Manchester United gave Dan Ashworth the boot after a mere five months in a reminder of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ruthless attitude towards driving change at the club. According to reports, the Red Devils' new hierarchy cited doubts over his effectiveness in the role after taking issue with two mistakes.
Ashworth was brought on board as sporting director last July following drawn-out talks with Newcastle United.
However, by December, he was out, leaving United with a £4.1million bill for his services, which has sparked criticism of Ineos and concern over the club's decision-makers.
The sum includes compensation to Newcastle and Ashworth's severance package from Old Trafford, a minor sacrifice compared to the £14.5m it cost to sack Erik ten Hag months after extending his contract.
It has since come to light that United had concerns about Ashworth's football acumen not meeting their expectations after previously considering him best-in-class.
Mail Sport report that United didn't conduct thorough due diligence on Ashworth before targeting him as their top sporting director target.
New co-owner Ratcliffe was keen to inject 'British expertise' into the club, yet Ashworth's approach was ultimately deemed too UK-centric.
Furthermore, his suggestions for Erik ten Hag's successor and a presentation on the club's condition were met with internal scrutiny.
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Ashworth's choices for the new head coach were considered 'too conservative' for the current leadership, who lured Ruben Amorim from Sporting in November.
The report adds that his presentation on the state of the club was described as "heavy on negatives and light on solutions."
A source remarked: "On the [Ineos] compass, 'can do' is listed under 'words we like'. They did not see enough 'can do'."
United have opted not to appoint a successor, with chief executive Omar Berrada actively involved at Carrington and technical director Jason Wilcox seen as a crucial conduit between the players and club executives.
Christopher Vivell has been serving as the interim director of recruitment, and the Manchester Evening News claim Ineos are set to make his appointment permanent.
Vivell has participated in United's transfer dealings over the past two windows after a seven-month stint as Chelsea's technical director and previous roles at RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim.
Currently, United are struggling in 15th place in the Premier League and are on track for their worst season in 51 years.
The Red Devils will be aiming to return to form on Saturday when they face Everton at Goodison Park.
This article was first published on Mirror Sport
