A former Manchester United star has called for the immediate removal of "sh** players" still on the club's roster.
Rio Ferdinand has responded to the shock departure of sporting director Dan Ashworth, a decision the Red Devils confirmed in an official statement on Sunday.
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It was announced that the 52-year-old had stepped down from his role by mutual consent, just five months after being appointed to the position.
Ferdinand's former teammate, Gary Neville, expressed his disbelief at the move, calling for transparency and suggesting that underlying issues may have contributed to Ashworth's exit.
Ferdinand, however, took a different stance during his Rio Presents podcast, commending INEOS for their decisive approach.
"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," he said, as quoted by the Mirror.
"If there's any s*** players that are there, and the 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 out quick. And I hope they're like that."
"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'," he added.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly taken drastic steps to raise standards at Old Trafford. These include cutting 250 jobs, reducing staff benefits, and controversially removing Sir Alex Ferguson from his position as a club ambassador.
The board also parted ways with former manager Erik ten Hag after just nine games this season, replacing him with Ruben Amorim.
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Despite this ruthless approach, the 20-time English champions are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table, following back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and, most recently, Nottingham Forest.