Rio Ferdinand has questioned Manchester United’s decision to part company with sporting director Dan Ashworth after just five months and called on club co-owners Ineos to be just as “brutal” with their under-performing playing squad.

Ashworth left the club over the weekend, with his exit seen as part of a mass restructuring at Old Trafford, which has seen around 250 staff members made redundant since the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Speaking on his ‘Rio Presents’ podcast, former United defender Ferdinand said: “Confusion is the first thing that springs to mind.

“I just hope they’re this brutal – as they have been with the staff that have been there for years and they’re culling – with the s*** players that are there.

“If there’s any s*** players that are there, and the ones that have either been there too long and the ones that just ain’t good enough, be as brutal as they’ve been. Get them out quick. And I hope they’re like that.”

Ashworth’s departure comes as something of an embarrassment for United’s hierarchy given they paid to prise him away from Newcastle last summer, following a similar U-turn on the future of ex-boss Erik ten Hag.

Under new boss Ruben Amorim, United have dipped to 13th in the table having lost their last two matches to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.

And Ratcliffe, who warned of having to make “unpopular” decisions as the club posted an operating loss of £6.9m for the first quarter of the financial year, caused further unrest with a recent hike in ticket prices to £66 per game, with no concessions for children or pensioners.

Ferdinand added: “For better or worse, at least they’ve made a decision. You look at the things that are going on – I think there’s a lot of noise around the club. Ticket prices are going up, there’s been the laying-off of 250-plus staff. They’re very definitive and it’s very much like, “right, we’re doing this’.”