Alan Shearer labels Manchester United 'embarrassing' after sacking former NUFC sporting director

It has been a shocking slow news day regarding Newcastle United today and as such the headlines have been dominated by the actions of an entirely different club.

Manchester United parted ways with Dan Ashworth at the weekend after just five months. Ashworth, of course, quit Newcastle United just 20 months into implementing his long-term vision at the club.

As soon as Manchester United and Jim Ratcliffe came knocking, Ashworth already had his bags packed, but talks over a compensation package rumbled on between the two clubs for almost six months before Ashworth was finally released from his gardening leave, mostly for PSR reasons and the fact that Newcastle had found his replacement.

Manchester United's descent into madness is a fascinating watch from the outside, and the fact that they've binned Ashworth so soon after making all that fuss is sheer poetry.

Alan Shearer can't believe what he's seeing at Manchester United

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Alan Shearer labelled Man United as 'embarrassing' and, to be honest, we'd struggle to choose a more appropriate word.

“Not only are they poor on the pitch, what on earth is going on off the pitch?

“It’s embarrassing to go out and get a guy, and him being on gardening leave for six months. He spent longer on gardening leave than he did in his time in the position at Manchester United.

“They pay £3million compensation for him, and then he leaves. It’s a terrible look, it really is. What on earth is going on at that football club.”

Newcastle may not be in a great place right now but it could be worse

It was believed, as well, that the actual figure of compensation was far greater than £3 million, which just makes the whole thing even more amusing.

Whatever is going on at that club, long may it continue. As we said yesterday, we don't usually like to engage in schadenfreude but sometimes it's just too good.

It's not as if things are exactly sunshine and rainbows at our club right now, so any distraction by a club seemingly struggling even more, particularly one so universally despised, is good enough for us.