Newcastle supporters believe Dan Ashworth is the right man to oversee the exciting new era on Tyneside.
The former Brighton chief is expected to take over the reins at St. James’ Park and become the club’s new director of football when his gardening leave period on the south coast ends.
Ashworth has previously worked as the FA’s head of elite development - where he was a key architect behind the successful ‘England DNA’ initiative - a role that saw him attract interest from Man Utd.
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Since moving to Brighton his reputation has enhanced further, with his recruitment policy a key factor in Brighton solidifying their position as an established Premier League club.
Our online survey received over 12,000 votes and saw the 50-year-old receive a big stamp of approval from Newcastle fans.
An overwhelming 85.5% of those polled would be happy with Ashworth’s appointment, compared to just 1.8% who were not sold on the idea.
A sizable 12.7% admitted to being unsure on his arrival - meaning the jury is still out for a minority of Toon supporters.
The next question, however, gives Ashworth insight into what he must make his prime concern in the eyes of Magpies fans.
The ex-Seagulls supremo told BT Sport in 2019 that the role of a technical director is to look after the medium to long-term interests of a club.
Amanda Staveley has pledged to supporters that the new regime will look to transform the infrastructure at Newcastle, with the current training ground and academy often drawing criticism by modern-day standards.
Our survey asked what Ashworth’s top three priorities should be and, unsurprisingly, both the training facilities ( 23.2% ) and academy ( 22.7% ) featured highly.
However, the main focus for supporters was on the immediate future, with 30.1% believing the first-team squad should take centre stage.
Overhauling the scouting network ( 12.2% ) also received a significant proportion of the vote, with a top-tier recruitment structure needed if Newcastle are to identify the best young players in world football.
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