth spent roughly the same time in the job as he did on gardening leave at Newcastle after United approached their Premier League rivals about taking him to Old Trafford in February.

The 53-year-old started work at United on July 1 after the two clubs agreed a compensation figure of around £3m. 

United will now have to give Ashworth a pay-off, although it’s understood that the figure will be lower because he has been in the job for less than six months.

Ashworth had been among numerous figures brought in by Ratcliffe and Brailsford, joining in July alongside new chief executive Omar Berrada.

The executives joined technical director Jason Wilcox, interim director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and CEO-turned-director Jean-Claude Blanc in the set-up.

Ashworth is said to have been less keen than Berrada in appointing Amorim as Ten Hag’s successor, preferring an English coach.

Van der Sar has revealed he had among across Amorim during his time at Ajax, with the Dutchman speaking to the former Sporting Lisbon boss at a Youth League match.

Van der Sar praised Ruben Amorim having met Man United’s new head coach while at Ajax

‘With Ruben, I met him four or five years ago. I think we played Sporting Lisbon, and he was the manager at that time,’ Van der Sar said.

‘I was watching the U19 Youth League game, and he was there also, so I had a nice conversation with him. I think he’s an open man, I think his humour is open, his English is good.’

Man United are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League following a 3-2 home defeat against Bournemouth.

The Red Devils face Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday, before meeting Man City in the Manchester derby on Sunday.