WHAT HAPPENED?
Keane has lifted the lid on the time he was interviewed by Ashworth for the Baggies managerial role when the Englishman was their technical and sporting director between 2007-2012. Despite thinking the interview went well, the United legend didn’t get the role, with Ashworth now the Red Devils’ sporting director. The Irishman also gave his take on United’s decision to extend manager Ten Hag’s contract until 2026, while insisting that a bad start to the new season could see the ex-Ajax boss sacked within months.
WHAT ROY KEANE SAID
On the latest episode of Sky Bet’s Stick to Football, Keane said on applying for the West Brom job: “[On Dan Ashworth] I don’t know if he’s that clever because he interviewed me for a job a few years ago and didn’t give it to me. It was the West Brom job. The interview was good, just a bit of chit-chat about football and my plans. It’s always strange for any manager, what is a good or bad interview? It’s hard to gauge. Sometimes you get a feeling for somebody, and you respect who they go with. I sat with him, and it wasn’t meant to be obviously.”
On Ten Hag’s United contract extension, he added: “He only had one year left on his contract and they didn’t want the uncertainty going into the new season. The clauses will still be the same and it’s not to mean that they won’t get rid of him in October or November, it’s just a message to give him a backing.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
This upcoming season may be the last chance for Ten Hag. After impressing in his first campaign in charge, which yielded Champions League qualification and a Carabao Cup triumph, last term they were not nearly as successful. Although they did win the FA Cup, an eighth-place finish in the Premier League nearly cost him his job – with the club’s hefty injury list a mitigating factor. The United hierarchy, who have spent £88 million ($113m) on signing Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee so far this transfer window – may not be as patient if he fails to deliver this term, however.
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