Rio Ferdinand has urged Ineos to be brutal with Manchester United‘s ‘s*** players’ and get them out of the club after Dan Ashworth’s ruthless sacking.

Ashworth was dismissed as United’s sporting director on Saturday just five months after his appointment, having been delivered the shock news in a meeting with CEO Omar Berrada after the 3-2 defeat by Nottingham Forest.

As reported by Mail Sport, the 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.

Ineos have been criticised since assuming control of football operations at Old Trafford, with swathes of staff cuts and rising ticket prices denting morale.

But Ferdinand believes this approach must also extend to Ruben Amorim‘s squad.

Delivering his verdict on Ashworth’s axing, Ferdinand said: ‘Confusion is the first thing that comes to mind. I just hope that they’re this brutal as they have been with the staff that have been there for years and that they’re culling. 

Rio Ferdinand has urged Ineos to be brutal with Manchester United’s ‘s*** players’

Sporting director Dan Ashworth was ruthlessly sacked just five months after his appointment

Ferdinand believes Ineos must hold a similar approach toward gutting United’s squad

‘I hope they’re this brutal with the s*** players that are there. If there are any s*** players that are there, and ones that have either been there too long or the ones that just aren’t good enough, be as brutal as they’ve been. Get them the f*** out quick.

‘I hope they’re like that. For better or worse, at least they’ve made a bloody decision. That’s the way I think about it. But you look at the things that are going on. 

‘I think there’s a lot of noise around the club. Ticket price are now going up, there’s been laying off of 250 plus staff and again, they’re very definitive. 

‘They’re like, “We’re doing this. We don’t care about the noise.”‘

Ashworth officially started work at United on July 1 after the club agreed a compensation figure of around £3million with Newcastle. However, they will now have to stump up a pay-off, although this figure is expected to be lower. 

United are not believed to be currently seeking a replacement. 

Technical director Jason Wilcox and interim director of recruitment Christopher Vivell could both assume more responsibility with the January window a matter of weeks away. 

They would also be contenders to take on the sporting director role permanently. 

Sources at United said that Ashworth’s departure was a ‘very difficult decision’, adding that he had conducted himself with decency and integrity.

There are claims that he had not been fully behind the appointment of Amorim, preferring an English coach such as Gareth Southgate or Graham Potter.