1
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has urged Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to be as brutal with the current squad of players as they were when axing Dan Ashworth.
On Sunday, a bombshell report by The Athletic revealed that sporting director Ashworth had parted ways with United after just five months at the club.
It was stated that separation was instigated by United, with Ratcliffe in particular playing a pivotal role.
A subsequent report revealed further details of what went down behind the scenes, indicating that there were tensions between Ashworth and some of the other executives including CEO Omar Berrada, INEOS chief Sir Dave Brailsford and even Ratcliffe himself.
Reacting to Ashworth’s shocking dismissal, 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.”
“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 prices are now going up, there’s been laying off of 250 plus staff and again, they’re very definitive.”
Ferdinand added, “They’re like, ‘We’re doing this. We don’t care about the noise.’”
INEOS need to be as brutal with the players…
Ashworth departs! #ManchesterUnited pic.twitter.com/c7oa0vznZz
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) December 9, 2024
United are back in Europa League action on Thursday when they meet Viktoria Plzeň at Doosan Arena.
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
