Dan Ashworth's back garden has never looked so good. The man who will help shape Newcastle United's new era is currently still serving an extended period of garden leave after resigning from his role as technical director at Brighton last month.
Newcastle remain hopeful of reaching an agreement to end Ashworth's notice period before the end of the year, but Brighton are understandably not in a rush to go out of their way to help a side who look set to leapfrog the Seagulls in the table in the future. While there is a lot of good will towards Ashworth from the powers at be at Brighton, who, tellingly, gave the 51-year-old the chance to personally say goodbye to players and staff, they are also well-aware of his worth.
Newcastle's owners at least know they have secured the services of the man who will create a structure and establish an overarching philosophy in the coming years as the club's new sporting director. There is a sense of calm surrounding the situation and, in Eddie Howe's own words, Newcastle are 'working as we were' until Ashworth arrives.
